#I wish I could see the trickster archetype so many people put on him

[notnights]

Love when people call Jax’s physical assault and invasion of privacy, “prankster behavior.”

[illfoandillfie]

oh my gosh an increasing chances reading?! can I get one with me and the guys name is Michael and a new deck of your choosing. Thanks babe ily 😘

went with the art nouveau deck because it was already out and i havent picked up any new tarot decks recently but we do got new oracles lmao

Tarot: queen of swords, 9 of pentacles, the lovers, the hermit, page of cups, 8 of pentacles, ace of wands

okay so you’ve probably noticed that there are 2 cards in there that don’t look like the rest lmao. that’s because in this spread the first two cards are meant to represent the querent (you) and their person (michael) and i got a new deck a little while ago which is perfect for describing people through archetypes. SO

you came out as the trickster which is associated with transcending convention stuffiness and predictable behaviour (shadow attribute is manipulating others through duplicity). and he came out as the student which is associated with humility and devotion to knowledge, openness to lifelong learning (shadow attribute is arrogance in the pursuit of destructive knowledge and an unwillingess to translate knowledge into action) 

now to the juicy stuff 

the top three cards represent how your person sees you, thinks about you and feels about you. 

he sees you as the queen of swords. A complex woman but very smart and very capable. The sort of person who doesn’t have the time or patience to mess around. Perhaps a little intimidating but great to have on your side. Strong, independent, perceptive. Basically a bit of a badass. 

with the 9 of pentacles representing how he thinks about you theres a couple of ways we could take it. the 9s as cards haven’t quite reached the completion of the 10s. They’re about maturing and gaining awareness. Recognising changed values and opinions and shifts in perception as you grow older. So we could take this as a message that the way he thinks about you has changed over time. He’s seeing you in a new light more recently. but the 9 of pents specifically is related  perseverance and abundance. So it’s also possible that this just means he thinks about you regularly. 

At this point I would like to make it clear that I don’t cherry pick cards, I shuffle until something falls out and I take it whatever it is. And I want you to know that because the card representing how he feels about you is The Lovers. Obviously this potentially means that there is some form of attraction there or that he feels there could be. And perhaps that’s what the 9 was referring to, he didn’t always see you as a potential partner but he has started to. But, as a slight caveat,  the lovers doesn’t inherently mean anything romantic. It is usually taken in that context but it can also mean other sorts of strong partnerships and bonds. But y’know whatever. 

The bottom row of cards has to do with your chances of anything happening. 

Representing you current chances, with everything how it is right now, we have The Hermit. Nothing is likely to happen between you. It’s a pretty definite card because it’s about solitude and withdrawal and contemplation. This indicates that now isn’t a good time for things to happen.

But the next card, Page of Cups, is how to increate your chances of something happening between you. Like the other pages as well he’s a symbol of messages, so this may be a sign to boost communication with michael, y’know send him a message over insta or whatever. It’s interesting that the page of cups came up because cups are the suit tied to emotions/feelings. and this specific page is seen as a bit of a dreamer, very imaginative. He represents unexpected inspiration so it’s about being open to new ideas, especially when they seem to come from nowhere. 

Finally as some added advice we have the 8 of pentacles and ace of wands. the 8 of pents is about hard work and ambition while the ace of wands is all about new opportunities, creation and inspiration. Funnily enough, both cards are related to passion. The ace of wands is passion like desire and the 8 of pents is like the sort of passion a master craftsman might have for their craft, but still...passion. However you choose to go about trying to strength the connection and increase your chances of something happening, it is going to take some time and probably dedication/commitment. 

Now for your oracles. 

Your moon card is full moon in leo - don’t let pride get in your way. I think that’s fairly self explanatory. 

Your heart card says Deep in your heart you already know the answer. Do what feels right. which is fascinating because...

the first of those two door cards on the left says Intuition - Simple, complex - Words of pain or words that heal. You come to know truth by the way that it feels. Which really just makes me think of that page of cups. So trust youself, whatever your gut tells you is the right thing to do. 

Your other door say Patience - Everything soon will come to light And then you will see things will be alright. And THAT makes me think of both the hermit with his light, seeking answers, as well as the 8 of pentacles. 

You also got the Princess card (You can be your own knight) from my new Believe In Your Own Magic deck which basically means that you have the power to change your situation, you don’t have to wait for someone else to change things for you or make the first move. 

