FlowForm™ Archetypes: 3 alchemical storylines

I found the FlowForm Archetypes through combining my lived experience with the narrative patterns I saw in my clients. Among my gifts are pattern recognition and storytelling: an archetype is a pattern made story.

These Archetypes are narrative frameworks to:

  1. See our past with clearer eyes

  2. Reveal our present choices with compassion

  3. Animate the promise of a future of our choosing

What is our wounding becomes our medicine. The crack is where the light gets in. Our experience, when alchemized, is a gift to the world.

From following the scripts of our survival to authoring a life of our own creation.

What is an Archetype?

A Greek word, meaning:

  1. “arkhe” – mostly defined as ‘primitive’, but also ‘beginning’, ‘origin’. Flow.

  2. ‘tupos’ – a model, Form.

    An Archetype is the first form, but not the final form.

    It is a blueprint from which many buildings can be made, a script from which many productions of the same play can be put on. An Archetype is a pattern, a code in the software.

    When we are aware of the programs we are running, we can rewrite them.

The Floating Starseed ▼

Archetype 1 ⋅ Early childhood (ages 0-5) ⋅ A journey to plant the starseed in the safe soil of the Self.

Trauma type: personal ⋅ Medicine path: body, nature, home. ⋅ Keyword: HOME

Survival signals:

  • Overwhelm of feelings or body signals, dissociation, “Flight mode”, spaciness

Outward appearance when out of balance:

  • Floaty, unreliable, head in the clouds, “a hot mess”, chaotic

Outward appearance when in balance:

earthy, rooted, body aware, present, psychic, creative, clear

Key experience: out-of-body feeling or sensory bombardment

Flower Essence Allies: Clematis, Walnut, Star of Bethlehem

Healing Practices: Bodywork, Somatic Experiencing, Movement, e.g. yoga, dance. Creating and living in a stable and beautiful home. Deep connection to nature and all her medicines (herbalism, crystals, grounding, gardening, hot/cold therapies, animals - especially dogs and horses!). Nourishing, nutrient-dense food and supplements: bone broth and colostrum! So. Much. Sleep.

Mantra: "I am at Home in my Myself”

  • An early environmental threat - described as “chaos” - means there is no solid ground for the starseed (*the spirit) to plant itself in. The spirit cannot be fully embodied. As a result, part of the spirit remains where it is safe, in the ether, until it is able to fully come down and anchor in the earthly plane. The conscious adult, after having cultivated a safe internal environment, must call the starseed home. This is done through the cultivation and nurture of the body as the first frontier. Like a plant that has survived in a dark corner with a sliver of light, this archetype must be repotted in nutrient-dense soil and given the chance to regrow its neural and cellular foundations. This can take along time, and there is no such thing as too much care.

  • Option 1

    Flow is safe, and Form is scary. This Archetype has a million ideas but trouble actualizing any of them. They are super energy sensitive, able to pick up on the subtlest of frequencies - but can flee to the ether when faced with the smallest real, earthly struggle. They may journey with plant medicines but have trouble integrating and “coming down to earth”.

    Option 2

    Flow is a force that will pull them under (because they are not firmly grounded), and so they are terrified of Flow. To protect themselves, they create a rigid and forceful anchor to the earth. Their conscious minds will not peek under the hood. In the unconscious, Flow threatens to overwhelm: nightmares of being swept away, or of being overwhelmed in a flood, fear of flying or of being otherwise out of control.

  • THE BODY: being in, nourishing, listening to, and loving the body. As a result of the early chaos, the body is out of balance and may speak very loudly. As a result of the early lack of nurture, the life-force of the Floating Starseed is chronically undernourished and needs deep attention, restoration, and nutrient-density at a cellular level to essentially regrow its entire system.

    ANCHORING DOWN: whether it’s a commitment to home, relationship, or job - this Archetype finds it easier to just keep moving and is out of dodge with the slightest bump in the road.

