'The seat of the soul is there where the inner and the

outer world meet.' Novalis

There are moments in time when many secrets are revealed and hidden memories surface. As there are places on earth where the energy is stronger, so there are moments of strength in time, full of change, revelation, chaos and creativity, moments of magic and transformation. This seems to be the case with our present time. All major religions predict that this is an important time in the history of the world. Seers, prophets and paranormally gifted people have made predictions about the period around the year 2000; they foresee a new era and a new phase in the consciousness of mankind. At the same time, fear of change seems to grow. Chaos entails insecurity and a lot of people and groups long for the certainties of the old, the fixed rules and values that we could refer to in the past. We know what we had, not what we will get. These are the contractions surrounding the birth of the new millennium.

In times like this, we need people who can guide us through these changes. They are the facilitators of our time, the palliative nurses of the old and the midwives of the new. They take the form of therapists, advisors, healers, shamans, politicians, old sages or young fools, people who have kept their faith in humanity. In a time where history balances on a knife edge, where numerous situations are about to explode, we need people who have a positive image of mankind and act from it.

Some help comes in the form of stories: old myths and fairy tales that were half-forgotten over time and suddenly become important again. Over the centuries, they lost value and were seen as fabrications, stories for children, false images of reality. Yet they are true treasures of western culture, a spiritual heritage that was passed on from parent to child, from storyteller to storyteller through the centuries. These tales can lead us and tell us who we really are. Myths are like a map of the psyche, a guide that shows not just the main road, but also the small paths, the junctions and the cities, and thus the forgotten perspectives that we seek. And even more importantly, our own home can be found on this map. For anyone who is looking for his home it is an indispensable tool.

Myths can be seen as the software of the soul. When we read and analyse the stories, we realise that some kind of programme has been installed in the psyche, a programme with a clear pattern. Everyday, seemingly insignificant events or choices that we make, gain in significance because of this programme and help us understand the meaning of everything.

Stories and myths are like doors to mythological reality, just like rituals, meditation, travels, tarot cards or horoscopes can be. In a time where common sense rules and science seems to have the monopoly on truth, it is interesting to be led along paths that our mind cannot comprehend. Our quest for material wealth and happiness has made us cynical. Magic is no longer part of our world; we are de-mystified. 'We have strayed far from the invisible', Princess Irene van Lippe Biesterfeld writes in her book Dialogue with nature. 'It means that we have lost respect for the essence of things. The mechanical world has replaced the wonder. We are orphans, separated from the magical poser who resides in all of us. We are no longer connected. Not with the endless stories and experiences of objects, not with the forces of nature, not with each other as humans, not with each other's cultures, not with the elements, mother earth, the world of plants, the natural, the spiritual world, not with animals.' Spiritually we have become poor. It is not surprising that in a time where traditional churches stand empty, we seek our esoteric knowledge in far-away: we learn yoga from the Far East, we look for gurus in Australia and America, we spend time in Indian sweat lodges, but we know very little about our own western esoteric tradition. We have been uprooted, detached from earth and we are grasping around for a place to take hold of. We go on short courses and to workshops to still our spiritual hunger. Not without reason: our collective psychological landscape has become an barren, dry desert, without water, plants or animals. In many stories this dead landscape is the beginning: the land is barren and the king is sick, absent, travelling or banished. We wait for the hero who will free the path for the return of the rightful king.

It is the universal story of the battle against evil and the perseverance of the hero to accomplish his task, to find the Holy Grail, to discover the well of the water of life, to slay the dragon and to return the hidden treasures to share them with the people around him.

This story appears in many forms in western history and mythology, but also outside of it. Known examples are the story of Robin Hood, who fights against the evil king John while his brother, the rightful king Richard is on a crusade in Jerusalem. Another story is that of king Arthur, 'The Once and Future King', who brought order and harmony in a time when chaos and discord ruled. On the magic island Avalon he awaits, as does Merlin the magician, the time when he will be needed again and can return. This theme also occurs in Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings trilogy: Aragorn, who stems from a long line of kings, travels to the land of his forefathers to take up his rightful place as king. In the tale of Iron John the wild man is freed from the spell, and changes into a king in the end. The epic Odyssey by Homer talks about the return of a king: Odysseus, king of Ithaca, returns after much wandering to his homeland to take up his place as the king. In As you like it, a comedy by Shakespeare, the old king is banished to the woods. After a lot of complications he returns to the court. Apart from these variations on the theme in literature, there are also many religious texts that mention the return of spiritual kings or religious leaders. In Christian and Jewish groups there is talk of the second coming of the messiah, king of the Jews, and in New Age circles it is called the arrival of the Christ-consciousness.