And finally Pond - looking inward/inspiration/uncertainty. more of that page of cups energy I think. 

Lastly, because this isn’t long enough already lmao. I got this deck recently. It’s made by someone I follow on youtube and she calls it a channelled messages deck. The basic idea being that the messages on these cards are either things the deck wants you to know or things your person would say to you if they could. Take it with as many grains of salt as you like I just thought it’d be fun. Also this is like the second time i’ve used them so

So. The message from the deck is You Already Know. Which really fits in with some of those oracle cards. Perhaps you do know what needs to happen or how to move forward and you’ve not put any stock in it or you’ve not realised the truth of it. 

But on to the rest of the messages. 

You are so beautiful, why do you need me? there is doubt and uncertainty here. He sees you as the queen of swords, as independent, and he’s not sure you’d need him or want him. Echoed in Do you think about me too?

I think we should see other people in reverse. He wants you. He doesn’t like the idea of you being with someone else. 

I can’t even look at you right now in reverse. he might be unable to see you in person but he wants to, might indicate he’s been looking at photos. because I just dream and wish for everything... this poor boy lmao big 7 of cups, wishful energy. 

You make me want to do bad things in reverse you make him want to be good enough for you and he wants to prove that he would be. 

[jackasstm]

Atlas - 19 - Any pronouns - EST timezone 

Until I have my official document set up, this will do. So this is an indie single rp blog for Jack T. Alez, also known as Ghost ( as identified when speaking to the muse ) and Host ( as identified when narrating the beginning of most of the plotted starters ), a fantasy, supernatural, and horror original character who is the cosmic eldritch Embodiment of Trickery affiliated with This is the Astral Age universe / novel series ( details of this universe can be found in @astrotechne ) of mine.

Jack Alez is composed of every elements from many folklores, religions, mythologies, and medias on the archetypal tricksters, especially the Jack himself, which I do not own anything that is commonly known about the Jack and any of the other trickster figures, whatever you see that you may not find in any sources or see that they are more detailed than what the sources have given is respectively created and developed by me, which I would extremely appreciate if they do not get stolen. Current information of Jack is located under the cut, though not everything is set to stones at the moment, so expect a lot of changes as time goes on. Note that Jack always speak in third person as he narrates what is happening around him, and my writing style with him is based on script plays. Please have a look into this post to see what’s up with that for less confusion, I hope.

Keep in mind that this blog contains heavy sensitive content, involving religion, horror, supernatural, and unreality themes, childhood and past alcohol abuse, depression, murder, gore, and death. Everything will be tagged as “#trigger cw” ( I tag “#ask to tag cw” just in case I tag something that I feel may have sensitive content, but I don’t know / can’t tell what specifically ). While I consider myself to be very chill to not really give much attention on the rules for myself at the moment ( although you can find my guideline in @astrotechne if you really want to know how I roll here ), but while I am always more than happy to write with anyone with any kind of muses as long as they are not a supporter of abuse / pedophilia / rape / incest / ableism / etcetera, and they are not hating on anyone based on their ethnicity, gender, sexuality, etcetera, and there is enough patience and understanding to put up with my extremely slow ass at literally everything oocly and icly ( though Imma be real, I’m mostly here to just ramble about Jack nonsense than roleplay because I love him so much and too much ), we can have fun and start cracking open a cold one with the boys...

Remember: Roleplay is a hobby, not a jobby!

( Current alt. faceclaims include: M.ichiel H.uisman, D.an S.teven, and R.obert S.heehan )

This is indeed the Jack we love and hate in the many fables and nursery rhymes he’s in. He goes by every other forms of his name for the shits and giggles and to hide his identity from certain tricksters who wished to torture and kill him, but in the end, he is referred to as the Jack, which many entities eventually takes the habit of calling him either Jacky, Jackaboy, and / or Jackass ( which there’s a rumour he was the reason why the word, jackass, exists ). Ask him what his middle name stands for and he will just t-poses at you.

Jack is the amalgam of every single creation that links to / have parallels with him and his original memories ( such as J.ack F.rost from R.ise of the G.uardians, J.ack H.orner from F.ables, etcetera— even fanfictions of him and his amalgamations. ). Meaning that he is every Jacks of those tellings, retellings, and the in between. Every time a new story about him is told, his soul will form a new fragment of an identity based on that Jack, essentially holding “new” memories as gathering more details of his background. He also have the memories of every known folklore and mythological tricksters and he considers himself to be them due to his high narcissism.

