Nobility and The Sovereign Archetype

When the word leader comes up, many of us immediately project that quality onto a politician, a corporate president, or a team captain. Simultaneously, we make a judgemental call as to whether we deem that individual to be a good, bad, or mediocre leader. 

As an alternative to those well-worn patterns of thought, I sometimes prefer to raise a word not some commonly used – the Sovereign. Jungian psychology suggests that the Sovereign archetype sits at the center of our deep psyche as a constellating force. The Sovereign reigns as a complex figure, experienced as both King (male) or Queen (female) energy. Contained in the Sovereign are all the qualities that enable us to experience whole, balanced, and even noble lives. This figure both underlies and includes attributes from several primary archetypal figures. 

• the encompassing and nurturing qualities of the Mother

• the mystic and erotic facets of the Lover

• the strategic and assertive qualities of the Warrior

• the calming and restorative essences of the Healer

• the wise and knowledgeable skills of the Magus

• the prophetic clarity of the Visionary

Historically, citizens and subjects have projected the Sovereign’s many attributes onto tribal chiefs, pharaohs, and high priestesses. In modern times, we might observe this archetypal force being embodied by the head of a corporation or political party.

The mortal men and women who play the role of royal couple, monarch, or even president of a company, are almost inconsequential to the larger imago Dei – the image of God – that tends to accompany a throne position. The difference between an archetypal force and a mere mortal reflecting this energy is captured in the familiar saying, “The king is dead! Long live the King!” (The lower and upper cases are intentional). A human being might bear the Sovereign energy for a term (or two) but, ideally, in service to a community.  

In accessing Sovereign energy, human beings need to achieve what psychologists call cognitive distance from the King or Queen. This is to say that, as mortal individuals, we can maintain a generative relationship to the archetype in the same way that an orbiting planet maintains an appropriate relationship to a central star. The planet is not the center of a star system. Because the star radiates a powerful force, the planet’s orbital distance must be proportionately appropriate. Because a right balance exists, the relationship dynamic is life-giving not death-dealing. In this sense, every human being may channel greatness, behave nobly, and act as a servant of a transpersonal force or cause. When this happens, anyone or anything within the royal realm benefits. The land prospers and the people fare well.

In cases where a man or woman identifies with the Sovereign, the transpersonal will or commitment to service can be lost. Subsequently, a state of grandiosity develops, and a state of usurpation prevails. In political scenarios where a dictator claims power, we can detect that the human ego has usurped the Sovereign’s rightful place. As a result, a Shadow Monarch appears as a Tyrant.  In the corporate workplace, we might witness examples where a rational and fair-minded individual gets promoted or elected to an influential position then gradually transforms into an authoritarian leader. In other cases, a person may be attacked for his or her display of egotistical greatness and then retreats, out of reaction, into the other dysfunctional pole of this archetype: the Weakling.

Here are some traits to look out for relative to both the generative and shadow side of the Sovereign.

Mature Expressions of the Sovereign Archetype:

• As a leader, he or she brings order to the "realm" and defines its vision and boundaries.

• In working with others, the individual brings a quality of potency and fairness that encourages productiveness.

• The person knows how to give honour to others as well as provides honest feedback when needed. 

• An individual can act as a mentor to those who work with him/her.  The leader carries an energy that guides, affirms, and empowers others. 

• A person’s attitude comes across as expansive and committed to the wellbeing of the realm for which he or she is responsible.

• The individual remains humble while accessing a quality of transpersonal wisdom.

The Tyrant as Shadow Sovereign 

• An individual abuses power and takes rather than gives.

• Rather than create, the person seeks to destroy or undermine the authority of others.

• An individual lacks an inner structure and spreads chaos rather than focus.

• A person feels weak or impotent and therefore attacks anyone who might expose those underdeveloped parts.

• Due to a lack of genuine strength – one that attracts others and commands respect – the person uses rage to control or sulks to manipulate others.

• An individual needs to be perceived as special or has a need to be the center of attention.

• When assuming a leadership position, the person is easily threatened and oversensitive to criticism.

• As a leader, the person refuses to delegate; his or her style of management is to control, degrade, or smother others.

• Rather than lead through a natural charisma, the person demands and dictates.  

The Weakling - Abdicator as Shadow Sovereign

• The individual relinquishes his authority or renounces her

  responsibility.

• As a co-worker, the person is easily bullied and controlled by others.

• Because there is little sense of personal power, there is minimal sense of direction or vision for self or the whole.

• When the Sovereign’s throne has been abdicated, a sense of worthlessness and vulnerability sets in; this plays out in an inability to face hardship and persevere in the face of tough situations.

• Where there is a decrease in a centered and calm expression, there is an increase in insecurity, instability, and uncertainty; instead of decisive action there is vacillation.

• Whereas a genuine leader does not need adulation or adoration to feel secure, the weakling feels unloved and therefore craves approval from others.

• The weakling comes across as slothful and lethargic because there is little generativity at play.

When we access Sovereign energy appropriately, as servants of an inner authority, we manifest and express two primary qualities of the mature Sovereign: ordering and blessing. The first quality has to do with bringing a structuring and organizing energy, especially to all that rests inside the boundaries of influence. Beyond that border, chaos may exist, but the person does not get distracted by that disorder.  

In many ancient cultures, we see an architectural design of a sacred center from which order and form radiate. The chief, or elder, rules from this central gathering and governing place. Temples and palaces, with their geometric design, were intended to reflect this ordering principle. One job of the ruler is to receive the systematic nature of a larger universe and disseminate that orderly design into societal form. In addition, and perhaps most importantly, the individual who serves as an earthly sovereign is expected to embody the principle of right order in his or her personal life.

The act of blessing is the second major event that belongs to the Sovereign. In older times, a fair-minded king or queen would hold audiences for individuals deserving of the monarch’s blessing. Within a royal court, it was enough to be seen or heard by the earthly leader. Through a simple gaze or succinct phrase, the good ruler would acknowledge and bless a recipient. In many cases, the king or queen held court to actively praise rather than be praised.  

As any corporate president or classroom teacher should know, there’s a transformative energy that can come through the act of admiring and praising. Giving a person a raise in salary demonstrates that an employee’s work is being recognized and rewarded. As well, giving a person verbal praise bestows an uplifting current on the recipient. 

“Our daily deeds as ordinary South Africans must produce an actual South African reality that will reinforce humanity's belief in justice, strengthen its confidence in the nobility of the human soul, and sustain all our hopes for a glorious life for all.”

Nelson Mandela