The King archetype represents power, authority, and responsibility. A benevolent King protects his subjects and country, ensuring material abundance and well-being, while an oppressive King insists on dominating others without regard for their needs. An effective King creates order without restricting creativity, taking full accountability for the welfare of his domain. The challenge is balancing order and chaos to allow both productivity and happiness for all.

1. 1The King

2. The King
• The King represents power and authority in all men when they have gained
sovereignty over their own affairs. Symbolically his court can be everything
from a country, corporation or his home.
• He is sometimes pictured as a wicked or weak king as the fable of Emperor’s
New Clothes but is more fairly shown as benevolent and protective of his
country and subjects such as the persona of Solomon or the Pharaohs.
• There is a strong association to material abundance and the joy of the
senses and possessions such as food, clothing and the home. This is like
the Celtic belief that the state of the country is in harmony with the state
of the ruler.
Associations: Earth, Pentacles, Sensation, South

3. The King
• The King archetype inspires us to take responsibility for our own lives, in our
fields of endeavor, and in the society at large. If he overcomes the
temptation to dominate others, the developed King creates environments
that invite in the gifts and perspectives of all concerned. The King's quest is
to create order and structure and hence an effective society in which the
subjects of the King can live productive and relatively happy lives. This is not
necessarily an easy task, as order and chaos are not far apart, and the King
has to commit him or herself fully to the task. The buck stops with them and
they must thus be wholly responsible -- for which they need ultimate
authority.

4. The King
• Shadow Side: The ogre tyrant, insisting on his or her own way and banishing
creative elements of the kingdom (or the psyche) to gain control at any
price. This is the King who indulges in self-righteous rages and yells, “Off
with his head.” Often people act this way when they are in positions of
authority (like parenting) but do not yet know how to handle the attendant
responsibility. This also includes people who are motivated by a strong
sense to control.

5. The King
Focus
 Goal
 Fear
 Dragon/Problem
 Response to Task
 Gift/Virtue
 Pitfalls
 Addictive Quality
 Addiction
Objectives
 Order
 Chaos
 Find its constructive uses
 Take full responsibility for your life
 Responsibility, control, sovereignty, system savvy
 Rigidity, controlling behaviors, entitlement, elitism
• High control needs
• Control/codependence