( Any aspect of this personality can change anytime— this is just a draft ) :  “Jack is a trickster who takes a great delight in pulling pranks on everyone and being a source of joy and entertainment to everyone, especially children, which he is considered to be the Patron God of them, protecting children across the Universe from their abusers and bullies and teaching them trickery that is used for self protection. Despite what a lot of beings say of him as being a truly cold and cruel individual, he does genuinely wish to be friends with everyone as he loves to think of himself as the best one to be around. He just have difficulties seeing how sharp and overbearing his words and thoughts can be to others. Pride can get in his way at times, though he just wants to find the strength to make himself feel loved when no one else does because of who he is as a lazy, strange trickster.”

Jack made a deal with the Devil that if he could outsmart every trickster from folklores and mythologies without getting tricked on once, he would have to give him an immortal body when the bodies he would possess died too quickly because of the extreme coldness his soul held. He succeeded and became the most despised individual in the world with every tricksters and their associates coming after him. Due to this, Jack is always on the run, entering into different universes and worlds, and then leaving after staying there for a short period of time.

Though because Jack wasn’t specific enough on what kind of a body he wanted, the Devil used this fact to get his revenge on him and placed his soul into an immortal human body that was attached with the body parts of the animals that were associated with trickery, making him a monster. Although during the deal, whenever the Devil wasn’t around, Jack would steal powers and memories of certain tricksters by freezing their feet to make their souls frozen and broke the particles out of them that would contain their powers and memories before inhaling them, gaining what he most desired from them. So after Jack showed he could shapeshift from Loki’s soul particles, he left Hell, leaving the Devil in fury at the fact that he was the last victim to be outsmarted by Jack.

Eventually, with Jack holding so many identities from the creations people had told and created after him, to generalize his overall identity, he became better known as the Embodiment of Trickery.

More notes to go over eventually: Jack had gained the ability to warp reality / Created his own universe that is considered to be a paradise for the lost spirits of the children / The Devil eventually saw so much potential in Jack through his remarkable strength and trickery that he wanted him to join in Hell, but remembering how the Devil wouldn’t take him in when he died, Jack made a deal that if the Devil would help and guide him regardless of anything, he would join him for half of a year, hence, Jack had the Devil’s Mark on his arm that would summon the Devil from the portal opening on said body part.

[mediaeval-muse]

Book Review

Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge. Balzer and Bray. 2014.

Rating: 3/5 stars

Genre: YA fantasy

Part of a Series? Yes. Fairy Tales #1 of 3 (so far). But it doesn’t seem like the series is one narrative.

Summary: Since birth, Nyx has been betrothed to the evil ruler of her kingdom-all because of a foolish bargain struck by her father. And since birth, she has been in training to kill him. With no choice but to fulfill her duty, Nyx resents her family for never trying to save her and hates herself for wanting to escape her fate. Still, on her seventeenth birthday, Nyx abandons everything she's ever known to marry the all-powerful, immortal Ignifex. Her plan? Seduce him, destroy his enchanted castle, and break the nine-hundred-year-old curse he put on her people. But Ignifex is not at all what Nyx expected. The strangely charming lord beguiles her, and his castle—a shifting maze of magical rooms—enthralls her. As Nyx searches for a way to free her homeland by uncovering Ignifex's secrets, she finds herself unwillingly drawn to him. Even if she could bring herself to love her sworn enemy, how can she refuse her duty to kill him? With time running out, Nyx must decide what is more important: the future of her kingdom, or the man she was never supposed to love.

***Full review under the cut.***

Trigger Warnings: forced marriage, child neglect, violence, madness; allusions to: tyranny, rape, murder

Overview: To be honest, this book came somewhat of a surprise to me. I wouldn’t have picked it up if a friend hadn’t recommended it, since the summary makes it look like a run-of-the-mill YA fantasy. In some ways, it does make use of tropes that are somewhat cliche by now; however, I think it also deals with ideas that are more interesting than the summary or many of the reviews give it credit for. Though there were some things that irritated me, such as the main character’s inner voice, the worldbuilding intrigued me enough to want to keep reading, and the focus on allowing the main character to embrace her anger was refreshing. Overall, I do think it made use of interesting ideas and had potential to be so much more, which is why I’m rating it 3 stars.

