King, Warrior, Magician, Lover: Rediscovering the Archetypes of the Mature Masculine (Paperback)

~ Robert Moore (Author), Douglas Gillette (Author) "We hear it said of some man that "he just can't get himself together..." (more)
Key Phrases: bipolar shadow, mature masculine energies, immature masculine, Divine Child, High Chair Tyrant, Precocious Child (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The corporate "yes man," the wife-beater, the hot-shot male junior executive and the emotionally distant father are all boys pretending to be men, observe the authors of this liberating guide to self-transformation. Writing within a Jungian framework, they perceive symptoms of "Boycaps per book psychology" all around us--in men's abusive behaviors, passivity and inability to act creatively. To help males become more nurturing and mature, Moore and Gillette identify four archetypes of masculine energies from myth and literature: the Lover, brimming with vitality and sensitivity; the Magician, guider of the processes of inner and outer transformation; the selfless and wise King identified with Adam or primordial man; and the Warrior, whose energies often go awry in destructive activity. Dream analysis, meditation, Jungian "active imagination" and ritual processes are among the tools set forth in a clear, concise map to territories of masculine selfhood. Moore is a professor of psychology and religion at Chicago's Theological Seminary, Gillette is cofounder of the Chicago-based Institute for World Spirituality. Illustrated.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Description

Arguing that mature masculinity is not abusive or domineering, but generative, creative, and empowering of the self and others, Moore and Gillette provide a Jungian introduction to the psychological foundations of a mature, authentic, and revitalized masculinity.

Product Details

• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: HarperOne; 1st HarperCollins pbk. ed. edition (August 16, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0062506064
• ISBN-13: 978-0062506061
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #8,026 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

42 of 44 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Intelligent self-help, worth reading and re-reading., March 10, 2002

By	John P. (Kennett Square, PA USA) - See all my reviews

I first read this book when it appeared in the early '90s, when the Men's Movement was everywhere (how long ago that seems). I have come back to the book many, many times for guidance and insight, finding relevance in different portions as I have aged, changed jobs, and faced new challenges. There is a reason why this book remains in print: it's an intelligent, clear, and well-grounded examination of the primary facets of men's selves and how men can use this understanding to improve their lives. The authors discuss each of the title's four archetypes in turn, explaining both the positive and negative aspects of each one, and how each can interact with the others. A particular strength is the authors' ability to describe each archetype in a vivid, three-dimensional (yet concise) way that enables you to *see* the archetype at work in yourself and others. I would recommend this book especially for readers who may be turned off by self-help works that are either too simplistic or too mystical. And, as other reviewers have pointed out, much of it would appear to be of interest to women as well as men.

32 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very thought provoking, conceptually elegant., November 28, 1999

By	Patrick Giagnocavo - See all my reviews

My brother lent me this book, and I was quite prepared to not like it at all - it seemed at first to be one of those sappy men's movement books.

However, once I started reading it I finished it in one long sitting.

The concepts are simple and make sense.

The core concept is that every man has varying amounts of King (representing the ability to bring order out of chaos, and a sort of benevolent use of power), Warrior( the ability to marshal resources, have courage, bear pain, make clear choices based on facts not emotions), Magician (or "alchemist" - concerned with knowledge and skill, and how to use it), and Lover (emotionally connected to others, having empathy).

Each one of these attributes has many good qualities; they can turn negative however, in both active and passive ways. The book cogently explains the symptoms of this - this was the part of the book that made me think the authors knew what they were talking about, in that I saw myself and my co-workers in some of the examples.

32 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting with a few very intriguing thoughts., April 11, 2003

By	remosito (Princeton, NJ) - See all my reviews

This review is from: King, Warrior, Magician, Lover: Rediscovering the Archetypes of the Mature Masculine (Hardcover)

This book is the introductory shortest book of a five book series. The succeeding books treat each of the elements of mature masculinity (King, Warrior, Magician, Lover) in one volume each.

By far the most intriguing thought in the book for me is the authors assertion that what the problem with this world and men is that there is a overwhelming dominance of boyish, immature masculinity and hardly any mature, male masculinity.
To paraphrase the author: The world is full of boys pretending/playing to be men.

The book begins with a short intro in the difference between immature boy psychology and men psychology and some of their manifestations. Then Mythology and Jungian psychology are used to explain and highlight the King, Warrior, Magician and Lover. For each the author explains and differentiates between their full expression and their 'distorted' hyper-expression and under-expression which are both inferior and negative.

In general the focus was to much on the mythology part of the argument. I would have preferred a more psychology heavy treatment of the subject. But this is mostly a sign of the direction of my current interests. I would have as well wished there would have been more about how the boy vs men psychology manifestations differ and play out for each of the King, Warrior, Magician, Lover quartet.

But maybe more of that can be found in the 4 other books of the 5 book series.