March 6 Emptiness

Some obstacles to peace are obvious, but others are less apparent. When the barrier is fighting or anger, worry or fear we can usually identify it. But for some, the problem is more subtle.
Someone may be following the rules, doing what they think they’re supposed to do, but have a sense of emptiness, of something missing. This emptiness can be an obstacle to peace.
Jungian Carol Pearson believes that this feeling of emptiness is a sign that the individual has not been willing to pursue the spiritual journey. The journey is the purpose of life. Although it is challenging at times, it allows us to grow and mature. We can then use the gifts of the journey and our resulting wisdom to help heal the world around us.
For each of us, the journey is ours alone and we will have to discover it for ourselves. But there are guideposts to point the way, in the form of archetypes.
In Pearson’s The Hero Within she describes six archetypes that reflect aspects of the spiritual journey. All are important – each helps us gain a different aspect of wisdom.
When the Orphan archetype is prominent in our lives, we may feel abandoned or betrayed. We learn to be careful where we put our trust.
The Wanderer breaks out of captivity and goes on a quest to find the true self.
The Warrior archetype teaches us how to be strong, to maintain our boundaries and defend the weak.
When we are the Altruist we learn generosity and begin to connect to others.
Before the journey, the Innocent has a naive, childlike trust in the world. Those who pursue the journey return to a new level of the Innocent, where they create a peaceful life with wisdom they gained along the way.
The Magician has the skill and knowledge to transform the kingdom into a better world.
For Pearson, the spiritual journey provides us with the skills and the knowledge to create a more peaceful world for ourselves and those around us. Those who avoid taking the journey out of fear or a preference for safety may feel a sense of emptiness or hollowness that is an obstacle to peace.