Writing: This book uses a first person point of view, which isn’t my cup of tea. Personal preference aside, I think Hodge did a good job balancing descriptions of her fantasy world and the main character’s inner voice, inserting some nice imagery here and there that really made for some vivid scenery and dark fantasy mood. Sometimes, the prose could border on the dramatic, especially when describing the main character’s inner thoughts or emotions, but it worked out well and fit with the overall mood and circumstances of the narrative.

Plot: This book is a "Beauty and the Beast” retelling that mainly follows Nyx, a 17 year old girl who has been betrothed to a demon lord named Ignifex in the hopes that she can destroy him and thus free her kingdom from his tyranny. It’s pretty straight-forward. I wasn’t very enthralled by this plotline, especially since the buildup consisted of exploring a house and Nyx kind of just reacting to what she found. I wish a little more purpose had gone into the rooms, so that they fit together to explore Nyx’s psyche or comment upon the major themes of the book - anger and hatred as part of a person, the role of duty, or the connection to one’s family.

I did, however, like the ending and thought it was quite clever. Without spoiling anything, I will say that it was a neat exploration of the darkness within a person, and I think the setup could have really brought out this consideration of human nature.

Characters: The main characters in this book include Nyx, Ignifex, and a shadow creature called Shade (who is something of a servant to Ignifex). Nyx, our narrator, is sympathetic in that she has been married against her will, but after a few chapters, I disliked being stuck in her head. She seemed to have no joy whatsoever in her life and was incredibly self-loathing, which, though understandable, was also quite irritating. I also didn’t quite think there was enough to her character to warrant her being especially equipped to take on this challenge. Nyx has very little agency (she never finds a single heart room - the things she needs to enact her plan - by herself) and I couldn’t quite believe that she was the first girl in 900 years to survive looking at demons (why? she just does) or think of stealing keys. I did like, however, that her arc seemed to be about embracing her anger; too often, women are told not to be angry, and giving her the space to feel her feeling was well-done. If the rooms had been more about developing that idea, I think I could have seen her as more of a heroine.

Ignifex, a demon lord, was less interesting to me because he seemed to fit the mold of that arrogant-hot-guy-who-is-actually-a-misunderstood-monster archetype. He’s strict without being a complete asshole (he doesn’t force Nyx to have sex with him, and gives her a lot of freedom to explore his “castle”), so I was inwardly groaning every time he appeared because he was another “beast” who is really just a conventionally attractive guy with a tragic past.

Shade, a “servant” made of shadow, was immediately likable because he was kind. I love characters who are low on the social ladder but intent on sticking it to the man and doing the right thing at great risk to themselves. Initially, his relationship with Nyx was rather sweet, and I very much enjoyed the interactions between the two.

The supporting characters are not very involved throughout most of the story, appearing mainly at the beginning and the end. Nyx’s family seemed altogether horrid, favoring her twin sister over her because Nyx was chosen to be the offering to the demon lord. I could understand her resentment, but I do wish there was more complexity in how she thought of them.

Nyx’s twin sister, Astraia, was naive but sweet, and although I was irritated that Nyx was so cold to her at first, I ended up enjoying that Astraia became central to Nyx’s motivations and emotional development throughout the book. I think sisters are positioned to hate each other in many fairy tales and their retellings, so seeing them connect was wonderful.

Other: Maybe this is personal preference, but I find marriage plots involving teens or young adults a bit off-putting, especially when the marriage is between a teenage girl and an immortal creature. I think I could have dealt with it fine if the marriage was just about fulfilling a bargain, but there were some scenes where Nyx was instructed to please her husband sexually, where she talks about her breasts and what revealing outfit she was wearing, how she might seduce the demon lord, where the fear of being raped is vocalized, etc. I understand that sexuality is a part of teenagers’ lives, and I’m not against depicting it in books. In this context, however, it didn’t quite sit right with me.

Speaking of the romance, I did enjoy the banter between Nyx and Ingifex, but I hated that there was a kind of love triangle with Shade. Nyx bounces back and forth between the two, and though it makes sense by the end, I loathed the moments when Nyx was basically like “Ignifex killed a bunch of people and ruined my life but he’s so hot and it’s arousing when I kiss him, so I think I like him.” This happens a lot in YA/New Adult, and I’ve never understood it. I did like, however, that the two love interests seemed to like different aspects of her. Shade treated Nyx as a hero who would save everyone, giving her confidence in herself; Ignifex allowed her to be herself and liked the darkest parts of her, which was liberating. So, in that regard, there was something interesting going on, but I’m just personally fed up with love triangles.