  • The gates (and 🧠 gating channels!) are wiiiiiide open. The gifts of this Archetype are beautiful and multidimensional:

    Imagination

    Imaginary friends are realer than real ones, books are portals to different realms, and the world is a kaleidoscope of many realities and possibilities. Things that are “not real” can feel more alive than the here & now.

    Creativity

    So many ideas, ability to channel, and a flair for artful expression. Often there is a specific gift with creativity as expressed in terms of fashion, home design, and tactile objects. Creating “home” - through body, house, and nature - is a gift of this journey.

    Psychic Gifts

    I fully believe this is the Archetype that can see ghosts! Whether it’s seeing auras, being clairaudient - this type of psychic power is the most classic “psychic” kind: experiencing worlds that seem far flung to those who have been planted on the earth.

    Fluidity

    They may be a rolling stone but they can go with the flow! Whether it's changing life direction at the tip of a hat, or simply going about their day in an unstructured and deeply intuitive way - adaptability, responsiveness, and Flowwwww are easy.

    Receptivity

    While naming a clear direction or following a set strategy can be difficult, this Archetype is highly receptive. Being in surrender to other forces is the norm. Finding their own voice, their own shape, and setting their own course are places to practice. They can easily get lost in forces that will overtake the consciousness, and are at risk for any addictions from substances to digital devices to toxic work and unhealthy relationships.

  • This Archetype is called to feel safe in Form, to plant itself in safe soil: their bod, healing Nature, and a sanctuary of a Home. Body, nature, and home are the keywords for healing. This is root chakra system and limbic system work.

  • In calling themself Home here on earth, this Archetype is able to offer safe Home to others.

    In having regrown their life-force from the ground up, they become the expert stewards of the heartbeat of the Earth: here to bring balance to nature, bodies, homes, etc.

Spot the signs 🔍

  • Do you describe your early childhood as “chaotic” or “volatile”?

  • Do you find it easier to stay in a magical fairy realm than here on earth?

  • Do you sometimes feel light-headed, “out of body”, and struggle to feel connected to your physical form?

  • Do your houseplants die frequently?

  • Do you see ghosts, or auras, or other “not real” things?

  • Are you a rolling stone - traveling from one place to the next, one relationship or job to the next?

  • Do you get brain fog or wild dreams? When your body speaks, does it have to speak loudly and completely shut you down?

  • Is your best medicine eating a nourishing meal and taking a walk in nature and having a deep tissue massage followed by a long bath?

  • Do you feel like you need more rest than others?

  • Are animals your deep companions and healers?

  • Have you always felt your name is like an outfit you wear in this lifetime - not something that is intrinsic to you?

The Ruptured Bridge ▲▼

Archetype 2 ⋅ Middle childhood (ages 6-11) ⋅ A journey to mend a ruptured (heart) bridge and create new connections to an other.

Trauma type: relational ⋅Medicine path: the feeling is the healing, inner child work, and opening the heart. ⋅ Keyword: HEART

Survival signals: disconnection, isolation, pattern of feeling super connected and then disappearing on people, hyper-independence, trouble trusting others, anxiety about social events

Outward appearance when out of balance: cold, aloof, stiff, awkward - or warm but then doesn’t text/follow up, hyper-responsible, doesn’t ask for help, suffers silently

Outward appearance when in balance: warm, connected, vibrant in safe social settings, authentic networker, offers support to others, attuned, charismatic,

Key experience: Numbness. When this archetype begins to rebuild the ruptured bridge, it can be overwhelmed by grief and rage, which must be moved through.

Flower Essence Allies: Star of Bethlehem, Water Violet, Centaury, Narcissus

Healing Practices: Intimate connection/true friendship and receiving unconditional love. Facing and excavating the past. Sharing buried secrets. EMDR, trauma work, Internal Family Systems. Healing or creating in community or with an other (group therapy, rituals, circles, making/building something together). This archetype must do yoga in group, not alone on a screen. Aligned social groups and events.

