image©Justina Kochansky

Read Archetype attraction part 1: The Basics

Romantic Archetypal Chemistry is based on complimentary needs.  Typically it’s either an archetype we value or one that reflects qualities we want to see in ourselves.  This is the kind of attraction we usually think of in terms of romance and dating.   You know, that subtle “the puzzle pieces just fit together” kind of attraction.  That’s great right?  Who doesn’t like feeling that way?  Of course there are some pitfalls to Romantic Archetypal Chemistry because the ingrained traits and their shadowy bits can make for a rough time once the heady days of romance wane.  This, my friends, is where the archetypal view becomes even more helpful.

Romantic Archetypal Chemistry means that there are qualities that you both have that work well together because each feels the one has something the other lacks.  The big reality check is that this isn’t always strictly true, it just seems like it.  Call it mirroring or projection, each need and need not fulfilled by the other can either be an ugly wedge into a relationship or a way to gain a much bigger understanding.

Take these classic Romantic Archetypal Chemistry combinations below for example.  It’s not hard to see where the interdependence starts to form.  And from that, guilt and resentment can grow like mold in a frat house fridge.

  • Victim & Rescuer (or Healer, Caregiver,Hero)
  • Prince & Princess
  • Vampire & Co-dependent
  • King & Queen
  • Midas & Miser
  • Student & Teacher

Is this really considered Romantic, you might ask?  In the way of Western Psychological Romance,  I believe so. Look to many the romantic novel or film and you’ll see the dynamic of perceiving that the other has something one lacks and is attracted for that very reason.  It’s based on a belief that you and the other person somehow complete a circuit, but many times it’s a circuit of lack and not necessarily fruition.

Are these combinations doomed because of their inherent attraction and difficulties?  Not at all. Knowing what the expectations are can make all the difference.  If you know you have a Rescuer archetype you have a much greater understanding of how you operate and can choose not to enter into a relationship with someone who needs rescuing or not.  This is something one of my clients took on and found it life changing – read about it in this case-study.

Next in the series:  Romantic Chemistry: The Knight and the Damsel
Stay tuned for more!

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