Course Overview

Here is an overview of what you get in this comprehensive course and why it is important to you. Use the menu or see here How It Works, Weekly Topics, What's Included and Registration.

Archetypes can be defined as universal principles, core ideas, and experiences that permeate the human experience everywhere. Archetypes are also eternal and have a certain more than human quality to them. This means that being aware of archetypes, within ourselves and in the world around us, is a way of stepping into something vast and meaningful. No one knows this better than Laurence Hillman, internationally acclaimed author, teacher, and archetypal scholar with forty years of experience. 

But why ten?

Ten Archetypes

The planets in the sky connect us. No matter where we go in the world stargazers are watching the same planets move through the heavens. As an archetypal astrologer Laurence has studied the movement of the planets and their synchronous correspondence in people's lives for forty years. This has led to his understanding that we can explain just about anything with the extraordinary richness of the ten planetary building blocks if we understand them as archetypal.

This course is about astrology and it is also far broader than that.

Archetypal Worldview

Laurence's worldview is archetypal. This means that nothing is merely as it appears. As a matter of course he always sees underlying forms, structures, and stories. When he sees a person dance out of line, buck the system, and go their own way, he sees their Inner Renegade. This is an archetype, a universal expression that was as present in the French Revolution as when you broke up with your first love. It does not matter when in history, or where in the world, this archetype shows up. While time and place modify the particular expression of an archetype, with a developed sensibility we can recognize such core principles universally and through time. 

This course is about developing such sensibilities. You will dis-cover how the ten archetypes express themselves through you by consciously immersing yourself in their world. This way you will be able to recognize them in the world around you.

We all have an Inner Renegade, a part of us who disrupts, invents, wears purple hair, and sometimes gives the third finger. For some, this archetype —"personality trait" is an appropriate term here—is what they are most known for. For others, there is only a faint memory of this part of them.

Re-connecting

This course is about re-connecting with all ten inner archetypes.

Why? Because that is when you live the most complete life you can. It is Laurence's contention that by the end of this course you will agree with this bold statement: With the ten archetypes explored here we have the tools to understand anything that we come up against in the complex and difficult world of today.

Join Laurence for an adventure! Explore the richness of your fullest life possible.

 

How it Works

  1. To take this class you need a computer (or laptop or tablet) and internet access. This is a self-study course combined with an interactive online forum.
  2. YOU TAKE THIS CLASS AT YOUR OWN PACE. There are no set hours and if you want to review something you can go back any time. The class is designed to last 10 weeks. However, you can read the materials much faster than that if you want but you will miss the immersion experience. It is recommended that you study one Archetype a week over ten weeks.
  3. From time to time Laurence may host a live class where you can ask questions and see other students online. You will receive announcements of such opportunities. Please do not bring your technical questions here but contact Laurence privately if you are having difficulties.
  4. There will be a private online forum for this class, a chat room, where you can post your questions that then will be answered by Laurence. This allows others taking the class at the same time to benefit from your questions as well. The questions remain as an archive for all students to see over time. Laurence will monitor this forum and occasionally comment and guide.
  5. Weekly postings include live recorded videos, audio recordings to download and listen to off-line, reading materials, and work sheets.
  6. Once you register and pay your tuition you are sent a package with further information and a login code.
  7. What you get out of this class is commensurate with what you put in. You can watch, listen, and learn a little bit, or you can fully engage with the presented material, do all the assignments, and engage with your classmates. This is your immersion. Tipping your toe in or a full dive: all kinds of learning are welcomed here.

Weekly Topics

“Ah, if I were not king, I should lose my temper.”
— Louis XIV, French Royal

My Astrological Sun

MY Crowned Core

Who is at the core of your being? This week we explore your inner Sovereign, that kingly, royal, sovereign, magnanimous center within you. From Shakespeare and others we know that there are many kinds of kings. Is yours a warrior king? Or a philosopher king? Or something else altogether, perhaps a dreamer who does not want to lead? We explore the Hero/ine's journey and the stages of development that your King embodies now. We also explore the shadow of the King. There, we find narcissism, megalomania, and selfishness. This week, immerse yourself in your inner Sovereign. What is he wearing? How does he organize your decisions - or does he?