The major redeeming aspect of this book for me was the worldbuilding. The novel takes place in something of an alternate universe in which Greco-Roman culture and religion has continued for a few hundred more years, the gods and all immortal creatures are real, and magic is practiced and studied like a science. I loved the allusions to classical mythology, poetry, and philosophy, as well as the imaginative work that went into thinking about how a world might look if Greco-Roman society continued.

Recommendations: I would recommend this book if you’re interested in fairy tale retellings (especially Beauty and the Beast), Greco-Roman mythology and culture, demons, curses, trickster gods and bargaining, and supernatural houses/castles.

[tumblunni]

GODDAMMIT I CANT PICK A MARRIAGE

Rune Factory 4 why do you persist in having TOO MANY GOOD CHARACTERS I’ve narrowed it down to two but now i keep changing my damn mind again! I’ve decided I’m gonna see the marriages for the three characters I liked on different save files, but who should I marry first and go with for real on this save file?? i’ve run out of patience for waiting to pick a batchelor as the VERY LAST THING i do before I turn off the game, I need to do it now! I need to do it before I start this final bonus dungeon thing to rescue [spoilery dead character] from the afterlife. I WANT TO SHOW THEM MY CHILD WHEN THEY RETURN. And this game is SO LONG and cos of how semi random the skill levelling is, I dont think I’d have the patience to complete the same 20 so hours three times to complete all the savefiles, and it’d be really frustrating if I couldnt max out all the same skills on them :P SO YEAH GAHHH Need to FINALLY DECIDE between leon and dylas!

PROS N CONZ

Dylas:

* Has the most romantic chemistry in my opinion, and also my favourite main character after Arthur. (Tho I ended up not really feeling that ship so even tho hhe’s my fave batchelor he’s not the one I wanted to marry??) * is really fucking awkward adorable which is MY FAVE kind of ship! * also his romance route is primarily about cheesy romance rather than like.. lots of lusty flirty sexual attraction type stuff that I’m not really capable of understanding. * HAs a load of great character development and seems like he’d be the most happy to be with you. * is the coolest of the monster people, even if im still salty he doesnt look more like his monster form. They coulda just given him a unicorn horn and it would have brought the whole design together! * Marrying him would make me feel less salty sad that there’s no way to get him and doug to hook up when they are CLEARLY CANONICALLY BISEXUAL GEEZ * A minor con is that this would mean I have to play the rest of the game with the postgame cheat mode gay marriage thing switched on. Which could get a bit annoying since its just a character model swap and its a bit glitchy sometimes, but I like both genders of protagonist equally much anyway. i just feel slightly guilty thinking im somehow being disloyal to the one I picked at the beginning, but then again i literally only picked the girl because you cant romance dylas unless you’re the girl and GAHHH I was so happy to know you could cheat and have cheat mode gay marriage so IMMA GONNA DO IT * seriously its an option so i cant NOT take it * make up for lack of doug x dylas route by doing dylas x male protag * also dylas was the one I wanted to pick since before i knew anything about the game, he was my fave based on design alone and then his personality in his first scene was amazing and aaaa * also dylas’s romance route is REALLY TERRIBLE which is maybe a pro and maybe a con?? like.. i wanna marry him cos he had no plot and i wanna make it up to him, but i also DONT wanna marry him cos his route wasnt my favourite plot and aaaa why does my brain not make sense * also a pro: PORCOLINE * i get to officially marry into the restaurant fam! * i have literally got porcoline in my party right now while im holding the engagement ring, he needs to be there to see me pop the question! i just love this dad so much, i have to marry one of his kids * also I can pretend that arthur is still my friend and he isnt mad that i picked his brother over him and we can all be the best family ever

Leon:

* has the best and saddest romance route backstory thing that makes me feel so guilty if I dont marry him * is also my favourite design! like, dylas is the best monster but leon has the best human form design, i have no lil niggling complaints about how he looks like a wolf for no damn reason. * is the only bara character * ended up being surprisingly cute and genuine about his love and i actually really like the archetype of the flirty fake-playboy type guy who isnt the jerky playboy archetype but instead secretly adorable and shy when he falls in love for real! And its even better cos he’s a snarky overconfident trickster guy so its EVEN MORE CUTE when he drops his big facade and lets himself admit his emotions! * BUT admiteddly I still feel rather uncomfortable doing overly flirty innuendoy dating sims because I’m way too asexual to relate. I’ve had a few moments with leon where its just like... killed the moment kinda, and made me feel bad that im not the intended audience. This game makes me care about the characters so i feel just as awkward as when I’ve accidentally ‘led people on’ in real life in high school and had to super anxiously let them down. I just feel awkward even though I know that the character in-universe that I’m playing at probably isnt asexual, im still like ‘noooo i dont wanna trick him into a sexless marriage he wouldnt be happy aaaa’ * but also aaa he has the most chemistry with the female main character I think, he’s like the only one I think looks like a cuter couple with her, while I wanna ship dylas with the male mc. i just really liked a fanart I saw of them described as ‘fox and bunny’! thats totally it, her hairstyle just matches so well with an animal ears dude, and their colours have a good appeal together and stuff~ * Also i have more headcanons about what it would be like when they had kids and stuff! so thats a big appeal because getting to see the kid characters is the big reason i wanna marry a charrie * ALSO, its kinda... uhh... to put it lightly... well, Leon is literally the only dark skinned man in the entire world. SERIOUSLY. Rune Factory rarely ever has more than one character of a different race, and I just feel like if you’re gonna be so limited in your options I wanna pick that option like... maybe if they see they’re the popular ones then they’ll realise theyre making a dumb decision and add more racial diversity in future games?? or at least npcs?? seriously??? He’s not just the only dark skinned batchelor but THE ONLY CHARACTER IN THE ENTIRE WORLD. At least rune factory oceans had the whole dark elf race. (Tho that was weird that there’s apparantly no black humans in this world...)

GAHHH I DUNNO I JUST WANNA MAKE THESE DUMB BOYS HAPPY I wish i could have like a best friend option to select or something can I give a consolation prize... IM SORRY LEON OR DYLAS and IM SORRY ARTHUR and IM SORRY PORCOLINE IF I DONT MARRY YOUR SON

[drthomasmaples-blog]

Dreaming assures a person actively engages his or her future goals. As the bible states, “When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me (1 Corinthians 13:11)” The childhood psyche gives way to adult existence in order for individuation to continue. Children dream about the person they will one day become, and this is a normal phenomenon. It is not to be likened to childhood pathological conditions such as ADHD, which oftentimes views a child’s propensity to dream as being pathological, not part of the normal childhood developmental sequence.

In the story, Siddhartha sought perfection, but had no means to judge what perfection entailed. No one “had attained the heavenly realm completely, none had entirely quenched the eternal thirst” (Hesse, 2002, p. 8). Because no living example amongst the elders achieved the goal Siddhartha sought, he turned his back on all lessons taught by the elders of his community. However, in turn, a new legend arose about a perfect being, the Buddha, whom achieved the goal Siddhartha sought to emulate. A convergence occurred during this era, and the wayfaring Siddhartha met the unmovable being, the person he emulated, the one who achieved Nirvana.

After parting ways with the ascetics, Siddhartha and Govinda sought to hear the lessons of the Buddha. While Siddhartha doubted that the lessons taught by the Buddha would have any significance, the protagonist was destined to meet with the antagonist whom achieved perfection. Perfection came to the culture and era of Siddhartha’s time, allowing a sense of hope that the imperfections of the world would one day cease. The Buddha had achieved perfection. He was a living example of an individual who achieved the transcendent level of consciousness associated with Jung’s idea of the coniunctio, a level of existence in which all polarities common to consciousness are transcended. This was the goal that young Siddhartha sought, a goal worthy of his attention.

As a child, Siddhartha thought with a child’s mind. He sought perfection, but had no idol to emulate. Siddhartha needed to develop an adult psyche to attain the perfection he sought, but lacked directions. Corinthians tells of the development the psyche undertakes as it seeks perfection through faith, hope, love, and the drive to leave childhood psychology behind.

Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part, but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. (1 Corinthians, 13:8-13, New International Version)

This passage, although not linked to the tenets of Buddhist philosophy, suggests that all opposites cease with the perfection of consciousness. Prophecies and their antithesis are true. In essence, prophecy helps the psyche to develop hope. Tongues in this passage suggest differences that exist between cultures, and predetermined knowledge of one sort always suggests an antithetical opinion exists elsewhere. The Buddha is said to have transcended normal consciousness. A convergence of the polarized notion of the opposites that govern consciousness took place during his lifetime. This provided hope for those who also sought to exit the drudgery associated with conscious living during his time. People developed hope because the Buddha underwent a process of perfecting himself. The Buddha also gave Siddhartha hope that he could transcend the ego to attain a higher state of being associated with the “heavenly realm” (Hesse, 2002, p. 8).

