The Warrior seems to have a great mission to prove his existence as an individual. He has a sense of the great life force within him, yet may be shy and timid when confronted with the need to display that energy. Having a pioneering and adventurous spirit, the Warrior represents the fiery exuberance and innocence of youth and is related to the Fool archetype, the innocent beginner on the path of life, that may be very naive about the ways of the world. Self centered in both positive and shadow ways, he often seems to judge all of existence by the extent of his own consciousness. The more limited his personal experience, the more limited is his world view. Honoring this Warrior/Fool theme, April begins with the Day of the Fool.

The Warrior has tremendous potential energy for positive creation and his mission is strongly focused on the search for self identity and personal direction. He will spend much of his energy testing himself, (and others) seeing if he has the ability to accomplish his ideas and ideals. The Warrior's strength is independence, an enormous inner strength, and a strong intelligence, bravery and courage. His shadow weaknesses are low self esteem, lack of drive and ambition, and immature behavior which can manifest as a quick temper and an impulsive nature, or as wimpy manipulative game playing.

Warriors can be domineering, and at worst, violent and raging. But, often after the fiery temper blows, peace reigns once more. However, the "warrior power" is just under the surface and can be sensed by others who may find the Warrior a little scary and intimidating to be around. Feeling this rejection, the Warrior then gets into a "what's wrong with me" low self esteem cycle which builds more anger and more rejection. The Warrior has difficulty with subtleties, often seeing only the obvious, and misjudging the total extent of a situation. He must learn how to remain calm, not give in to the first impulse, and remember to weigh options before making a final judgment. He must realize he is not alone, in spite of his independent nature, and needs others' help and love in order to fully express his creative potential.

In our world today, nothing represents the energy of the Warrior more than the rebellious nature of youth. Like it or not, the Warrior is a universal archetype that is part of human consciousness. King Arthur created the Round Table for his young warriors who needed warrior challenges in time of peace, and advocated "Might for Right", a model we might re-explore to channel our young warriors into activities that teach the right use of power. Athletics and physical activities of all kinds, and advocacy of just causes are positive examples. Since warriorship was dishonored during the Viet Nam War, the draft was abolished and the military maligned, an all too obvious shadow form of the Warrior archetype has arisen in America, the impulsive and deadly "foolish" use of violence and weapons by our young Warriors and their need to create shadow Warrior Societies (gangs) to feel powerful. They dress in distinctive "uniforms" pierce and tattoo their bodies as did many ancient warrior societies and are fascinated with weapons, blood, horror and death. All this reflects the shadow side of the Warrior archetype that results from society's attempt to repress all warrior energy.

In the physical body, the Warrior rules the head, face, adrenal glands, muscle structure and general strength of the body. The wearing of helmets, special hairdos and headdresses both emphasizes and protects the source of strength and power, the head/mind, in the patriarchal world of the Warrior. As a result, Warriors of diverse cultures beheaded, scalped or cut off the hair of their enemies to capture their power. Modern day Warriors like to wear hats of all kinds and are concerned with their hair, its style, cut and color. Their hair reflects their power and personality. If a Warrior is having a bad hair day, watch out! Warriors need to be strong and physically fit, thus most of the serious regulars at the health club, on the ski hill, hiking and biking in the summer, etc., will be Warrior archetypes. If the Warrior force within you is disempowered and unable to express itself, you may be prone to headaches and head injury, ear infections, sinus, poor eyesight and diseases of the eye, high fevers and high blood pressure, tooth decay and gum disease, muscular dystrophy and other muscle disorders. Adrenal disease and dysfunction are also Warrior related as adrenaline is the "fight or flight" hormone. If your sun or rising sign is Aries, you may embody the appearance of the archetype: strong and athletic with tall, imposing lean and sturdy body. The head is emphasized with prominent nose, dark piercing electric eyes, noticeably large or small. Warriors have high foreheads, prominent brows and eyebrows, thick hair with a reddish tone and often a widow's peak.

The Warrior requires an occupation which involves him totally and allows him the freedom to constantly express himself. It is very difficult for him to take orders from anyone else and he'll always try to maneuver himself into a position of leadership. He is often the idea person, the entrepreneur who initiates projects without having to attend to all the details necessary for the manifestation of his inspirations. He thrives on competition and will not be held up by delay and setbacks. In the modern world, he is the daredevil, athlete, or advocate championing a cause. As the ancient Warrior valued his weapons, horses, and chariots, the modern Warrior is often drawn to the military, hunting, martial arts, football and the rodeo, to a fascination with guns and other weapons, motorcycles, fast cars and pickup trucks (modern day horses & chariots.) The highest manifestation of the archetype, the Spiritual Warrior (Joan of Arc, Henry V, King Arthur, Robin Hood, the Knights Templars, the Samari and Native American traditions to name a few examples) is empowered to fight for his God, for positive good, to help the less fortunate and better the world for all humankind. As he evolves towards his opposite archetype, Libra the Lover, he gains the balance of power with compassion needed to become the Spiritual Warrior.

If much of the above resonates with you, take this time in the sun to honor your positive Warrior power, potential and possibilities. Try to identify other Warriors around you and begin to relate to them with better understanding. Two Warriors can easily get into battle, but they also have the ability to empower one another like Knights of the Round Table. Look for positive examples of warriorship in the world today. Women warriors…you Amazons out there…often unappreciated or even maligned in your Warrior role until recently, you may need to release the repressed anger and frustration wounded or dishonored Warriors feel and discover the positive potentials of the Warrior within…now is the time.

Until next month, and the Archetype of the Artist/Priestess—many blessings,
Jaqui