Care for the Holidays: Addressing the Impact of 2 Archetypes

Addressing the energy of the archetypes of darkness and the child can restore joy.

Reviewed by Jessica Schrader

Key points

• We can settle into what is truly important during the holiday season.
• Addressing the energy of the archetypes of darkness and the child can help restore joy, love, and peace.
• We can stop running from our darker moments and what happened to us as children, and welcome the light.

The holidays, whose original meaning was "holy days,” can easily feel a long way from holy. Our actions can easily get amped up from Thanksgiving through New Year’s Day. We travel more, shop until we drop, visit more, get overwhelmed more, and eat and drink more. I have become suspicious of the claim that all of this overplayed movement is simply celebratory.

For genuine celebration to happen, we need to be present. And presence becomes extremely difficult as we become frantic and agitated. Have I bought the right gift for my father-in-law? Is the house adequately decorated? Will my Uncle Burt come to Christmas dinner drunk? How over budget am I with holiday purchases?

I suggest that the regular upheaval during the holidays can be understood beyond exchanging gifts and making merry. Two powerful archetypes constellate during December. Dec. 21 marks the Winter Solstice, the darkest day of the year, and the archetype of darkness is energized—Dec. 25 ushers in the archetype of the child or the divine child. We can understand an archetype as a “primal imprint,” revealing the essence and energy of a particular human experience.

The Archetype of Darkness

The energy of the archetype of darkness can reflect evil. However, a number of other challenges reveal the heart of the human predicament. These can include loss and grief, suffering, depression, financial deprivation, oppression, catastrophic illness, and defeat and loss. As Dec. 21 approaches, we may experience stronger feelings and memories of these dark challenges.

Darkness Care:

• Seek out a trusted other to tell your dark story.
• Let yourself feel the emotions related to the themes in the story.
• Take in the support you are receiving from your confidant.
• Live the question: What is this darkness asking of me?
• Acknowledge sources of light in your life, i.e., friendship, success, love, kindness, generosity, peace, comfort, joy, and experiences of belonging.
• Continue to share what you discover.

The Archetype of the Child

This archetype arouses varying levels of tenderness. These include innocence, simplicity, vulnerability, love, honesty, a sense of wonder, dependency, and spontaneity. These energies are not easy to experience. Emotions readily appear when we witness outdoor mangers, three kings, and Christmas cards reflecting the child's adoration. Many of us did not feel venerated or honored as children. Memories of feeling forgotten or mistreated easily may be aroused.

Care for the Inner Child:

• Sit in a safe and comfortable space. Remember that the spirit of the child you were will always be with you. Close your eyes and focus on inner sensations such as tightness in your body, temperature, pulsations, and emotions. Don’t change anything; observe for the next minute or so.
• In your mind’s eye, imagine yourself as a child, whatever image comes to mind. Have the image standing three feet or so in front of you. See how the child is dressed, how the hair is cut and combed, and the look on the child’s face.
• Notice how it feels to be in the presence of this child.
• Identify what may have been taken from this child or how the child may have been mistreated.
• Commit the child to bring what was initially absent. Safety, compassion, encouragement, acceptance, or love may be absent.
• Imagine bringing the child back to resting in your heart space, where they belong.
• Take a moment each day to affirm your commitment. It can help to have a photograph of this child where it is easily visible.

These powerful archetypes have the power to energize our spirits. You can pause, getting honest about this time of darkness and the child. When you stop running from the energy of these archetypes, the need to run for a host of holiday frills and accessories will subside. You may settle down as you do, noticing a renewed receptivity for peace, joy, and love.