Siddhartha developed faith in his path after he realized its goal was attainable. He hoped to achieve perfection and unite with the divine, but failed to develop love for anyone but himself. Because Siddhartha sought what the Buddha had achieved, he was able to identify him out of hundreds of other monks who wore the same attire.

Siddhartha saw him and recognized him instantly, as though he had been pointed out by a god. He saw a man in a yellow habit, walking silently with his begging bowl in his hand… All eyes, Govinda looked at the monk in the yellow habit, who seemed in no way distinct from the hundreds of other monks. But soon Govinda saw it too: It was him. And they followed and watched. (Hesse, 2002, p. 30)

The shramanas and other monks waited through the heat of the day to hear the Buddha’s lesson. However, Siddhartha doubted the efficacy of the training he received. Instead, Siddhartha was more interested in the Buddha’s eternal essence.

Siddhartha did not reply. He was little interested in the teaching; he doubted it would contain anything new to him, since, like Govinda, he had repeatedly heard the content of this Buddhadharma, even if only second- or thirdhand. But he kept his eye attentively on the Buddha’s head, his shoulders, his feet, on his still, loose hand; and it seemed to him that every joint on every finger of this hand was a teaching, that it spoke truth. This man, this Buddha, was in truth who he was even in the movements of his little fingers. This man was holy. Never had Siddhartha so venerated anyone, never had he loved a person as he loved this one. (Hesse, 2002, p. 31)

For Siddhartha, the Buddha’s body breathed truth. Every cell of his body represented something holy. The meeting between the Buddha and Siddhartha was part of Siddhartha’s destiny because the protagonist idolized that which the antagonist attained. Siddhartha saw his future mirrored by a man who achieved what he wanted to become.

Buddha meditation by orange night – 3D render

Buddhists temple in Saddar cave near Hpa-an in Myanmar

Adolescence is a developmental period when a child begins to look up to adults that partake in paths similar to those the child wishes to undertake. Children dream about the person they will one day become. As a child, I dreamed of becoming a professional athlete. I looked up to the professional athletes that I wanted to be like. These dreams continually shifted to include different professions that suited my personality. This was no different for Siddhartha, who as an adolescent idolized the perfection the Buddha attained. While the Buddha did not directly initiate Siddhartha, his presence provided the protagonist with proof of his goal’s attainability.

The Buddha represented a figure of hope to a culture and era that had yet to see what the attainment of Nirvana entailed. He is a savior archetype, one of a few individuals that transcended the split nature of consciousness associated with samsara. People emulated the Buddha because of this achievement, and he subsequently became the exemplar of a major world religion. Other individuals associated with this level of consciousness are Mohammad and Jesus of Nazareth. Siddhartha realized the Buddha as different from the other monks that surrounded him, and idolized him, even though he turned his back on the lessons the Buddha taught. Siddhartha was an individual, who undertook his own hero’s quest trying to attain Nirvana his way or die trying.

The storyline shows that Siddhartha met the Buddha. Siddhartha’s meeting with the Buddha represented a meeting with a higher aspect of Self. The protagonist of the story met the antagonist who had achieved the individuated state the protagonist sought. People dream life forward by emulating the actions of others. Dreams such as becoming a police officer, a firefighter, a professional sports star, a doctor, or a veterinarian are common amongst children; the processes that underlie our ability to dream also assures that the environment will expose the psyche to an array of possibilities that will ultimately foster its development. Siddhartha realized that the Buddha was perfect, but questioned the validity of his teaching. Siddhartha would not seek refuge in the teaching; instead sougt the goal he wished to attain on his own terms.

