Interpretation and text by Elena Cartotto
APTITUDE ARCHETYPES
Understanding your own archetype can be of great help in identifying your ambitions and learning to use the talents you possess, making order in the chaos of the stimuli that you receive from the outside world and that are often confusing: it is very easy, for example, especially for insecure or particularly empathetic people, to internalize other people’s expectations.
There have always been individuals who can exactly figure out, already at an early age, what they want to be in life, what their natural talents are and what kind of studies or career they want to pursue. Often, astrologically, these people are marked by a stellium of sign ...
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THE CYCLOPS OR THE PLANNER
The Cyclops’ aptitudes follow a mindset capable of being extremely focused on the goal to be achieved and on the procedures required to accomplish the mission.
The ancient myth of the Cyclopes, before Homer turned them into monsters, presents them as children of Uranus and Gaea: civilized beings, hard workers and friends of the gods.
Their main feature consists in having only one eye, and hence their name in the Greek etymology that combines the word “circle” with the word “eye”.
This single eye inherits the beliefs relating to the "third eye", which, as is traditionally known, is associated with higher wisdom and knowledge. This would explain the uncommon skills of the Cyclopes, considered exceptional smiths, masons, technicians. It was no coincidence that they were called by Zeus himself to make his lightning bolts.
The archetype of the Cyclops is therefore, among all, the most monodirectional one, that is, it best expresses itself when it is necessary to intervene on a specific problem or on highly specific issues, because it can proceed by consequential and logical steps, using an enhanced ability to concentrate and explore.
When they carry out their tasks, they can use both conceptual tools if, for example, they work in a theoretical research field, and practical ones, if they have to work on any machinery or test a procedure.
Those who present this profile tend to develop a strong inclination for control, which allows them to carry out very precise and delicate tasks. They are detail-oriented, they keep their focus for a long time, they have remarkable physical and mental stamina when dealing with stress, a quality that is needed for those who often have to work alone or in any case on a limited stage of a production cycle without interacting with other people
constantly.
They tend to be very responsible, as they are aware that they are performing delicate tasks that cannot be performed automatically by others. They are restrained and not very talkative, but they can be exhaustive when it comes to explaining working hypotheses, projects, mid-term and long-termgoals, and how they carry out their tasks. Therefore, they prefer the use of technical and specialized language and are not very familiar with the social dimension of their work, unless, of course, they have developed a certain amount of communication and relational skills.
They are perfectionists and unlikely to be satisfied with a standard result, and can stubbornly persist if they have not reached the quality level they had set out to achieve. This is also why they may seem a bit obsessive, inclined to repeat procedures that already seem perfect from the outside, or to reset projects without apparent flaws. Basically, the challenge for them is only with themselves as they hate making mistakes: they tend to foresee all possible objections and criticisms to their work.
They almost never improvise, they love to be prepared in their own field of expertise; this does not mean, however, that they can take prompt action if something breaks down, goes haywire, does not follow the program it belongs to.
They are better at understanding the functioning of things or the development of certain theoretical approaches than the mechanisms that regulate the psyche of people and the human relationships that derive from them.
Their predisposition for strategic thinking, their careful evaluation of every move, their excellent memory and their being result-oriented make them basically excellent executors of even complex projects.
CAREER
This profile can be found significantly in both university researchers who deal with very specific topics, and electricians, test drivers, health professionals, but also chemists, biologists, laboratory technicians, radiologists, biotechnologists.
Several IT professionals and engineers are marked by this archetype. If the technical-scientific talentis combined with an economic-financial one, the individual can evolve towards those highly demanded hybrid roles, in which the engineer is, at the same time, a manager and vice versa.
These people can actually show a predisposition for mathematics, geometry, science in general, drawing. If creative skills are also included, we can have architects and interior designers, but also brilliant artisans, or even some categories of musicians who know how to combine artistic talent and technical/performing skills.
Experts in legislation and administration etc. May have technical requirements, but if they work as lawyers or in contexts where the contact with people is required, they can be characterised by the coexistence of other profiles.
