ARCHETYES & SYMBOLS
An archetype is a universally understood symbol, term, or pattern of behavior, a prototype upon which others are copied,
patterned, or emulated. Archetypes are often used in myths and storytelling across different cultures.
A symbol is a word or object that stands for another word or object. The object or word can be seen with the eye or
not visible. For example a dove stands for Peace. The dove can be seen and peace cannot. The word is from the Greek
word symbolom. All language is symbolizing one thing or another. However when we read the book of Genesis it
talked about a few symbols. In the story of Adam and Eve when Eve ate the apple, the apple stood for sin. Another
reading Cain and Able. The two brothers stood for good and evil, humility and pride. Cain pulled Able to the fields
and killed him. In this it is a hidden symbol. It is showing that Cain stands for the bad and Able stands for the good.
Plot Archetypes
The Quest
The Task
The Journey
The Initiation
The Ritual
The Fall
Death and Rebirth
Nature vs. Mechanistic
World
Battle Between Good and
Evil
Father-Son Conflict
Innate Wisdom vs.
Educated Stupidity
Characters
The Hero
Young Person
from the
Significance/Topics
This motif describes the search for someone or some talisman which, when found and brought back,
will restore fertility to a wasted land, the desolation of which is mirrored by a leader’s illness and
disability
This refers to a possibly superhuman feat that must be accomplished in order to fulfill the ultimate
goal.
The journey sends the hero in search for some truth of information necessary to restore fertility,
justice, and/or harmony to the kingdom. The journey includes the series of trials and tribulations the
hero faces along the way. Usually the hero descends into a real or psychological hell and is forced to
discover the blackest truths, quite often concerning his faults. Once the hero is at this lowest level, he
must accept personal responsibility to return to the world of the living.
This situation refers to a moment, usually psychological, in which an individual comes into maturity.
He or she gains a new awareness into the nature of circumstances and problems and understands his
or her responsibility for trying to resolve the dilemma. Typically, a hero receives a calling, a message or
signal that he or she must make sacrifices and become responsible for getting involved in the problem.
Often a hero will deny and question the calling and ultimately, in the initiation, will accept
responsibility.
Not to be confused with the initiation, the ritual refers to an organized ceremony that involves
honored members of a given community and an Initiate. This situation officially brings the young man
or woman into the realm of the community’s adult world.
Not to be confused with the awareness in the initiation, this archetype describes a descent in action
from a higher to a lower state of being, an experience which might involve defilement, moral
imperfection, and/or loss of innocence. This fall is often accompanied by expulsion from a kind of
paradise as penalty for disobedience and/or moral transgression.
The most common of all situational archetypes, this motif grows out of the parallel between the cycle
of nature and the cycle of life. It refers to those situations in which someone or something, concrete
and/or metaphysical dies, yet is accompanied by some sign of birth or rebirth.
Expressed in its simplest form, this refers to situations which suggest that nature is good whereas the
forces of technology are bad.
These situations pit obvious forces which represent good and evil against one another. Typically, good
ultimately triumphs over evil despite great odds.
Tension often results from separation during childhood or from an external source when the
individuals meet as men and where the mentor often has a higher place in the affections of the hero
than the natural parent. Sometimes the conflict is resolved in atonement
Some characters exhibit wisdom and understanding intuitively as opposed to those supposedly in
charge
Significance/Topics
In its simplest form, this character is the one ultimately who may fulfill a necessary task and who will restore
fertility, harmony, and/or justice to a community. The hero character is the one who typically experiences an
initiation, who goes the community’s ritual (s), et cetera. Often he or she will embody characteristics of YOUNG
PERSON FROM THE PROVINCES, INITIATE, INNATE WISDOM, PUPIL, and SON.
This hero is taken away as an infant or youth and raised by strangers. He or she later returns home as a stranger
and able to recognize new problems and new solutions.
Provinces
The Initiates
Mentors
Loyal
Retainers
Friendly Beast
The Devil
Figure
The Evil Figure
with the
Ultimately
Good Heart
The Scapegoat
The Outcast
The Earth
Mother
The Temptress
The Platonic
Ideal
The Unfaithful
Wife
The Damsel in
Distress
The StarCrossed Lovers
The Creature
of Nightmare
These are young heroes who, prior to the quest, must endure some training and ritual. They are usually innocent at
this stage.
