The 4 Gateways Archetypes

A gateway is an entry or portal from one place to another. Using archetypes we step through 4 different gateways to experience our lives and any problems, conflicts, and issues we are working with from four different perspectives.

The 4 gateways in this model refer to four basic modes of accessing the wisdom of the human soul, at their simplest level they are:

Thinking    |    Feeling    |    Doing    |    Being

The 4 Archetypes

By Archetype, we mean a fundamental identity that exists in the collective human psyche and that is accessible to everyone.  Archetypes are incredible storehouses of knowledge that help us access wisdom.

The 4 Gateways Coaching model uses four archetypes that embody the four wisdoms listed above.  Using the four archetypes makes each wisdom more accessible and alive.

The archetypes we use are:

    Magician - thinking
    Lover - feeling
    Warrior - doing
    Sovereign - being

Lineage of this Model

The four quadrant archetypal model we use in 4 Gateways Coaching has its roots in mythology, many world religions, Native American spirituality, and modern psychology.  Specifically, we honor Swiss psychologist Carl Jung for popularizing the study of archetypal psychology and Jungian analyst and scholar Robert Moore, with collaborator Douglas Gillette, for identifying and developing a four archetype model of the mature male psyche.  A summary of their work can be found in King, Warrior, Magician, Lover. Moore and Gillette 1990.

Their archetypal model was then expanded for practical use by both women and men by Cliff Barry, Mary Ellen Blandford and their colleagues. Their Shadow Work model forms the foundation of many of the processes used in 4 Gateways Coaching.

Attributes of the 4 Archetypes

While there is no universal agreement about the precise qualities embodied in these four archetypes, here are some of the qualities that we most often attribute to each.

Magician - Thinking Wisdom

• Getting perspective, generating options
• Thinking critically, using analysis, logic, and intuition
• Judging and making assumptions
• Getting and organizing information
• Creativity and imagination

• Taking action
• Serving and protecting, setting boundaries
• Using power, working with conflict
• Street smarts
• Team work

• Feeling and connecting
• Empathizing and loving
• Accessing bodily awareness and emotional intelligence
• Playing and being spontaneous
• Making music, dancing, making art

• Setting direction and motivating
• Making choices from deep knowing
• Giving support and blessing
• Defining purpose and meaning
• Seeing the whole, knowing rank and order