BIG FIVE AREA
EXTROVERSION 5%
AGREEABLENESS 10%
CONSCIENTIOUSNESS 40%
EMOTIONAL STABILITY 30%
OPEN-MINDEDNESS 15%
ATLAS OR THE CHAMPION
Atlas, a second-generation Titan, according to the myth, was condemned by Zeus to hold up the whole celestial spheres on his shoulders: the king of the gods wanted to punish him because, during the Titanomachy, he had sided with Cronus and the Titans against the gods of Olympus. In the first book of the Odyssey, Atlas is, however, described with poetic inspiration as one of the pillars of the sky. He seems to be fond of astrology and have a special talent for it, so much so that he was the first to represent the world with a sphere and, for that reason, he became the one able to hold the whole sky upon himself.
Those people characterised by the Atlas archetype have generally a lot of energy, great stamina, quick thinking, focus, eagerness to win and, above all, are willing to give up a normal lifestyle to get the result they want: they can therefore be maniacally characterised by an iron discipline.
Some may have a remarkable predisposition for sports, whether this implies sprinting and speed or muscle strengthening: women, for example, may show a remarkable talent for dance and related disciplines like, for example, rhythmic gymnastics or figure skating. Others, on the other hand, will show obsessive rigor and indomitable self-sacrifice in purely intellectual activities that still require dedication and constant commitment.
Such individuals can be entrusted with tasks that involve movement, hard work, travelling, because they know how to bear and modulate physical and mental stress without being crushed by it and are also able, when required, to stick to very strict and binding schedules. They endure loneliness, they can do without benefits and fun, and, above all, they are endowed with a sort of “military” mindset.
Those who choose this type of career are often characterised by this profile which, in addition to physical predisposition for certain activities, efforts, constant and complex training, where psychomotor coordination is essential, often indicates an iron character, capable of imposing itself and, if required, of making decisions, giving orders, but also of accepting other people’s authority, thanks to strong self-control.
They are very disciplined and hardly ever exceed their sphere of competence: if they do that, they are ready to take full responsibility for their mistakes. They tend to respect the rules and values of the environment they belong to, and can focus with such stubbornness on the intended purpose that they sometimes forget about everything else. They have a sort of monastic spirit and are able to give themselves rules of life that help them to live fully, to set their own timetable in the best way possible, to set mid-term goals, to help others to develop customised methods that, if applied consistently, lead to excellent results in any field.
As in all profiles, this one too can have pitfalls: for example, excessive authoritarianism, intolerance to criticism and to the contradiction of their own principles, the risk that physical, intellectual, professional commitment in a generic sense may actually try to compensate for personal frustrations that can have, at times, the upper handover what is the role they play within society. Sometimes, the Atlas archetype demands too much of itself and this may be due to latent feelings of guilt aimed more at seeking expiatory suffering than at carrying out its task in the best possible way.
CAREER
Hostesses and stewards, airplane pilots, train drivers, people in the army, athletes, those who drive service cars or heavy vehicles, people who deal with logistics or who, as long as they are also skilled communicators, work as representatives or trainers in companies: today, several managerial training courses aim at increasing the skills of executives through sports practice and method seen as a possible key to interpreting professional life in its various stages. Gym owners and managers also belong here, as long as they also have an economic-financial profile.
Artists committed to achieving high-value performances (in singing, drama, literature, etc.) can be partially marked by this profile, which gives the individual ambition to excel and competitive drive in order to achieve performances of outstanding quality.
This profile can be highlighted in those people who have strong spiritual values and who are able to choose extreme lifestyles or an existence that can involve significant sacrifices when it comes to the comfortable aspects of life.
BIG FIVE AREA
EXTROVERSION 10%
AGREEABLENESS 15%
CONSCIENTIOUSNESS 30%
EMOTIONAL STABILITY 35%
OPEN-MINDEDNESS 10%
THE DAIMON OR THE GUIDE
The term "daimon", which we basically translate as "demon", has a long history that starts from ancient times with thinkers such as Socrates and Plato, up to the modern theories of the psychoanalyst James Hillman, the well-known author of “The Soul’s Code”. The daimon, a mediator between heaven and earth, between god and men, presents itself from the beginning as an inner guide capable of suggesting morally correct behaviours and, later, in its psychological and historical evolution, becomes a travel companion, who is often ignored, but who knows our true vocation and is able to pave the way for us to recognise the meaning of life. According to Jung as well, the "daimon" acquires a profound archetypical meaning, because it leads us not to hell, as the word would suggest, but to our true self, to our special talent.