Key words this week: Identity, King, Hero, Self-expression, I Am, Ruler, Pompous, Vitality, Wants, Ego, Creativity, Desire, Generosity, Grandeur, Daytime, Heart, Center, Me, Father, Ambition, Loyalty, Vigor, Royal, Sovereign, Narcissist, Creativity, Childish, Radiant, Generous, Playful, Selfish, Generate, Overpower, Childlike, Energy Source, Life, Irreverent, Regal, Hero(ine)'s Journey

“We all have our time machines. Some take us back, they’re called memories. Some take us forward, they’re called dreams.”
— Jeremy Irons, Actor

My astrological Moon

MY Nurturing Needs

What feeds you? This week we immerse ourselves in the world of the Nurturer. She embodies your inner Queen, your needs, emotions, longings, memories and past - to name just a few. Origin, ancestry, your family, children and you as a child, all belong here. How does this archetype express through you? How do you nurture yourself and others? Do you? How do you allow other's to nurture you? And - do you? How do you reflect others? Do you embrace your feelings? What do you remember about your earliest past? We will explore different ways of expressing the Queen. You will recognize your family and friends in these descriptions. Particularly, the archetype of the Mother belongs here. We won't ignore the shadow, of course, and explore such psychological phenomena as the need to be needed. 

Key words this week: Feelings, Mother, Nurturing, Fluctuation, Smothering, Dreaming, Romance, Childhood, Moods, Instinct, Emotions, Childbirth, Embrace, Children, Protected, Responsiveness, Chicken Soup, Nighttime, Breasts, Home, Milk, Looney, Unstable, Memory, Roots, Nourishing Foods, Sensitivity, Reflection, Holding, Conserving, Storage, Hearth, Night

“Life does not consist mainly, or even largely, of facts and happenings. It consists mainly of the storm of thought that is forever flowing through one’s head.”
— Mark Twain, Author

My astrological Mercury

My Mercurial Mind

How does your mind work? This week we explore and play with the Storyteller. Universally reflected in the Trickster, the jester, the clown, the swindler and the thief, he is an orator, a tap-dancer, and he is lightning fast. We will explore your particular mind and your way of thinking. Are you more comfortable with facts or with poetry? Foggy brain? Juggling too much in your life? Find out what that is about. This archetype is never simple and always asks about the other side of things. Perspective is his thing, as is indecisiveness. We will not rest until we also explore the shadow of the Trickster: the liar, the motormouth, and the slippery slope. Don't blink or you might miss this week!

Key words this week: Messenger, Communication, Trickster, Traveling, Speech, Intellect, Versatility, Multiple, Busybodies, Mercurial, Thieving, Doctors, Medicine, Nervous, Critic, Mind, Thoughts, Fickle, Superficial, Neighbors, Siblings, Puzzles, Adaptability, Trivia, Sly, Sarcasm, Tongue Twisters, Androgyny, Quick, Juggling, Multiplicity, Farce, Wit, Humor

“If you haven’t cried, your eyes can’t be beautiful.”
— Sophia Loren, Actress

MY astrological venus

MY emerging eros

What turns you on? How well do you know your inner Lover? Are you aware of your young and sexy seductress within? Has she long ago gone to sleep? Has your inner Lover left you? Or, is she running your life and others consistently objectify you? What are the patterns in your relationship? Do you keep making the same mistakes, or have you been committed to the same person for a lifetime? How do you keep love alive? We explore the importance of enchantment, beauty and the lure this week. What makes you alluring? What turns you off? This week is also about things we love and we explore the importance of chocolate and money. We will also look at the shadow of the lover and here we meet backstabbing, intrigues and jealousy. This will, for sure, be a rich week.

