Activating Your Archetypal Allies

People ask me all the time, what does it mean to “play in the dark?”

This week, another way to play landed in my lap and I am having a blast. Activating my archetypal allies.

It has been so alive for my imagination, my creativity, my embodiment, my compassion, my intellect. It brings everything together in a way that feels integrated. And honestly, it just leaves me smiling.

It has also been deeply supportive as I move through some personal changes. And I have started bringing this form of play into my work with clients. It is incredible to witness the creative variety that emerges depending on what each person needs.

What Are Archetypes?

In our collective, we all have access to different archetypes.

Archetypes are universal patterns of human behavior, emotion, and experience that live in the collective psyche, a concept most famously explored by Carl Jung.

For me, the simplest way to understand them is as roles in a story.

The warrior, the king, the martyr, the mother, the crone, the fool, the victim.

We can connect to these archetypes because there is a shared, almost instinctual understanding of them. At the same time, each of us has a unique relationship to them. Our lived experiences, our stories, and the world around us shape how we feel about each one.

Each archetype also holds a full spectrum of expression.

Take the king, for example. He can show up as controlling, tyrannical, and shut down, or as benevolent, generative, and sovereign.

Every archetype contains both light and shadow, and the range between them is vast. Just think about literature. These same foundational archetypes create endlessly rich and varied storylines.

Who Is Your Ally Right Now?

So in your own story, what archetypal ally would be most supportive right now?

What are you struggling with, and who could meet you there?

A Story From My Own Life

I love freedom. I tend to be a bit of a rebel, creating my own rules and doing things my way. It probably explains a lot about working for myself.

And sometimes I end up rebelling against myself. Choosing chaos over the very structure that would support me.

Lately, I have been noticing a desire for more steadiness. A healthier nighttime routine, better boundaries with technology, and more clarity in how I focus my energy. There are moments where I feel a bit untethered.

So this week, I decided to experiment. Off technology at 9pm. In bed by 10pm.

I could write a whole newsletter about what I have learned from that alone, but that is not the point here.

Meeting My Archetypal Ally

What mattered was this. I did not want to do it alone.

I wanted support. An ally. Someone I could call on in the moments where I knew I might wobble.

He introduced himself on a walk, right in the middle of an emotionally wavy and slightly tumultuous moment.

His name is Steady Papa.

Even writing that makes me smile and giggle.

Who Is “Steady Papa”?

Steady Papa is sturdy and grounded. His voice has a slow, even cadence. He leads with his heart, but he is deeply rooted like an oak tree.

He has a great sense of humor and can bring lightness, but his boundaries are clear and unwavering. When he says no, I feel the solidity, the love, and the certainty behind it.

He also has decent dance moves.

He is exactly what I needed.

He supports and can meet the parts of me that resist going to bed, and the more tender parts of me that move through emotional waves, especially when I am under-rested.

How We Played Together

It started as a voice and a walk. I embodied him.

Then he created a song for me, something to anchor me when I feel ungrounded. I could feel his steadiness, his support, and his love through the rhythm and the lyrics.

I even brought the song to a musician friend, who used her looper to make it even more epic. I am so grateful for friends who are willing to play in the dark with me.

We have had conversations when I am struggling to take action or hold a boundary. He makes me laugh. He steadies me when I doubt myself.

We spend time together every day, sometimes just a few minutes. But I know he is there whenever I need him.

How to Activate Your Archetypal Ally

Start with what is real.

What are you struggling with? What do you want to be different? What do you actually need?

Let those answers guide you.

For me, it was compassionate structure. The understanding that structure does not restrict my freedom, it actually creates more space for it.

I also want to name something important. Often, the ally we need is something we have never fully experienced or been modeled in our lives.

That is okay. That is actually why this practice can be so powerful.

Use Your Imagination

Who is the ally that could enter your story and support you?

What are they like? How do they move? What do they value? How do they speak?

Are they human, an animal, or a mythical being?

Give them form. Let them have texture. Get to know them. Get creative.

If this feels hard, you can borrow from what already exists. Think about characters from books, movies, or stories that resonate.

Play With Them

Ask them how they want to support you. How do you access them? Through movement, writing, conversation, music, an object?

Let it be intuitive.

For me, once I felt his voice and his physicality, he became easy to access. And once we created a song together, I could feel him instantly through the rhythm.

Remember, this is not about getting it right.

It is about experimenting. Trying things on. Letting it be a little messy.

Let it be fun.

Because it is meant to be both supportive and playful.

And your body will tell you when it is working. You will feel the shift.
Tweak it until your body can fully receive the support of ally. 

Call on Them

You have built the relationship. Now let yourself receive the support.

It can take practice, especially if you are not used to trusting that something gets to be there for you. Or if this is an energy you are unfamiliar with.

But they want to help.

And the more you call on them, the more available they become.

Come Play

Have fun with it.

And do not forget, I am here.

Here for your questions. Here to hear about the allies you are activating. Here to play in the dark with you.