The daimon is a sort of autonomous psychic entity that knows us and sends us provocative messages and premonitions, sometimes ambiguous, to lead us to the authentic realization of the Self. That is probably why this profile appears frequently, together with the creative one, in successful people, because this profile makes them look inward and deep, and be capable of going beyond the surface of things and of the social image that people tend to wear to conform to their time. They are able to stir up the authentic passion that has lived in man since the dawn of time and to boost their expressive freedom.
The purpose of the "daimon" individual is not to please at all costs or to sell something. In their most introspective form, they are capable of listening, tend to be sensitive, but they may not necessarily show it, perceptive, able to absorb, like a sponge, the moods and feelings of others.
They tend to follow their own inner flow, like a sailor sailing unknown seas, to reflect on their own and other people’s emotions in order to decode them and better understand their interlocutors. They are so intuitive and so good at understanding people and their implicit requests that they can give the impression of being able to read minds. Actually, they have a natural inclination to especially focus on non-verbal language, on tones, on those variables that are often overlooked and that are present in human speeches and behaviours as soon as relationships are established.
In their social expression, they are curious, quick-witted and inquiring. They are attracted to expectations, unexpressed needs, criteria, values, influences that determine the life of individuals within a community and they can even get involved to change them if they think they are wrong. This makes them open to exchange and dialogue, even harsh if necessary.
Since, however, the archetype can manifest itself in its entirety, the daimon also presents a "demonic" side that must be intended as a manipulative attitude; this attitude, as happens to communicators, but for different reasons, can escape the control of inexperienced people: the anxiety of digging to find all the hidden motivations and the desire to exercise mental power over the individuals and, in certain cases, over the masses, can lead them to develop a kind of psychic narcissism they are not always aware of. In order to do that, they can use all the tools of the daimon archetype, devoting them to the magnification of their own Ego: strong charisma, psychological acumen, perceptiveness, histrionics, the ability to deal with other people's emotions, problems, secrets. The demon is the tempter par excellence, it is the one who observes without being observed, who spies on us from within to steal what is most precious in us, our soul. Such individuals either set us free or trap us, but they always leave their mark.
CAREER
This profile can often be found in psychologists, sociologists, psychotherapists, experts in human resources and in tests of various kinds, the well-known “head-hunters” who act as a link between companies and the market and carry out complex processes of staff recruitment for high-level positions.
Today, people with such skills work in holistic disciplines whose purpose is to restore mind-body harmony, since they know how to combine the ability to heal through innovative techniques with that of tuning in very well to the unconscious psyche. Likewise, the wide world of esoterism with its psychics, occultists and new age experts includes many individuals who fit this profile, as well as tarot readers and astrologers.
Teachers and trainers, although they are basically communicators, often possess skills, at least partially, that belong to the archetype of the daimon.
The “daimon” characters, chatting about this and that, and keeping a low profile, have the ability to seize all the relational and power dynamics within micro and macro structures: offices, operational or planning units, companies, ministries, institutions. They sense where the balance has been disrupted and know how to provide correct suggestions to appropriately restore it. In its more community-oriented side, the daimon can act as the political animal that instinctively knows how to position itself as a guide on the great stage of mass leadership.
Introspection, on the other hand, if prevailing, promotes two very rare qualities: discretion and confidentiality. Such people can therefore enter even those particular contexts where secrecy is essential, such as the wide world of government security.
Their sharp, inquiring mind, their fascination with all the nuances of the human psyche, even with the most frightening ones, make these individuals suitable for criminology, investigation and profiling activities.
BIG FIVE AREA
EXTROVERSION 10%
AGREEABLENESS 30%
CONSCIENTIOUSNESS 15%
EMOTIONAL STABILITY 20%
OPEN-MINDEDNESS 25%
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