These individuals serve as teachers or counselors to the initiates. Sometimes they work as role models and often
serve as father or mother figure. They teach by example the skills necessary to survive the journey and quest.
These individuals are like the noble sidekicks to the hero. Their duty is to protect the hero. Often the retainer
reflects the hero’s nobility.
These animals assist the hero and reflect that nature is on the hero’s side.
This character represents evil incarnate. He or she may offer worldly goods, fame, or knowledge to the protagonist
in exchange for possession of the soul or integrity. This figure’s main aim is to oppose the hero in his or her quest.
This redeemable devil figure (or servant to the devil figure) is saved by the hero’s nobility or good heart.
An animal or more usually a human whose death, often in a public ceremony, excuses some taint or sin that has
been visited upon the community. This death often makes theme more powerful force to the hero.
This figure is banished from a community for some crime (real or imagined). The outcast is usually destined to
become a wanderer.
This character is symbolic of fulfillment, abundance, and fertility; offers spiritual and emotional nourishment to
those who she contacts; often depicted in earth colors, with large breasts and hips.
Characterized by sensuous beauty, she is one whose physical attraction may bring about the hero’s downfall.
This source of inspiration often is a physical and spiritual ideal for whom the hero has an intellectual rather than
physical attraction.
This woman, married to a man she sees as dull or distant, is attracted to a more virile or interesting man.
This vulnerable woman must be rescued by the hero. She also may be used as a trap, by an evil figure, to ensnare
the hero.
These two character are engaged in a love affair that is fated to end in tragedy for one or both due to the
disapproval of society, friends, family, or the gods.
This monster, physical or abstract, is summoned from the deepest, darkest parts of the human psyche to threaten
the lives of the hero/heroine. Often it is a perversion or desecration of the human body.
Numbers
One
Significance/Topics
Ten
One number is the symbol of the Homo sapiens, the only being capable of complex rational
thinking and developed communication on Earth. It points to the absolute unity - God.Unity, primacy, the first, the best,
the only, it has no divisors, no factors, no components, it is universal, whole and complete. One is independent of all
other numbers, is the source of all other numbers. In this sense it represents God as the beginning and the end, the
prime impulse, the source of creation. essence
If 1 is the essence, 2 is the existence; duality, the opposition, the separation, the antagonist
The Trinity (Father, Son, Holy Ghost); Mind, Body, Spirit, Birth, Life, Death; circle . Three is the fundamental number.
Number 3 points to the intellectual and spiritual order, the divine qualities in cosmos and people. It is the synthesis of
number 1 and 2, the unity of Heaven and Earth. It also represents the three aspects of human life: material, rational and
spiritual
Mankind (four limbs), four elements, four seasons
This is the number of power and Divine grace; Number 5 is the sum of the first even number 2 and the first odd number
3 and this symbolizes the union of heavenly and worldly aspects; man's biological and spiritual development as well as
his existence. Numbersdivisible by 5 signify individuality and existence. This number is the symbol of the Universe, of
orderand perfection, and finally, the symbol of divine power
devil, evil
Divinity (3) + Mankind (4) = relationship between man and God, seven deadly sins, seven days of week, seven days to
create the world, seven stages of civilization, seven colors of the rainbow, seven gifts of Holy Spirit
the number of cosmic balance. There are eight carriers of the heavenly
thrones; justice and balance. In Christianity, number eight symbolizes resurrection of Jesus Christ. After six days of
creation and one day of rest comes the eighth day. There are seven parts in the Old Testament and the eighth part is in
the New Testament, symbolizing the new beginning. The eighth day represents the periodic revival and change.
The symbol of the world is the triangle with the three points: Heaven, Earth and Hell. Number
nine symbolizes the whole that includes three worlds; Number nine like the last number in the range signifies the
beginning and the end, a transition to a new level. It symbolizes the end of the road, the finish of the cycle.