“Please do not be angry with me, Exalted One,” the youth said. “It was not to contend with you, not to fight with you over words, that I spoke the way I did. You are indeed right; opinions are worth little. But allow me to say one thing more: Not for a moment have I doubted you. I have not doubted for a moment that you are a Buddha, that you have attained the goal, the supreme goal, toward which so many thousands of brahmins and brahmin’s sons strive. You have found liberation from death. This came to you as a result of your own seeking on your own path, through thought, through meditation, through realization, through enlightenment. It did not come to you through a teaching! And that is my idea, O Exalted One—nobody attains enlightenment through teaching… But there is one thing that this so clear and so venerable teaching does not contain; it does not contain the mystery of what the Exalted One himself experienced, he alone among hundreds of thousands. This is the reason I am going to continue my wandering—not to find another or a better teaching, for I know that one does not exist, but in order to leave behind all teachings and all teachers and to attain my goal on my own or die. (Hesse, 2002, pp. 37-38)

The wayfarer archetype possessed Siddhartha. His psychological need to be independent from everyone foretold the destiny that awaited him. He needed only to stumble upon the destiny that was his upon birth. This represents the power of the trickster archetype as it unfolds during the life sequence of the hero’s quest. The environment allows the psyche to grow into that which it will eventually become. Siddhartha wanted to wander through life with no connection. The environments that he chose to take part in were primarily solitary, and offered no to be dependent upon others in finding realized state of Self. Siddhartha showed resolve to follow this path to its end or die trying. Siddhartha chose the life of a wayfarer, thus abandoning traditional adult undertakings.

Indecisiveness is a common occurrence during adolescence. Indecisiveness about one’s path represents a key factor for engaging the environment to formulate further self-knowledge (Germeijs, Verschueren, & Soenens, 2006). While Germeijs, Verschueren, and Soenens (2006) have shown that indecisiveness accounts for future anxieties concerning one’s ability to cope with career decisions, career choice anxiety also mediates between this indecisiveness and the emergent personality, which prompts an adolescent to partake in personal and environmental exploration needed to master adult-life. Siddhartha knew the lessons associated with self-absorption, meditative contemplation, ascetic devotion, and the ritual practices of the brahmin caste. This represented the industry taught to Siddhartha during his childhood development. However, Siddhartha also needed to learn how to relate to other individuals. Relating to others represented one component of the shadow work Siddhartha needed to undertake to individuate.

The wandering associated with adolescence and young adult-life represents a developmental task that primes the psyche to assume an intact identity. In order for Self to emerge, the ego must dissolve as a means to allow new identity formations to take place. This rounds out the personality, which in turn allows us to relate with others. When Siddhartha confronted the Buddha, his boyhood psychology confronted a transcendent psyche. By confronting a person he idolized, the protagonist stood up to the antagonist who had achieved the goal he sought; this allowed him to learn about life. Experimentation in one’s cultural industry, education, and love occurs during adolescence and young adult development. While Siddhartha showed that he was ready to leave his childhood lessons behind, he had yet to consummate his adult psyche through the development of an intimate relationship with another individual. Siddhartha had learned of his childhood psyche, but did not understand himself through the eyes of another person.

Siddhartha continued to stand there motionless, and for the period of a heartbeat and a breath his heart went cold; he felt it go cold in his breast like a small animal—a bird or a rabbit—when he realized how alone he was. For years he had been homeless and not felt it. Now he felt it. Up till now, even in his deepest meditative absorption, he had been his father’s son… Now he was only Siddhartha, the awakened one, and nothing else… No one was as alone as he was… (Hesse, 2002, p. 45)

This passage gives many references to potency, the emergent possibility of sexuality, and rebirth. In the pagan religions, the rabbit was associated with fertility. The vernal equinox represents the renewal of life that occurs after the deadness of winter transcends upon the land. The rabbit was a pagan symbol of fertility that gave eggs, another symbol of fertility. Siddhartha’s heart went cold, like a small animal, because he sought to satiate the loneliness he felt after he had realized he had no human connection. While Siddhartha transcended his boyhood psychology and saw the world as an adult, he had yet to experience the beauty of an intimate relationship with another person.

Early adult development hinges upon the development of intimate relationships. This construct will be explored further in the next article of this series.

References

Germeijs, V., Verschueren, K., & Soenens, B. (2006). Indecisiveness and high school students’ career decission making process: Longitudinal associations and the mediational role of anxiety. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 53(4), 397-410. doi:10.1037/0022.53.4.397

Hesse, H. (2002). Siddhartha: A new translation with an introduction by Paul W. Morris. (C. S. Kohn, Trans.) Boston, MA: Shambhala. (Original work published 1922)

    Hermann Hesse’s Siddhartha: The Convergence of Ego and Self Development During Adolescence

Dreaming assures a person actively engages his or her future goals. As the bible states, “When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child.

Hermann Hesse’s Siddhartha: The Convergence of Ego and Self Development During Adolescence Dreaming assures a person actively engages his or her future goals. As the bible states, "When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child.