Muslims await the new Imam for the end of the century, the Hindus the return of Krishna and the Buddhists await the return Buddha. Others speak of the Maitreya who will appear on earth in this era. All these stories have a common theme: the return of a leader who acts from the heart, not from the head. His leadership will respect the earth and is connected to spiritual wisdom, combining male and female qualities, strength and vulnerability.

This universal theme of the return of the king seems very relevant to our times, because the need for real leadership becomes greater. Many men of our time serve the god of money, of cars, production and more and better. And slowly, our world becomes like it is described in so many tales: the rivers are dry, forests disappear, the air is contaminated and the king, symbol for the heart, is sick. The negative effects of our way of thinking and living become ever clearer. It is time to reflect on our true values and adapt our external expectations. It is time that men realise who they are and what role they play. A role that goes deeper than discussions about who is doing the dishes, how to share childcare and what the ideal man looks like. Our survival and the future of the earth are at stake. Men have an important task to fulfil. By taking this responsibility we will regain our pride, our self-esteem as men and our place in the world.

The path of a man

This book is based on several initiation stories. Initiation literally means 'going inwards'; entering the world of the soul, the inner world. These days, the need for contact with this inner world becomes stronger and stronger. Without the connection between the soul and day-to-day living we lose the meaning of life; our existence become empty and we try to fill it with all sorts of substitutes. In our time initiation rituals such as we knew them in ancient times hardly still exist. The passage from boy to manhood is a forgotten stage in life and there are no facilitators, no wise old men or mentors who can show men how to get in touch with their own being. Rituals have disappeared or become meaningless. What is left is a fragile and often undeveloped masculinity: men who are not in contact with themselves, who have lost the way and are driven by their own unconscious emotions and longings. They are confused about their masculine identity or hold tightly onto an old and rigid image of manhood. Hiding behind the masks there is often uncertainty, fear and grief, emotions that do not conform with the image of being a man. Many men are lonesome cowboys; they survive on their own... They often miss contact with their fathers, their first example of masculinity. Contact with other men is often about competition, or distance and distrust. Men prefer to discuss emotional issues with women, but they lack the warmth and strength of other men. The initiation stories in this book provide a way to take the path inward. They are signposts on the road to personal development. They can serve as a compass and s a source of inspiration. They lead us beyond the intellect to the realms of the unconscious. Initiation is no rational process, though the rational mind is part of it. It leads us to the core of who we are and to our role in the world. In this process, contact with other men is of immense value. Although there are no longer any 'wise old men', we still hold a piece of the puzzle of what it means to be a man.

One of the major misconceptions about men is the 'need to change'. It is often said - mostly by women - that men should change. But 'should' is never a good word. Real change can only stem from a deep desire to be yourself, to accept yourself as you are, with all your shortcomings and qualities and dare to acknowledge them. The word 'development' is more appropriate: to free your self from unnecessary burden and acquired behaviour, so only the essence remains. Not an ogre, or a wimp, not a hero or a god, but a man.

In our current changing society it seems women have taken the lead. From a suppressed position, women have started to fight for a different way of living together, different forms of relationships and different rights and duties. It looks as if men are lagging behind, but appearances can be deceiving. Men have a different path to follow: one of silence, of pain without glory. While women have a lot to gain, men at first, have a lot to lose. Their path is to surrender power and accept powerlessness and pain. It takes much courage to choose this path and descend into the dark corners of the soul.