Earthly perfection; 10 toes and fingers
Thirty
represents perfect man; Jesus was 30 and sold for 30 pieces of silver
Forty
a period of testing or trial
Two
Three
Four
Five
Six
Seven
Eight
Nine
Shapes
Oval
Triangle
Square
Circle
Rectangle
Spiral
Cross
Significance/Topics
woman, passivity
communication, between heaven and earth, fire, the number 3, trinity, aspiration, movement upward, return to origins,
sight, light; the triangle with the three points: Heaven, Earth and Hell
pluralism, earth, firmness, stability, construction, material solidity, the number four
the Tree of life, axis of the world, struggle, martyrdom, orientation in space
the most rational, most secure
the evolution of the universe, orbit, growth, deepening, cosmic motion, relationship between unity and multiplicity,
macrocosm, breath, spirit, water
Heaven, intellect, thought, sun, the number two, unity, perfection, eternity, oneness, celestial realm, hearing, sound
Colors
Significance/Topics
Black
(darkness) – chaos, mystery, the unknown, before existence, death, the unconscious, evil
Red
White
blood, sacrifice; violent passion, disorder, sunrise, birth, fire, emotion, wounds, death, sentiment, mother, Mars, the
note C, anger, excitement, heat, physical stimulation
hope, growth, envy, Earth, fertility, sensation, vegetation, death, water, nature, sympathy, adaptability, growth,
Jupiter and Venus, the note G, envy
purity, peace, innocence, goodness, Spirit, morality, creative force, the direction East, spiritual thought
Orange
fire, pride, ambition, egoism, Venus, the note D
Blue
Violet
clear sky, the day, the sea, height, depth, heaven, religious feeling, devotion, innocence, truth, spirituality, Jupiter,
the note F, physical soothing and cooling
water, nostalgia, memory, advanced spirituality, Neptune, the note B
Gold
Majesty, sun, wealth, corn (life dependency), truth
Silver
Moon, wealth
Purple
Royalty; honors; high status
Green
Body
Head
Body
Hands
Feet
Eyes
Arms
Nature
Air
Sky
Earth
Trees
Sun
Fire
Significance/Topics
rational mind, reason; sky; mind; Christ is the Head of the Church, his body
Animal, earth, passion, desire; represents the Church.
power
Earth, represent the last members of Christ's Body, or Church.
wisdom, understanding, comprehension Sight; vision; analysis; favor
support, strength
Significance/Topics
activity, creativity, breath, light, freedom (liberty), movement
active, masculine, god
passive, feminine, receptive, solid, green; the devil’s dominion
The tree is a symbol of antiquity and strength. Many types of trees are blazoned on shields and crests, but they are
generally not depicted accurately. The type of tree can relate to the characteristics of an early bearer of the family
name, or perhaps to the land held by that family. The garden of Eden. The cross. Life and Death.
Hero, son of Heaven, knowledge, the Divine eye, fire, life force, creative-guiding force, brightness, splendor, active
awakening, healing, resurrection, ultimate wholeness
the ability to transform, love, life, health, control, sun, God, passion, spiritual energy, regeneration
Lake
Crescent Moon
Mountain
Valley
River/Stream
Stars
Ice/Snow
Wind
Clouds
Steam
Cave
Lightning
Forest
Ocean/Sea
mystery, depth, unconscious
change, transition
height, mass, loftiness, center of the world, ambition, goals
depression, low-points, evil, unknown
life force, life cycle
Guidance; represent those who radiate light, spiritual instruction
coldness, barrenness; silence
Holy Spirit, life, messenger
mystery, sacred
transformation to the Holy Spirit ; industry, advancement
Feminine; darkness; unknown
intuition, inspiration
evil, lost, fear
restless masses of society, usually unruly and lawless
Islands
Wilderness
Rainbow
Rain
Hail
Earthquake
republican governments, organizations of people; isolation
unfertile wilds, not cultivated as farmland nor industrialized as a city
a promise
Life giver; blessings
hard truths
revolution
Flowers
Bamboo
Carnation
Chrysanthemum
Clover leaf
Daisy
Forget-me-not
Honeysuckle
Iris
Jasmine
Juniper
Lily
Lotus
Orchid
Poppy
Rose
Rosemary
Sunflowers
Thistle
Violet
Significance/Topics
longevity (it's always got green shoots) as well as strength and grace (it bends readily but doesn't break easily).
betrothal or engagement. In China, a carnation is a symbol of marriage.
The national symbol of Japan, 'mums are a symbol for long life
The three divided leaves of clover represent the Christian Holy Trinity of God the Father, Christ the Son, and the
Holy Spirit. Four-leafed clovers represent luck.
The most basic of flowers, a white daisy is a symbol of innocence.
A low-growing plant (Myosotis) with small, usually blue flowers . As the common name suggests, a symbol of a
plea for remembrance
A less-common symbol of love. Also of generosity
Associated with death as Iris was a Greek goddess of the rainbow, which she used to travel down to earth with
messages from the gods and to transport women's souls to the underworld. The three upright petals and three
drooping sepals are symbols for faith, valor, and wisdom.