Mantra: “There is no such thing as a heart broken, only a heart that’s been cracked open”

  • While growing the heart center in middle childhood, a sudden loss creates a heartbreak. This break is a broken bridge: a bridge to some core connection that rendered safety in the world. The world is suddenly changed and the child is left reeling. To maintain the connection, the child builds an artificial bridge to hang onto what was lost. In doing so, the heart is not able to fully be cracked open - from which it can expand and build new bridges. If left unhealed, bad old ideas can get in through the crack and infect the psyche. The conscious adult, once it is safe to fully feel, must grieve the original loss fully and allow the heart to be cracked open and grow.

  • Flow and Form are both easily accessible, but they are not connected. It’s as if the heart has a fissure in the middle: on one side is Flow, on the other side is Form, but they are separate. E.g. this Archetype may have a steady job and a healthy yoga practice, but their creative flow and spirituality are in a totally different zone than their making and doing. 

    Without a bridge between them, Flow cannot move into Form.

  • SAFETY IN EMOTIONS: there is often a numbness and disconnection from the emotional center. In some cases, the feeling self (the inner child) has been pushed far into the unconscious so the adult genuinely believes themselves to be “unemotional”.

    ISOLATION: the broken bridge is also a loss of connection to others, to community, and to the world. While community is the ultimate medicine for this Archetype, the shadow is a retreat into isolation.

  • A Citizen of the World

    This Archetype is often multi-cultural, able to immerse themselves and feel at home in many different places and people. The world is the medicine and they are able to fully experience its aliveness and multiplicity.

    A Gatherer of People

    Able to belong to different groups of people, this Archetype is also the crossroads where many people can meet and exchange ideas. They are metaphorically the host / the table of the Dinner Party. They create the space for an exchange of ideas and gifts to occur.

    A Cross-Pollinator of Ideas

    Able to see multiple perspectives, this Archetype taps into multiple sources of intelligence and knows there is no singular Truth (except the truth of the heart!). Where others get mentally rigid, this Archetype finds nuance and yes/and thinking to build bridges of knowledge.

    A Translator

    Often a speaker of multiple languages, this Archetype translates between people who struggle to communicate. Whether it's cross-cultural translation, cross-racial translation, cross-generational translation, cross-political translation… this Archetype is indispensable for letting communication and understanding flow.

    A Shapeshifter

    To enter into many worlds, one must shapeshift. This Archetype is equally at home in a hot red lip, a boss babe jacket, or a pair of sweats. They can enter the classroom or the boardroom, the wellness world or the party crowd. While they may feel like they are ‘just visiting’ every world, never truly belonging to each, this is an internal feeling: everyone sees them as belonging to their group.

  • This Archetype is called to open and heal the heart. By repairing broken bridges through the healing waters of emotion, this Archetype creates new bridges and creates new points of connection. Feeling, inner child work reclamation, and heart are the keywords for healing. Love is the always the answer.

    In repairing the broken bridge, this Archetype becomes a bridge in itself for others to walk.

  • In opening and healing its heart, this Archetype is able to open and heal the Hearts of others.

Spot the signs 🔍

  • Do you excel at yes/and thinking and offer nuance where others only see black-and-white?

  • Are you a shapeshifter?

  • Do you cross borders, thresholds and live in-between worlds?

  • Did you lose something in your childhood - e.g. a home, a person, some profound connection that altered your world?

  • Does your heart crave belonging? Do you still feel alone even when you’re among others?

  • Do you sometimes retreat into isolation?

  • Are you a natural born host?

  • Do you translate between people who can’t connect to each other?

  • Do you love the world deeply and revel in the richness of people & place?

  • Are you better working in collaboration than alone? Do true friendships magnify your light?

The Secret Garden ▲

Archetype 3⋅ Late childhood (ages 12-18) ⋅A journey to share the deepest secret and have it be received by safe, loving community

Trauma type: societal ⋅Medicine path: safe, slow sharing and exposure therapy style emergence ⋅ Keyword: IMAGE

Key emotion: Fear (intense and debilitating)

Flower Essences: Agrimony, Cerato

Healing Practices: Safe creative sharing in group to warm, loving eyes. Clown class. Skinny dipping. Sky diving. Gentle exposure to things that feel exposing / elicit loss of control. Move towards the fear!