Slowly the first men are returning from this dark night and start to tell others of what has happened to them. They are beacons for the many men who are on the verge of losing everything, because they face unemployment, they lose their wife, have a heart-attack or a stomach ulcer. In a time when masculine values and patriarchal institutions are breaking down, a new image of manhood is slowly emerging, that of a man who has combined his male and female qualities and who takes responsibility for himself and the world around him. No macho, no softie, but a man who can feel and be firm, who acts from his heart. It is the archetypal story of the boy becoming a man, leaving behind the role of son and prince and taking on the role of father and king. This is the psychological development that is told in many ways in fairytales and long-forgotten initiation myths. It is the process of being born, of dying inside and the long road home to be reborn again, this time in full consciousness. It is the recurring story of an ancient but always current theme: The return of the king.

The way up versus the way down

Many initiation tales start off with the king being ill, absent, on a voyage, or dying. In other words: the heart, the centre of the body is ill, it no longer functions properly.

To heal this wound we need to descend and to follow the path down into the underworld. In patriarchal cultures and religions the path leading downward is unfamiliar and unpopular. People prefer to look and strive upward. In religion the way leads up, toward higher things, in order to be lifted above earthly matters, to strive towards higher ideals and escape from earthly sins and pleasures. In the New Age movement this is interpreted as reaching towards the positive, the meditative, the transcendental, the higher self, the light. In society the ladder also mainly leads upward: reaching the top is a ambition one is expected to fulfil. The word 'descent' has no place in career planning. The way down leads to darkness, the dark night of the soul, the shadowy side of existence. This road leads us to agony, our perverted enjoyment of power, our vulnerability and our destruction, all the aspects within ourselves we would rather not know about. It is the devil, sin, absense of love, the animalistic, primitive element in us. At least, that is what we will think to begin with. But if we descend even deeper into this darkness, we will discover the riches that lie hidden beyond these terrifying images. Behind the pain there is compassion, behind destruction lie genuine vigour and passion and behind the animal we find the entrance to our own instinctive and creative abilities. It is the path of initiation, of an inauguration that puts us in touch with the soul, not only our own soul but also the collective soul, and if we listen closely and intently, we can hear the voice of the earth itself.

In former days, during the initiation from boy to manhood this voyage downward used to be entered upon in the company of all the members of the tribe. The boy descended into his own soul in order to understand his role in the world and to be filled with compassion for the world around him. His mentor or shaman escorted him all through his this difficult process, with the physical pain of the initiation trials symbolising his journey. The boys were also sent into nature for various days, or closed off in an underground cavern, to get in touch with the soul of nature and the earth. If the journey leading downward is not made during adolescence, it will often later manifest itself in a mid-life crisis. In the middle of life, there will be a sudden decline. In our culture only very few people have mentioned this road, or given detailed accounts of their journey. There are hardly any initiates who can interpret the path of initiation and pass on their wisdom to the next generation. We have lost touch with the earth. The relationship with earthly things has gone astray in our present culture where man has risen to great heights, but no longer senses his own roots: the roots of his ancestors, of the trees and animals, the plants, air and water. Without these roots we will dry out and starve. Before we can rise to a higher evolutionary stage, we will have to descend into our pain, our own individual pain as well as the collective pain that exists in our society. We will have to face up to all that has accumulated there: wars, conflicts, arrogance and abuse of power, one by one. This will open up the way to our own survival.

The seven archetypes

Time and again myths and folk tales show us the same set of characters, differing only in form or shape as they appear. They represent the so-called archetypes, specific structures of the psyche that are closely related to each other. The archetypes constitute a set of human features which, hidden beneath the surface of daily life and stripped of subtle distinctions and personal divergences, always take on the same shape. These characters make their appearance in various cultures and religions, though they may have different names or classifications. This book is based on seven male archetypes that regularly occur in Western mythology. They are represented by the holy man, the magician, the jester, the king, the warrior, the lover and the wild man respectively, seven types that reflect seven different aspects of the male psyche, each one with his own specific character, function and symbol. The seven chakras in Eastern tradition are a different system of classification, although it tends to correspond with the seven archetypes and is gradually being adopted in the Western world. This system is based on the seven chakras, seven energy centres that are each linked to a specific area of the body. These seven energy centres are located on an axis running from the crown of the head to the tailbone, starting with the crown chakra, followed by the third eye, the throat chakra, the heart chakra, the solar plexus, the navel chakra and finally the root chakra. Over the past years I have become more and more aware of the relationship between these two forms of classification: on the one hand the Eastern approach based on the body, on the other hand the Western, more psychological approach. I have discovered that the seven archetypes are in strict accordance with the functions of the seven chakras. The body reflects the psyche and vice versa.(5) The following outline shows the analogy that exists between these two classifications. This book is based on a combination of the two systems.