This strongly scented, white flower is used as a Hindu symbol for love
Symbolizes chastity (because juniper berries are protected by the tree's thorny leaves), Christ (an association
with the crown of thorns place on the head of Christ), and eternity (juniper wood is supposedly never attacked
by bugs or worms).
purity, chastity, and innocence. White lilies represent the purity of the Virgin Mary. The Angel Gabriel was often
painted presenting Mary with a white lily when he announced to her that she would give birth to the Son of
God.
A common symbol in Asian art, the lotus symbolizes birth and rebirth through the fact that the petals open
when the sun comes out and close when the sun sets. Also a symbol for fertility, creation, and purity. The long
stem symbolizes our connection to our origins, while the flower represents the enlightenment to which we
aspire.
A symbol of perfection. The spots on an orchid sometimes represent the blood of Christ.
A symbol of death. Red poppies are a symbol of Remembrance Day (11 November), which commemorates the
dead of the First and Second World Wars.
love and passion, use red roses. For virginity and purity use white roses. To symbolize jealousy and infidelity,
use yellow roses. In Catholicism, red roses are a symbol of the Virgin Mary.
Included in funeral wreaths as a symbol of remembrance and in wedding bouquets as a symbol for fidelity. It's
said that if you touch a lover with a sprig of rosemary, they'll be faithful.
As a flower which blindly follows the sun, sunflowers have become a symbol of infatuation or foolish passion.
A thorny plant with a beautiful flower, the national symbol of Scotland. It's thorns symbolize both evil and
protection. In Christianity it represents the suffering of Christ.
faithfulness, humility, and chastity.
Animals (Native American)
Alligator
Ant
Bat
Bear
Beaver
Butterfly
Cougar
Coyote
Crane
Deer
Dolphin
Dragonfly
Eagle
Elk
Fox
Frog
Grizzly Bear
Hawk
Horse
Humming Bird
Lizard
Moose
Otter
Owl
Rabbit
Raven
Salmon
Seahorse
Shark
Snake
Spider
Swan
Turtle
Wolf
Seasons
Spring
Summer
Autumn/Fall
Significance/Topics
Aggression, survival, adaptability
Group minded, perseverance, step by step. The ant represents self discipline and a group effort.
Teamwork.
Guardian of the night, cleaner
Power, mother cunning, healer, gentle strength, dreaming. In the Zuni tradition, the bear symbolizes the direction
West
Builder, gatherer
Buffalo
Sacredness, life builder.
The buffalo provides all good things
for living, and bestow's great curing powers
Leadership, courage, power, swiftness and balance.
Prankster, insight, playful. The coyote symbolizes duality and the ability
to present both sides of an issue. Clowning and humor, perhaps sarcastic
Solitude, independence
Love, gentleness, kindness, gracefulness and sensitivity. Deer carries the message of purity of purpose, and of
walking in the light.
Kindness, play, bridge man to ocean. Dolphin brings us teachings from the water.
Breath control and the awareness of tone is also Dolphin power
Flighty, carefree. Dragonflies symbolize whirlwind, swiftness and activity. The dragonfly is
an important insect in Zuni legend, where they are shamanistic creatures with supernatural powers. In Hopi rock
art, the dragonfly is symbolized by a vertical line with two or sometimes one, horizontal cross line.
Divine spirit, chief of all the creatures in the air, the primary servant of the sun. Powerful in battle, the eagle
protects the people from evil. Eagle medicine attributes include clear vision and soaring spirit. The eagle is
associated with success, prosperity and wealth. In the Zuni Tradition, the Eagle symbolizes the direction Up.
Strength, agility, freedom, power and nobility
Cunning, provider, intelligence. Fox represents twilight and feminine magic.
Connection with water element
Mother, nature's pharmacist
Messenger of the sky, observer.
Stamina, mobility, strength and power. The horse was introduced to the plains tribes by the Spanish. Shaman's
are often pictured flying on mythical horses. Horses can symbolize coping under difficult circumstances. Horse is
love and devotion, loyalty.
Messenger, stopper of time. Hummingbird represents optimism and sweetness. Being able to roll with the
punches is an attribute of Hummingbird.
Conservation, agility. Lizard promotes dreaming.
