Dr Candess M Campbell – The Child Archetype

Profile Dr Candess M Campbell The Child Archetype Live Encounters Magazine September 2015

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The Child Archetype by Dr Candess M Campbell, #1 Best-selling Author, Intuitive Mentor, Speaker, and International Psychic Medium Healer.

The creativity of your subconscious mind not only shows up in dreams, but also shows up as archetypes in your life. Archetypes are overlying patterns that show up in all cultures that are seeded in the psyche. Some examples of archetypes are mother, judge, teacher and healer. When you begin to look at these patterns in your life, you can unleash your creative energy.

This week has been a combination of wringing every drop of sunshine and play out of the summer and thoughts of back to school! Grace, my granddaughter and I both played at the Garland Street Fair. She experienced bungee jumping and I rocked out to local blues musician Sammy Eubanks.

In addition there was back to school shopping. As a child and as an adult, I have always loved learning, so looked forward to back to school. This is not true for all children. Although we all have the Child Archetype, there are different attributes in everyone.

The archetypes explored here are the Wounded Child, Orphan Child, the Magical or Innocent Child, the Nature Child, the Eternal Child and the Dependent Child. Many authors delve deep into the archetypes. Caroline Myss, a medical intuitive is a teacher and mentor that I hold in high regard. Some of this information comes from her writings.

You are all the ages that you have ever been.  On any given day you can access the child within. You may identify with a few of these child archetypes, but generally you will find one most prevalent. When you explore your child archetype, you may notice that you re-live your childhood through the ages of your children. For instance, if you have a two-year old, you may notice yourself saying “no!” all the time, or if you have a three-year old, you may continually question everything with “why?”  I have a 16-year-old granddaughter and am reliving my adolescence for the second time. I have the same long blonde hair I had when I was 16. I bought a Mercedes “Lord won’t you buy me . . .” by Janice Joplin and I spend weekends dancing with a group of friends to the oldies of the 70s or to the blues of Sammy Eubanks.

The Child archetype’s role is a balance between dependency and responsibility. It plays out in learning a healthy dependency or interdependency and figuring out when to stand up to the group and when to embrace the community.

The Wounded Child Archetype remembers the abuse, neglect and traumas experienced in childhood. Since therapy has become more available, many people identify with this archetype. It is the child that blames their parents for their lives, their choices, and the dysfunctional relationships they create. The positive side of the wounded child is they have the desire to help other wounded children and have a deep ability to be compassionate. The shadow side of the wounded child is they blame others for their pain and get stuck in the past, not moving through the painful memories into present time.

The Orphan Child Archetype is often found in childhood stories. Orphan children do not feel they belong to their families. One of my favorite stories is the Ugly Duckling. I was so happy when I realized I was not a duck at all, but was a swan. I had often felt I was dropped out of the sky into my family and wondered, “who are these people?” Orphans who do not feel they belong to the family often become independent early and feel like they raised themselves.  The shadow side of the Orphan is they suffer from feelings of abandonment. They often seek out surrogate families or support groups in which to connect. Creating and maintaining healthy relationships is often a challenge for the Orphan Child.

The Magical Child and Innocent Child archetype sees beauty in all things. They are able to maintain wisdom and courage when what is happening around them may be catastrophic. A good example is Anne Frank. When her family was hiding from Nazis, she was still able to believe that humanity was good. The shadow side of the Magical Child leaves the person without a sense of possibility and a lack of transformation from evil to good. Pessimism and depression can surface, especially if the child had a dream that was discouraged by adults. Another shadow side is when as an adult, they get lost in fantasy and do not believe action and energy are required to obtain a result. They get lost in magical thinking.

The Nature Child Archetype manifests as a child who has a strong, intimate bond with the earth and with animals. They may show a tender, emotional side, but also can be tough and have great survival skills. Many nature children can communicate with animals. Some nature children develop abilities to communicate with nature spirits and work with them to help the planet. Veterinarians and animal activists are often nature children. The shadow aspect of the Nature Child may manifest in being abusive to animals.

The Eternal Child Archetype has as an ability to stay young in body, mind and spirit. These children continue to have fun and enjoy life even as they age. They are the ones people who surf, ski and bike well into their later years, usually putting fun first. I imagine many who write books on anti-aging have this child archetype. The shadow Eternal Child manifests and an inability to grow up and be responsible. They remain child-like and don’t take their share of responsibility in a relationship or in society. I have heard clients refer to their husbands as being “another child to care for.” Women who have the Eternal Child archetype can be extremely dependent on others.

The Dependent Child Archetype is needy and dependent and feels like nothing is ever enough. They try to replace the emptiness from childhood, but they can’t figure out how to fill the hole inside. They often suffer from moderate to severe depression. If you identify with this archetype, use this information to alert yourself to when you are become too needy and self-absorbed. What helps is no matter what your resistance, get out and help someone else. When I see this archetype in full activation, it appears as a form of narcissism. Everything becomes about them and their needs.

By understanding and working with the Child Archetype, you will learn how these characteristics show up to support or challenge your relationships. Exploring your archetypes accelerates your increased consciousness and moves you toward your Divine Soul purpose.

Below take a moment to share the archetypes you identify with the most and how this plays out in your relationships and in your life.

You can find more information on the extensive research and incredible teachings of Caroline Myss at http://www.myss.com

Candess M. Campbell, PhD a #1 Best-selling Author, Intuitive Mentor and Coach, Speaker, and International Psychic Medium Healer.  http://energymedicinedna.com

In the photograph above is Sammy Eubanks, local blues musician – http://www.sammyeubankslive.com/

© Dr Candess M Campbell

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