NR. Archetype Chakra Function

7. The holy man    crown chakra      inspiration, divine guidance

6. The magician            third eye     vision, insight

5. The jester      throat chakra      communication, humour

4. The king         heart chakra         love, leadership

3. The warrior         solar plexus     power, action

2. The lover      navel chakra    lust, emotion, creativity

1. The wild man   root chakra    being earthbound, authority

These seven archetypes play main roles in the stories that unfold in the following chapters. In order to give a first impression of their respective functions and symbolism I will begin by introducing them one by one.

The holy man

The function of the holy man or the mystic lies in establishing a connection with the divine, the universe, the world above us. This archetype corresponds to the crown chakra, which is located at the top of the head, near the crown. This is the place where divine inspiration enters. When a person dies, he leaves the body through this spot and returns to the unity that exists in this higher dimension. In some monastic orders a small circular patch of hair is shaved from the head to facilitate the link between man and the divine. Baldness also stands for humility and servility. This chakra makes us subject ourselves to higher laws and allows us to be guided by the divine. The holy man endeavours to attune his own will to the divine: 'Not my will be done, but Thine, for Thy will is also mine. 'The symbol of the holy man is the beggar's staff, a sign of simplicity and subordination. The holy man has freed himself from all worldly forms of attachment. Sex, money and power no longer play a role in his life; to him the only thing that counts is to serve God and his fellowmen. His beggar's staff is a wooden walking stick with which he humbly walks down life's path. Every archetype bears its own distortion or shadowy aspect. In this case it is the hypocrite, the zealot who despises all worldly things and swears by the spiritual life. He is the believer who lets himself be led like a lamb and refuses to take on responsibility in life, the New Age man who meditates and attempts to dispose of all earthly goods, the television preacher who pays lip service to love yet has extramarital affairs and beats up his children, the do-gooder who gives everything away in order to gain respect and admiration in return.

The magician

The magician stands for insight, vision and power of thought. He is linked to the sixth chakra, the chakra of the third eye. He juggles with reality and is aware of the creative powers behind our thoughts. He walks the tightrope that separates white from black magic. When he exploits his insight for his own personal sake, to either flatter his ego, profit financially, or discredit others, he veers towards the shady aspect of this archetype. The shadow is represented by the crooked counselor, the manipulating therapist who presents his views in a loveless manner, the advisor who gets a thrill from the power he has, or the person who gives unwanted advice. The magician is capable of perceiving things in a greater time-perspective. He has an insight in the past and the future, which allows him to make predictions. While the holy man bases his views on divine inspiration and wisdom, the magician's knowledge is founded on learning and study. He is often portrayed in a research laboratory, surrounded by masses of scrolls and old books. In a modern version the magician appears as a scientist trying to fathom the mystery of life, as a chemist who analyses and mixes all kinds of substances, as a physicist searching for the mechanism of the universe, as a man of letters burying himself in his study of the languages, or as an anthropologist investigating other cultures. The magician proves what the holy man already knows. He is a man who deals with the natural elements and with matter, searching for proof to substantiate his theories. In business life he is often the manager or the consultant in matters of organisation. The magician or wizard has a magic wand with which he can direct his energy. The conjurer's wand is a modern remnant of this; it makes flowers and rabbits appear from nowhere.

In The Lord of the Rings, the role of the magician is played by Gandalf. He resembles one of the best-known magicians of western mythology: Merlin the Magician. Both live in a when the world is being threatened by chaos and evil.