Mantra: “I am safe to unmask”

  • As the child enters society in its teenage years, their authentic expression is met with judgment, shaming, or violence. Some part of the whole Self is not accepted by the societal environment, and so part of the spirit remains behind a closed door: it is a secret. To protect this secret, a polished mask of ‘acceptability’ is created as an image to the outside world. The conscious adult must choose safe environments and teach their nervous system that it is safe to share their truest Self - slowly peeling away the mask, unlocking the door, and letting people in.

  • There is over-reliance on Form: externally validated, societally ‘acceptable’ Form. Often, this Archetype is a master at Form-making from the outside to shield their true Self. Flow is deeply mistrusted and a fear of losing control of the mask, which would allow Flow to spill out, can cause a panic. This Archetype must learn to trust Flow and release the shield of external Form in order to find their own true internal FlowForm.

  • GOING WITH THE FLOW: this Archetype requires control over what is revealed and has trouble being in surrender and receptivity. They feel protected when they initiate, shape, and direct the action. The unknown is a terrifying place.

    PERFECTIONISM: hiding behind a polished Persona, this Archetype cannot handle mess, mistakes, or any cracks for someone to peek in and see the real them. Perfectionism is an armor and learning to trust they are safe in their vulnerability is the journey for this Archetype.

  • Loving Acceptance

    As the childhood environment did not accept this Archetype, they must learn to accept themselves - wholly and completely. In learning to see, love, and validate their inner truth, they then hold this same ability for others. They are the ones to thaw judgment and breed tolerance.

    Safe Space Holding

    This Archetype requires the safe, loving eyes of an other to receive them and say: “you are perfect as you are”. The safe receptivity of an other is deep gift for this Archetype as they emerge out of the Secret Garden. Knowing how valuable this is, they willingly offer it to others and welcome the true Forms of others into the world.

    Authentic Representation

    This Archetype is about Image: learning to remove the false (but highly polished and acceptable) Image that masks the inner truth - and create an authentic Image that reveals the inner truth instead. Once they are able to represent and make their own truth visible, they are able to do this for others. Chipping away stereotypes and harmful modes of representation is a societal gift of this Archetype.

    Strategy

    This Archetype is intensely strategic - it has learned the rules of the game and has played them to a T in protection of its inner Self. Once this survival mechanism is relinquished, they are able to apply this know-how and street smarts to taking their authentic truth to the world. They know how to play the rules, and therefore they also know how to when and how to break them.

    Inner Magic

    Once hidden in a Secret Garden, the Inner Magic of this Archetype is the biggest gift of all. The true strength and power of this Archetype comes from sharing its unique Self with the world in a clear, open, and unfiltered way. The ego shift that occurs is having the Archetype recognize their strength comes not from their Mask, but what lies underneath.

  • This Archetype is called to share its light with the world. By unlocking the door to their inner magic and peeling away the Mask of protection, this Archetype allows its authentic Form to Flow into the world. Safe sharing and exposure therapy to being visible are the keywords for healing. This is about seeing the Self and being seen and received in return.

  • In seeing, accepting, and loving themselves - this Archetype brings a loving Image to the world.

Spot the signs 🔍

  • Do you feel like something about you is a secret?

  • Are you adept at “masking”? A.k.a - do you have a beautifully polished external presentation to hide your true self?

  • Does sharing your authentic voice cause intense fear and the desire to hide?

  • Do you feel you need to “armor up” against potential judgment or violence?

  • Do you have a lot of external validation but still suffer from “imposter syndrome”
    and low self-worth?

  • Are you terrified of embarking on a life transition without a solid elevator pitch?

  • Do you have intense fears around experiences which require losing control, e.g. hallucinogens, childbirth, airplanes?

  • Do you feel exposed without makeup or a specific “uniform” you’ve cultivated?

  • Do you not invite people over / experience anxiety around hosting because you’re afraid they’ll see your mess?

  • Do you experience impatience with yourself when learning something new, struggle to “be bad” at something, and expect instant Mastery?