Key words this week: Beauty, Chocolate, Relating, Love, Gossip, Intrigues, Art, Fashion, Seduction, Money, Pleasure, Harmony, Artistry, Velvet, Food Delicacies, Violins, Pink, Sex, Backstabbing, Flirting, Fickleness, Dating, Kissing, Jealousy, Erotica, Social Affairs, Decorations, Singing, Longing, Unrequited Love, Swooning, Diplomacy, Ornaments, Makeover

“It’s like an act of murder; you play with intent to commit something.”
— Duke Ellington, Musician

My astrological mars

MY Penetrating Passion

What will you fight for? This week we explore your Warrior passions. What gets you so hot under the collar that you will stand up for it? Where do you feel the most passionate? Your inner Warrior will defend, split, separate, and conquer. The Warrior also plants your creative seeds as he furrows open moist and fertile soil with his sword. We also inquire about how you express your sexual energy. And, how well you can sever what is no longer necessary in your life. Or, can you? As we ask questions and immerse ourselves in the archetype of the Warrior, we also wonder about his shadow. This is where we find anger, self-destruction, and ulcers. Your inner Warrior, ready for action, weapons in hand, and eager to conquer something, may also be other-worldly. He may prefer to dream away the day, indulging in the sensual and dreamy without ever creating anything. Let's find out!

Key words this week: Drive, Anger, War, Power, Passion, Energy, Separation, Forcefulness, Killing, Martial Arts, Adventure, Weapons, Challenge, Leadership, Sexual Drive, Cruelty, Cuts, Penetration, Bleeding, Tattoos, Migraines, Discord, Action, Feistiness, Frisky, First, Risk, Edgy, Danger, Valor, Spear, Friction, Searing, Scalpel, Switchblade, Branding Iron

jupiter_week.jpg
“As for me, I am tormented with an everlasting itch for things remote. I love to sail forbidden seas, and land on barbarous coasts.”
— Herman Melville, Author

My astrological Jupiter

MY World Wanderer

What horizons attract you? This week we discover your inner Explorer. Where is your learning edge? What would you like to understand better? The inner Explorer is equally interested in foreign countries as in new ideas. Foraying into the unknown, curious, open armed and optimistic, he always says 'yes' to more adventure. We remember that Indiana Jones was also a professor, that higher education is another valid path to knowledge and mindful undertakings. The Explorer is restless and always wants more. Of course we will also look at the shadow here. That will include exaggeration, braggadocio, and loud obnoxiousness. When well lived, this Archetype becomes the smiling Buddha, the pondering philosopher, and the world traveler. He loves joy, wealth, and good luck. And he is very funny and great at telling jokes. The Explorer can often appear larger than life. But are all those stories true? Does it matter?

Key words this week: Searching, Exploration, Expansion, Higher Education, Animals, Truth, Justice, Exaggeration, Enthusiasm, Striving, Philosophy, Tactless, Foreigners, Money, Religion, Teachers, Restless, Weight Gain, Bragging, Striding, Jovial, Honesty, Straightforward, Nature, Can Do, International, Freedom, Nature, Big Idea, Extravagance, Optimism, Yes

“Following your dreams begins by getting out of bed.
”
— Bumper Sticker

My astrological Saturn

MY Careful Craftsman

What are you planning to build? This week we immerse ourselves in the archetype of the Strategist. Your inner architect designs and completes your projects by devising the best strategy to get there. Without access to this part of you, dreams cannot become reality. Are you able to focus? Finish things? What have you built? Where is your mastery? Your follow-through? What have you spent ten-thousand hours perfecting? It takes patience and pragmatism to build something. Your internal Builder speaks to this. Do you have stick-to-itive-ness? The Builder also knows about limits and can say 'no' which sometimes gives him the reputation of a killjoy. When exploring his shadow we will include negativity, depression, and pessimism. At his best the Builder is wise, mature, and approves of the wrinkles in his face. His melancholy gives him that depth. 