Gandalf travels the world to be where he is needed, sometimes right at the heart of the battle. His counterpart is Saruman, the black magician who has been trapped by the power of evil. In the story Gandalf transforms from the grey to the white magician and takes over from Saruman as the leader of the council of magicians. Saruman's staff is broken and his power is dismantled.

The jester

The jester stands for the archetype relating to the throat chakra. The main function of this energy centre is communication, expressing what lives deep inside of us. This can manifest itself as singing or talking, composing poems or writing books. The jester holds a small wand with a jester's head on top, often a replica of his own face. A later version of this jester's wand is the harlequin or Punch in the puppet show. The jester can hold a dialogue with his wand, using it as a talking doll, or he can make the king laugh when state affairs prove too oppressive. The jester is the one who is allowed, to hold up a mirror to the king and he can even ridicule him and call him names without risking serious punishment. But he must also bear the brunt if the king is angry. He plays the fool as well as the wise man and in many dramas he plays an important role as counselor or mediator between two parties. Shakespeare's jester Touchstone in As you like it(6) is a case in point, and the late Tommy Cooper can be seen as a modern version of the jester. They both call attention to the ups and downs at the king's court or in the country. But the jester also has a shadow side. It is the scheming person, whose words twist reality and who plays to people, or trifles with the truth. Where the wise jester creates words to comfort others, the evil jester jokes around to mislead people or to obscure important facts. In daily life it is the journalists, the advertisers, the show masters and artists who stand on this archetype's slippery slope. If the jester lends his services to the Good King, his words will come from the heart, but if he hatches his own evil plans or is in league with the Shadow King, his words will spread distrust, fear and discord.

In LOTR the three Halflings Sam, Pippin and Merry take on the role of the jesters. They bring joy and laughter to the story. Jesters always seem to be small people and their role might seem small, but they serve the king and prove to be of immeasurable value.

The shadow side of the jester is represented by Grima Wormtongue. He whispers false and evil words in the ears of Theoden, king of Rohan. But the one he really serves is the traitor Saruman.

The king

The archetype corresponding to the king symbolizes the heart and love. Not the romantic kind of love, but the love that creates harmony and order, that is righteous, shows compassion and knows when and how to act; effective love. The heart chakra is the centre of the body, just like a king is the centre of his realm. In Egyptian as well as in Celtic mythology the king is considered as the embodiment of the country(7); if the king fares well, then so does the country. Louis XIV, the Sun King, phrased this as follows: "L'etat, c'est moi". I am the State! He is the sun, the radiant centre. If the king reigns from his heart, then order and harmony prevail, everybody is in his or her right place and the land is fertile. It is the same with us: if we live from our heart, then our life is filled with harmony and order: everything falls into place and our actions bear fruit. On a psychological level the king represents the ego, the central character amidst the many subordinate personalities of the psyche. If the ego is not in the service of the higher self and only lives for itself, the king is ill or has become a tyrant. The visible symbols of kingship consist of a crown, a sceptre and a robe. The crown, open at the top, stresses the importance of the king's subjection to divine will. Whilst he governs over worldly affairs, he must also allow himself to be guided. His own personal wishes or ideas should come second to the interest of the country that is his highest priority. In order to make the right decisions, the king must heed to divine guidance, just like a priest or a monk. This makes him a servant of God and a true leader of his country. Servitude and leadership go hand in hand. This link between divine power and worldly authority is symbolised by the sceptre: a staff with a globe at the lower end as the symbol of worldly things, and a cross on top as the symbol of the divine. The function of the king lies in uniting those two worlds: heaven and earth, the cross and the globe. In our daily life this archetype of the king is represented by managing directors, political leaders and other people who play a central part in a group of people. At home it is the father who takes on this role.

In LOTR both Aragorn and Frodo embody the archetype of the king. Frodo is the symbol of the heart that, in spite of adverse circumstances, continues to believe in the power of love above the power of evil. He journeys on, even if everything seems lost. This is the journey of the heart. By bringing the ring to the centre of evil, to Mordor, he brings light into darkness. Not by attacking the darkness, but by giving it back to itself.

