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The Healer Archetype
by Michelle Castle To heal means to make whole, to alleviate, and to repair.
A Healer works on behalf of others and delivers the gift of health. A Healer can be one who mends broken spirits, minds, bodies, and/or hearts. The Healer is one who is willing to sit with pain, be with pain, work with, understand and touch pain without being undone by it. |
Introduction to the Healer Archetype
The Healer archetype is an old and intriguing archetype. Every culture from earliest tribes of ancient man all through the ages to modern times, has the archetype of the Healer in their culture. It is a part of the human experience to be hurt, wounded or injured in some way whether it be physical, emotional or spiritual. And because of this, there has always been someone that shows an aptitude for how to help the hurt person.
There has always been a bit of mystery around the art of healing. Even with our modern understanding, there are still unexplainable mysteries around the healing. Shamans are the oldest known healers. Witches were healers especially in the pagan religions where the worship of nature was an easy fit for healing and healers. Midwifery was another type of healing by helping to bring new life to the earth. It was common for monks and priests to perform as healers who had knowledge of plants and herbs and practiced the healing arts in the monastery and were called Healer Priests.
Hippocrates was a healer priest. The connections are quite old and easy to see. The Medicine Man of native tribes also understood the art of healing and helped provide the environment for someone to heal themselves.
Holistic medicine is a blend of science and the art of healing the whole person. Alternative medicine is the practice of homeopathy, acupuncture, herbalism, and other unconventional medicines. There are also therapies for both physical and emotional health and healing including, cranial sacral therapy, reiki, quantum touch therapy, NLP, therapeutic massage, aromatherapy, kinesiology, energy healing, yoga and many more.
The Healer archetype is an old and intriguing archetype. Every culture from earliest tribes of ancient man all through the ages to modern times, has the archetype of the Healer in their culture. It is a part of the human experience to be hurt, wounded or injured in some way whether it be physical, emotional or spiritual. And because of this, there has always been someone that shows an aptitude for how to help the hurt person.
There has always been a bit of mystery around the art of healing. Even with our modern understanding, there are still unexplainable mysteries around the healing. Shamans are the oldest known healers. Witches were healers especially in the pagan religions where the worship of nature was an easy fit for healing and healers. Midwifery was another type of healing by helping to bring new life to the earth. It was common for monks and priests to perform as healers who had knowledge of plants and herbs and practiced the healing arts in the monastery and were called Healer Priests.
Hippocrates was a healer priest. The connections are quite old and easy to see. The Medicine Man of native tribes also understood the art of healing and helped provide the environment for someone to heal themselves.
Holistic medicine is a blend of science and the art of healing the whole person. Alternative medicine is the practice of homeopathy, acupuncture, herbalism, and other unconventional medicines. There are also therapies for both physical and emotional health and healing including, cranial sacral therapy, reiki, quantum touch therapy, NLP, therapeutic massage, aromatherapy, kinesiology, energy healing, yoga and many more.
The Caregiver
The Caregiver is variant of the Healer but instead of healing the wounds or pain of the suffering person the Caregiver finds satisfaction in the act of caring for the person. They are collectors of people and their kindness is truly an antidote to pain and loneliness. They have a special gift for seeing the souls of people, for honoring who the person really is and not judging them. They have a healing touch and are usually quite physical in their affection. Caregivers are warm and affectionate and spend much of their lives in the service of others. Example: Mother Teresa
The Caregiver is variant of the Healer but instead of healing the wounds or pain of the suffering person the Caregiver finds satisfaction in the act of caring for the person. They are collectors of people and their kindness is truly an antidote to pain and loneliness. They have a special gift for seeing the souls of people, for honoring who the person really is and not judging them. They have a healing touch and are usually quite physical in their affection. Caregivers are warm and affectionate and spend much of their lives in the service of others. Example: Mother Teresa
The Nurse
The Nurse is quite like the Caregiver and they share many qualities. The Nurse finds great joy in taking care of the sick and the injured. They can be detached enough to do what is necessary without losing their special empathic abilities. The Nurse is compassionate, caring and patient. They are drawn to offering comfort even more so than outright healing because they believe that comfort and care are deeply healing to the soul.
Example: Florence Nightingale.
The Nurse is quite like the Caregiver and they share many qualities. The Nurse finds great joy in taking care of the sick and the injured. They can be detached enough to do what is necessary without losing their special empathic abilities. The Nurse is compassionate, caring and patient. They are drawn to offering comfort even more so than outright healing because they believe that comfort and care are deeply healing to the soul.
Example: Florence Nightingale.
The Therapist
The Therapist is a bit different because they are much more focused on healing the heart and mind than healing the body. The Therapist enjoys a mental have access to the unseen world of psychology. They reflect the origins of the word psyche which means the soul. The Therapist knows that the mind is, but a reflection of the soul and the Therapist is a healer of souls. They are the inner healers and usually have a strong urge to ease emotional and mental suffering.
The Therapist may have an interest in the mentally ill, the eccentric or strange as well as concepts such as dream analysis, soul retrieval and shamanism.
Example: Viktor Frankl
The Therapist is a bit different because they are much more focused on healing the heart and mind than healing the body. The Therapist enjoys a mental have access to the unseen world of psychology. They reflect the origins of the word psyche which means the soul. The Therapist knows that the mind is, but a reflection of the soul and the Therapist is a healer of souls. They are the inner healers and usually have a strong urge to ease emotional and mental suffering.
The Therapist may have an interest in the mentally ill, the eccentric or strange as well as concepts such as dream analysis, soul retrieval and shamanism.
Example: Viktor Frankl
At its best the Enlightened Healer is first and foremost a self-healer who is humble, pliable, compassionate and caring, one with deep wisdom and knowledge about the healing of the body and soul.
References (Paraphrased and Edited)
Barlow, Susanna. (2017). Understanding the Healer Archetype. Retrieved on June 22, 2020, From https://susannabarlow.com/on-archetypes/understanding-the-healer-archetype/
Barlow, Susanna. (2017). Understanding the Healer Archetype. Retrieved on June 22, 2020, From https://susannabarlow.com/on-archetypes/understanding-the-healer-archetype/
