The Fool Archetype and Art Therapy Exercises

Destiny  Deck

Archetypes are universal patterns that influence or shape our experience. Jung called them “inherited thought patterns”. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ArchetypeYou can think of then as different parts of you. I am starting my Archetype Group this week and I thought it would be fun if you, my readers wanted to take part. We are starting with the Fool Archetype. The Fool represents the part of us that is spontaneous, playful, childlike, free and willing to take risks. Fools can be personified as circus clowns, the inner child, the eternal child, the naive simpleton, tricksters, travelers, gypsies and people who live on the edge. Some movies that have Fool Archetypes as the main character are the Wizard of Oz, Forrest Gump, and Being There.

 What is your history with this Archetype:

What stories, myths, poems or fairy tales does it remind you of?

Which political figures or movie stars represent this archetype?

What would you like to ask or learn from this archetype?

How could your life be enriched or expanded by this archetype?

What can you do to encourage this archetypal energy to grow in your life?

Leap and the net will appear. - Julie Cameron

            “Come to the edge”, he said.

            They said, “We are afraid.”

            “Come to the edge,” he said.

            They came,

            He pushed.

            He pushed them . . .

            And they flew.

            - Guillaume Apollinaire

A dreamer you know - its a mind that looks over the edge of things. -  Mary O’Hara

The Rider Tarot Deck

When you feel Fool energy in your life, something in you wants to take a risk.  Ask yourself, what needs to be changed?  Is there some opportunity that is presenting itself to you that you should take advantage of? Is it the right time to quit a job, break out of an old habit, or move to a new city?

Fool energy tells you to follow your instincts. What are you not seeing or paying attention to? What does your instinctual nature tell you to do?  What are you afraid to risk or do? Do the unexpected.

This part of you wants to play. Be a Fool.  Let some creative energy flow through your life.  Create for the sake of creating. Be silly. Play can lead you down the path of creativity. Follow the Fool even though you have no idea where she is going or for how long. You will learn along the way.

Making a Fool Collage:

  A collage for your Fool archetype should be done with as little preconceived, logical, rational type thinking as possible. Pick images that surprise you, jump out at you or wink at you. Don’t judge or question your selection of any materials, images, or colors. The collage may reveal your playful or trickster side.  It might show images of what you would do if you were brave enough, reckless enough, or foolish enough to take risks.  It could reveal buried dreams, frivolous ideas, or a forgotten hobby.  Look for your symbols that will lead you to your Fool. What colors come to mind?  What shapes do you see?  What lines and images jump into your mind?  Let the collage evolve, as it wants, in an unstructured way.  What are your Fool stories? How much room does she get in your life?

                                   

If a man would persist in his folly, he would become wise.              -William Blake

Living is a form of not being sure, not knowing what is next or how. The moment you know how, you begin to die a little.  The artist never entirely knows.  We guess.  We may be wrong, but we take leap after leap in the dark.

                                                            -Agnes de Mille