Aragorn is the king who returns after having wandered for many years before he is given the throne of Gondor. He represents bravery, courage and righteousness. He does not strive for fame or honour, but follows his quest in service of the greater whole. Both Aragorn and Frodo put their life at risk for the survival of the world around them and thus are true to the king's oath.

The dark side of the archetype of the king is represented by Sauron and the nine ringwraiths, who were once kings but fell into the power of the evil Sauron. They spread fear and death, but they do not have a face of their own. In the whole story Sauron is never seen, which is the case with evil: It is not real, it only breeds on the fear and anger of others. It does not have the power to exist on its own.

The nine Nazgul, as the ringwraiths are called, are the counterpart of the nine companions of the fellowship of the ring. The power of Mordor and the one ring is countered by the power of brotherhood, companionship and loyalty. Only this can destroy the ring and make sure that it is being thrown back into the fire in which it was made.

The warrior

The archetype that matches the warrior stands for action, power and guarding the boundaries. This archetype corresponds to the third chakra, also called the solar plexus. In modern society the warrior is symbolised by the soldier. But he is also the manager who exerts himself on behalf of his business and goes to work in his 'suit of armor', or the sportsman who fights for victory. The Samurai, members of a Japanese warrior-caste, had to learn a combat sport during their training, as well as a form of art, such as writing poetry, arranging flowers, or playing a musical instrument. This was done to develop the goal-oriented, male side of the warrior as well as his creative, female side, and to bring these two aspects into balance. The symbols of the warrior are the sword and the shield. The sword symbolises the energy of attack, while the shield is the symbol of protective energy. His beggar's staff is the lance, symbol of purposiveness. The positive qualities of the warrior are his sense of purpose and his perseverance. He possesses the power of concentration that protects him from distractions of the mind. If the warrior is in the service of the king, the heart, he will use his power only in a positive manner. The negative side of the warrior expresses itself as blind ambition and abuse of power. This may manifest itself in wartime, politics or business, in health service and education. If a man makes undue use of his warrior energy, he will thwart his inner femininity, his sensitivity and vulnerability. He may triumph time and again in his daily work, but his emotional life will suffer considerably. He will get estranged from his wife and he will not be able to understand why his children act aggressively or appear to be downcast. The soldier who avoids all responsibility and functions like a cog in a wheel can be seen as a distortion of the warrior's archetype. ' merely did what I was told to do', is his answer to vital questions. A genuine warrior takes full responsibility for his actions and puts his power at the service of love. He fights his battles to serve the heart. Another example of the corruption of this archetype is the man who makes no use of his warrior energy at all: the wimp who is able to feel, but is so afraid of violence or conflict that he is never brave enough to raise his sword when needed. These days, many men are shocked by the destructive side of this archetype and choose to deny their warrior energy, in relationships as well as in their work and in society. They prefer to talk, yet they don't see that their indecisiveness and failure to set limits can also become an act of violence.

The two figures in LOTR that symbolise the archetype of the positive warrior are Gimli the Dwarf, son of Gloin, and Legolas, the Elf from Mirkwood. Legolas represents the ethereal and Gimli the earthly aspect of the warrior. They are opposites who become the best of friends in their struggle against the enemy. Legolas has a bow with which he can shoot arrows over a great distance. He never sleeps and can see very far. He has a quiet mind, which keeps him 'light' throughout the story. Gimli is the rough diamond with a heart of gold. He is faithful and fearless but also reckless and impulsive. He is small but strong and never gives up. Both are prepared to fight till the bitter end.

The shadow side of the warrior is represented by the Orcs and Uruk'hai, creatures with no will of their own who are slaves to the will of their evil master. They are foul, ugly and selfish. They stink and quarrel about everything. When the power of evil grows, their number grows accordingly. Their lack of identity and soul is symbolic for the power of the ring: individual differences are wiped out and all are ruled by the One. This is how tyranny works, when all people become the same: their minds are held in slavery.

