The Archetype of the Eternal Child

Archetypes have been something that I've been interested in since Michelle from Holisticism introduced me to them. Since then, I've read work from Caroline Myss and worked deeply with Kim Krans' Archetype Deck. To me, archetypes are like characters or personas that live within you. Caroline Myss defines them as "our energy companions and guides to our highest potential." For me, the seeker, visionary, nomad, and high priestess have been some of the archetypes closest to my heart but for the rest of Leo Season (and however long after that), I'm tapping into the eternal child archetype.

A Note on Archetypes

The thing with archetypes is they allow us to be more than one thing. We are not just a daughter or a friend or a boss or a partner but rather all of these things make up parts of us. Caroline Myss teaches that everyone has about 12 archetypes, 4 of those (the child, victim, prostitute, and saboteur) are the same for everyone leaving the other 8 unique to you. You can learn more about casting your archetype wheel here. Hint: don't think too much about it, let whatever come up, come up and know that we don't always resonate because sometimes we don't need specific archetypes as much. Moral of the story? Don't limit yourself, let archetypes be a way to expand your perception of yourself.

What is The Eternal Child Archetype?

To me, the eternal child is similar to the archetype of Peter Pan–that feeling of never wanting to grow up. This week I learned about my life purpose in Gene Keys, this key is connected to my Sun Sign of Aries and in Gene Keys, it's Key 3. The archetype of this key? Yep, you guessed it, the eternal child. So quite literally, part of my life purpose is to tap into this archetype.

The Eternal Child archetype is forever young; like Aries, it is sometimes naive, over-ambitious, and doesn't always think things through but it knows how to live life. The thing I love most about this archetype is that it learns through experience and never takes life too seriously. This quite literally is where I'm at in my life and have been feeling so much resistance towards it. So as we do with our shadows, we connect more deeply to them and face them in the light.

Why This Archetype?

If I'm being completely honest, it's because I think I take life too seriously. I think a lot of people do. Why are we rushing to figure out our purpose, buy a house, or settle down and get everything "figured out"? What is the rush? One of the biggest things I have been struggling with so much after graduating college is the pull between wanting to live my life but feeling so much pressure to just pick something to do with my life. I feel shame and guilt and like I'm doing something wrong because I'm picking up small jobs, living places short term, and don't have a definite long term plan set in place.

The Eternal Child reminds me to be present in my life. It reminds me that my purpose is play. Experiencing life is how we live and how do we do that if we are too busy planning? One of my biggest fears is looking back on my life and realized that I was running on autopilot for the majority of it. I want to look back on my life and see how much I lived. Yeah, I'm going to mess up and make mistakes but that's how you learn. The archetype of the eternal child helps me to tap into my authentic nature of play, joy, curiosity, and presence.

How Am I Connecting to The Archetype?

If you've been following along, you know that connecting to my inner child and calling in play has been on my mind all year. This process has ebbed and flowed throughout the year but this upcoming month, I have a few things in mind:

Playing Dress Up

I used to love playing dress-up as a kid. Even into being a teenager, I loved experimenting with makeup, fun hairstyles, and all kinds of clothes. I have always loved dressing up and notoriously was known for never wearing lounge clothes in high school. (you never know who you might meet!!) Sadly, the passion has dwindled over the years. I guess the societal beauty standard for minimalism, embracing natural beauty, and snide comments from class members about how I care too much shifted me away from the love of playing dress-up. But baby, I'm back! I bought neon liquid liner, have been scouring Pinterest for outfit inspirations, and am ready to accessorize to the max. I want to get out of my comfort zone and use my physical appearance as a way of creative self-expression rather than conformity.

Exploring

I'll be living in New York City through August and September and my biggest intention is to explore. When I visit the city, it's typically only for a few days and I always end up going to the same places. This time, I want to see the city through new eyes. I want to follow my curiosities, wander and explore, and feel the excitement of living in a city as vibrant as New York. it can be easy to fall into a routine but what would happen if you chose to do something different? Explore the place you are living. I did this last year during COVID in my hometown and it is one of my fondest memories from 2020. Pushing yourself to try something new, go somewhere new, or simply explore a place through fresh eyes brings life back to life.

Honoring My Desires

Another thing that I learned from my Gene Keys is that in two of my keys connected to my vocation and culture, desire is the shadow. That doesn't necessarily mean desire is bad but rather when you place judgment and weight on your desires, they will hold you back. Essentially, if I take life too seriously, my desires (which themselves are neutral) lead me away from my path. So with the intention to connect to the eternal child archetype, I am going to follow my desires. Instead of judging them, like I often do, I'm going to see what life would look like if I let them lead. We'll see how this one goes, I'm excited to see where it leads me.

The Eternal Child Archetype Card in Kim Krans' Archetype Deck describes this archetype as,

The Eternal Child is connected to the timeless, ageless, and infinite aspects of life. It is radiant and fearless and seeks joy above all else and at any costs. It struggles being bound to an aging body with physical limitations in a world that demands attention to detail and logistics. The Eternal Child wants to nix all rules and responsibilities and go beyond what others say is possible. It wants to return (with plenty of friends) to the land of the free, where divine wine and creativity pour from the earth and sky. We all want a sip from the well of eternal youth…and this makes The Eternal Child naturally popular, perhaps even famous. The Eternal Child glimmers. It reminds us of what is possible, what is magical about this precious life.

So that, my friends, is where my head's at. It's the energy that I am working to embody and live out in this season of my life. As someone who has spent so many years wanting to be seen as older than I already am, it's ironic that I now am trying to find that child within again. Yet, the shame of being "only 23" still persists in my mind. Weird how our brain works, don't you think?