First Sunday of Lent. Today’s readings: Genesis 2:7-9; 3:1-7; Psalms 51:3-4, 5-6, 12-13, 17; Romans 5:12-19; Matthew 4:1-11.

In King, Warrior, Magician, Lover: Rediscovering the Archetypes of the Mature Masculine (1991), Robert Moore and Douglas Gillette employ Jungian psychology on the shadow, the animus/anima, the persona and the self to explore the four male archetypes of king, warrior, priest/magician, and lover to help men and women deepen their appreciation of the mature masculine psyche.

Each male archetype has two bipolar dysfunctional shadows splitting the self. A mature and well-integrated man reconciles and harmonises the shadows, aiming at attaining the healthy expression of the archetype, progressing from boy psychology to man psychology. The mature king archetype is the crown of all others, integrating harmoniously the lover, the warrior and the priest/magician. The king is centred, lives with integrity, protective, brings order, empowers others creatively and is a blessing to them, leaving behind a legacy. The immature king is either a tyrant or a weakling. Ultimately these archetypes, which have their feminine counterparts, help us to consciously own the process of maturity towards our true self.

This interesting book will be better appreciated if taken in the “masculine mystique” context of the 1990s, which saw the emergence of critical studies regarding the notion of a “crisis of masculinity”, a theory that developed in the 1960s, leading to the emergence of various men’s movements, as well as the appreciation of alternative masculinities in opposition to conventional masculinity. As recent as 2022, debate has been ongoing on the notion of toxic masculinity in relation to gender norms, hegemonic masculinity and health issues in men.

Locally, the series of recent tragedies are alarming pointers to a rise in toxic masculinity harming men, women, the young and society on all levels, starting from subcultural usage of adulatory terms like Il-King, to political immaturity, domestic violence, substance abuse, a sense of grandiosity, hate speech, femicide, and a widespread variety of harmful actions and speech.

Today’s gospel for the first Sunday of Lent presents to us Jesus in the desert. Having received baptism and proclaimed as “the beloved son”, he is led by the Spirit to be tempted and to face the devil. We all know the details of the temptation narrative of the battle between the devil and Jesus.

Here, the four male archetypes are present. Jesus enters the desert as the lover who battles with the devil as non-violent warrior, remaining rooted in God as a priest/magician who shuns magic and refuses to act in some warlock fashion. Finally he emerges from the inner battle in the desert as King: “the devil left him and, behold, angels came and ministered to him”.

The narrative points to the perils of manipulation, self-centredness, and the eagerness to dominate others by presenting to us Jesus being led to test through a sort of initiation ritual, emerging as a fully mature individuated man, in Jungian terms, as a true king; the one through whom, as the Letter to the Romans tells us, “acquittal and life came to all”. The same letter points out that through “the transgression of the one, death came to reign”, as indeed, our wrong selfish individual actions and choices have a negative collective impact that prove to be harmful to society and the world at large.

Our wrong selfish individual actions and choices have a negative collective impact that prove to be harmful to society and the world at large

We are reminded today that the temptation “to be like gods”, to take the easy way out in our pursuit of success, and to take personal advantage over others, is ever present, only to end up like our progenitors “sewing fig leaves together to make loincloths for ourselves”, attempting in vain to cover our nakedness.

Perhaps it will do us all good to give up our superficial and childish “giving up sweets” Lenten approach, to really listen instead to that inner divine child pointing out that the king we pretend to be is naked, prompting in us the desire for radical change for the good of all.

 

charlo.camilleri@um.edu.mt