The lover

The second chakra, just below the navel, stands for all matters relating to one's inner life. This is the lover's energy and it has to do with eating, enjoyment, sex, creativity and playfulness, but also with emotions such as sorrow, anger, hatred and jealousy. Contrary to the fiery energy of the warrior, this energy will flow. It corresponds to the element of water. It is the kind of energy that nourishes the creative side of life. Water can gush and churn, but it can also become a stagnant quagmire or a wild ocean that devours everything that comes its way. The shadowy aspect of the lover emerges when a man is not in touch with his emotions or, on the other hand, is too absorbed in them. For some men, this second chakra is still connected to the mother: the umbilical cord still links the love energy to her instead of to the loved one. In that case the energy remains childlike, naïve, manipulative and unlimited. Here it is not the lover, but the young boy who takes the lead: the 'puer aeternus', the man who is unable to enter into a relationship or take responsibility, who is still tied to his mother's apron strings and wants to be looked after. It is Oedipus marrying his mother. The staff that goes with the archetype of the lover is the flute. With this, he enchants his beloved and plays his love song. The flute often has a magical influence, for instance in the story of The Pied Piper of Hamelin or Mozart's Magic Flute. In Chinese tantric texts the flute symbolizes the penis. This is alluded to in the following poetic wordings: 'Playing the flute is a delicate and stimulating affair, enabling the woman to become acquainted with the essence and the subtle raptures of the 'lingam' (= penis). It is practiced especially to attain sexual self-control, which is indispensable to elicit ecstasies of the highest degree.' (9) In daily life we encounter the lover in the person of the artist or the hedonist, the infatuated man who enjoys wining and dining, music, art and sex, and who balances between bliss and exuberance. He is the man who is in touch with his stomach and his feelings.

Love does not seem to play a major role in the LOTR and the archetype of the lover is not one of the main characters. Yet we can find it in the human love of Faramir for Eowyn, lady of Rohan, or the eternal love between Aragorn and Arwen, who gives up her immortality to live at the side of the man she loves. LOTR is not a love story , but a heroic epos of power and faith. Women and romance do not seem to have a place in this. Yet it turns out that the power of the feminine is at the core of the story. It is a ring, not a sword, lance or other weapon that determines the fate of all. The ring symbolises the circle, the feminine, that has been wrought for dark purposes. It has the power to bind and cast a spell on those who come close to it. The people who wear it fall in love with it; they call the ring 'their precious...'. Gollem represents the dark side of the lover. He is completely obsessed and under the spell of the ring. He wants to own it, just like lovers want to 'own' each other. But this ring is not a ring of love but a ring of power, which can drive people to madness, jealousy and hatred.

The wild man

We meet the wild man in the form of the shaman, the mentor, the wise old man or the medicine man. He is a seer and clairvoyant. He can talk to the animals and the trees and communicate with the spirit world. This gives him healing powers and the gift of prediction. He is in touch with the collective psyche and uses stories and rites to bring harmony between the visible and the invisible world. His talents are of vital importance to the existence of the clan or the community. The wild man is an inaugurator; he is the one who initiates a man to his relationship with the earth and guides him towards his inner nature. He takes young boys from their mothers, carries them off into nature and leads them to their own roots. His wildness refers to his inner wild nature, but he is not a barbarian. Man's authenticity and originality, his own nature is often lost during the process of growing up. The wild man corresponds to the first chakra, which also called the root or tailbone chakra. The wild man's staff is a club or bludgeon. It symbolises the primal force of the earth and is sometimes depicted as a tree or a human bone. In ancient initiation rites the person who was being initiated was knocked out with a huge bone so that he could experience symbolic death and rebirth. It is the same force that is contained in the subconscious, and that can deal tremendous blows in our life, causing us to temporarily 'lose consciousness'. This may happen through traumatic experiences such as the death of a child or a loved one, divorce or redundancy. At such critical moments the memory of the initiation rite can help to find the way back to the light. This staff or club has a sexual connotation, just like the flute: it symbolises the phallus, which is not exactly the same as the penis: the phallus is the penis together with the testes. The testes stand for fertility and the earth, and man's power and grounding. The penis signifies his individuality and his active vigour in the world, which remains ineffectual if it is not grounded. Thus, the phallus encompasses the two aspects of male energy: the ability to stand on his own in the world, and at the same time to be part of a greater whole, a community, an organisation or, put in a general sense, to be part of the earth.