Headstrong, unstoppable longevity. Moose represents value and integrity
Laughter, curiosity, mischievous. Otter is a feminine power, and the symbol of grace and empathy.
Wisdom, truth, patience. The Mescalero believe that Owl carries the souls of the recently deceased, a death
messenger. Owl is the totem of clairvoyants and mystics.
Alertness, nurturing
Trickster, teacher, hoarder. To Pacific Northwest Coast tribes, Raven represented the shaman's powers and a
belief in transformation between human and animal spirits. Raven symbolizes change in consciousness and is the
mark of a shape shifter.
Instinct, persistence, determination
Confidence, grace
Hunter, survival, adaptability
Shrewdness, transformation. Life, death and rebirth are represented by the shedding of skin. Among the Pueblo
Indians snakes and lightning are equated with rain and fertility.
Creative, pattern of life. Spider connects the past with the future, creating possibilities. Spider-woman is a major
Pueblo goddess.
Grace, balance, innocence
Self contained, creative source. Turtle represents Mother Earth. Informed decisions, planning and adaptability are
attributes of Turtle.
Loyalty, success, perseverance, stability and thought. Wolves are also regarded as path finders and teachers. Wolf
is represented by the constellation Sirius, the Dog.In the Zuni tradition the Wolf symbolizes the direction East.
Significance/Topics
youth, newness, birth, sun, starting fresh, green
harmony, perfection, content, yellow,
harvest, middle age, ripeness, knowledge, brown
Winter
death, barren, discontent, running out of time, black
Directions/Movements
East
West
North
South
Descent
Ascent
Center
Left & Right
Objects
Feathers
Shadow
Masks
Boats/Rafts
Bridge
Right hand
Left hand
Feet
Skeleton
Heart
Hourglass
Trumpet
Significance/Topics
lightness, speed
our dark side, evil, devil
concealment
safe passage
change, transformation, indecision
rectitude, correctness
deviousness
stability, freedom
mortality
Love, emotions
The passage of time
a warning
Dualities/Motifs
Light vs.
Darkness
Water vs.
Desert
Heaven vs.
Hell
Haven vs.
Wilderness
Supernatural
Intervention
Fire vs. Ice
Significance/Topics
where the sun rises. The eastern spirit of sun or fire brings warmth and light. It is the place of beginnings. Its light
brings wisdom. It is the power of knowledge
the spirit of water. It is the direction from which darkness comes. It is the power of change, the place of dreams,
introspection and the unknown. The west signifies purity and strength. Death, setting sun, linear thinking
(western)
the spirit of wind. The cold wind blows from the north. It is the power of wisdom. Here we take time to reflect on
what we began in the east, in the morning, in our youth
the sun at its highest point. It is the direction from where warm winds blow. South is the spirit of earth, the power
of life. It represents peace and renewal.
unconscious, potentialities of being, animal nature
height, transcendence, inward journey, increasing intensity
thought, unity, timelessness, spacelessness, paradise, creator, infinity
The right is associated with action and the male, solar aspects of existence. The left is traditionally associated with
weakness, passivity and the lunar, female principle. It’s important to note that these associations are from a
Western viewpoint.. In the East, the symbolic values of left and right are much different. In Japan, the left is the
side of the male, solar energy and also stands for nobility and wisdom. In contrast, it’s the right side that holds the
female, lunar qualities. China’s yin-yang concept shows a philosophy of balance and interrelatedness
between male-female/left-right/light-dark. The Cabala presents a neutral interpretation. The right hand of god is
the hand of blessing and symbolizes mercy. The left hand stands for justice and is known as the the hand of the
king.
Significance/Topics
Light usually suggests hope, renewal, OR intellectual illumination; darkness implies the unknown, ignorance, or
despair.
Because water is necessary to life and growth, it commonly appears as a birth or rebirth symbol. Water is used in
baptism services, which solemnizes spiritual births. Similarly, the appearance of rain in a work of literature can
suggest a character’s spiritual birth.
Humanity has traditionally associated parts of the universe not accessible to it with the dwelling places of the
primordial forces that govern its world. The skies and mountaintops house its gods; the bowels of the earth contain
the diabolic forces that inhabit its universe.
Places of safety contrast sharply against the dangerous wilderness. Heroes are often sheltered for a time to regain
health and resources.
The gods intervene on the side of the hero or sometimes against him.
Fire represents knowledge, light, life, and rebirth while ice like desert represents ignorance, darkness, sterility, and
death.