Key words this week: Mastery, Tradition, Melancholy, Discipline, Darkness, Hardness, Construction, Skeleton, Establishment, Hardness, Order, Architecture, Cold, Focus, Maturity, Business, Wisdom, Limits, Borders, Rules, Hierarchy, Structure, Time, Endings, Walls, Destinations, Going Solo, Frost, Lairs, Functioning, Precision, No, Peaks, Depression, Hyper Focus

“You need chaos in your soul to give birth to a dancing star.
”
— Friedrich Nietzsche, Philosopher

My astrological Uranus

MY Distinct Disturber

Where are you eccentric? This week we immerse ourselves in the archetype of the internal Renegade. We ask ourselves where we are different, where we dance out of line, and how we relate to our own idiosyncrasies. Words such as 'crazy' and 'weird' are compliments to this part of you. Who wants to be like everyone else? Not this part of you. We explore your inner eccentric. Has he been tamed ages ago? Or, is this all you ever were? We explore what it means for you to let your hair down. The Maverick also connects to the heavens. He downloads galactic information that hits his brain as intuitive insight-flashes. This character lives in his own world. He flies planes and can program computers or decipher hieroglyphics. Or why not both? This is also the humanitarian in you, the non-judgmental egalitarian. His shadow includes being aloof, a know-it-all, and non-committed. Buckle up this week!

Key words this week: Intuition, Ideas, Brilliance, Instant Change, Astrologers, Lightning, Shocking, Exploration, Space Flight, Future, Different, Absurd, Independence, Artificial Intelligence, Genetic Engineering, Cell Phones, Discovery, Detached, The Internet, Technology, Whacky, Rebellious, Revolution, Tornadoes, Freaks, Electric, Shock, Flying, Aloof 

“The world of reality has its limits; the world of imagination is boundless.
”
— Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Philosopher

My astrological Neptune

MY Dancing Dreamer

What do you imagine? This week our focus is on the archetype of the Dreamer.  We explore fantasy and dreams. We immerse ourselves in the power of the imagination. What images guide you? Is dreaming working for you or are you lost all the time? We explore what it means to embody this misty, compassionate, and non-selfish part of us. The Dreamer is also our pathway to transcendence. How do you 'get away'? Do you meditate, read romance novels, get stoned, or drink? None or all of the above? The Dreamer is your ability to fantasize, to imagine what is not yet real. We will dive into this archetype and also explore his shadow. There, we discover addiction, escapism, and disappearance acts - to name just a few. Your inner Dreamer is also your connetion to the invisible world. Some call this their relationship with God, others with Spirit, others with Soul. There are endless ways we step into the dreamer to feel conneted with All.

Key words this week: Fog, Dreamy, Imagination, Alcohol, Fantasy, Spirituality, Mysticism, Drugs, Cloudiness, Poetry, Dancing, Veil, Inspiration, Sensitivity, Disillusion, Anesthetics, Counterfeit, Secret Sorrows, Medicine, Invisibility, Yeast, Séance, Undulation, Prisons, Music, Clouds, Compassion, Confusion, Savior, Mirage, Lost, Sixth Sense, Illusion, Idealism

“If my devils are to leave me, I am afraid
My angels will take flight as well.
”
— Rainer Maria Rilke, Poet

My astrological Pluto

MY Capacity for Change

How do you renew yourself? In this final week our focus is on the archetype of the Transformer. We always mention this archetype as a cycle of death and rebirth. They belong together like the dying cocoon and the newborn butterfly. They are two points on the circle of life. What has ended in your life? What has died? And what was born from those ashes? Archetypal Death is about the phoenix. As the ultimate experience, Death also takes us to unforeseen depths. We will explore where the deepest power in you comes from, where you connect to the molten core at the center of the earth. You will learn about death in ways that you have likely not thought of before. The transformative power of this archetype is immense. What is waiting to die in your life? What are you afraid of losing? Why? We immerse ourselves in endings, burial rituals, and ways to say good-bye. It is with the memories of the departed — be that people, pets, or projects — that we create the fertile compost from which something new will spring as the seasons change. We won't ignore the shadow of the Death archetype. Here we find fear of death, obsession with youth, and face lifts. And finally, this week, we come full circle in this class.

Key words this week: Regeneration, Darkness, Depth, Power, Mystery, Psychology, Detectives, Research, Healing, Caves, Rot, Blackness, Rebirth, Underworld, Transformation, Roots, Death, Obsession, Hidden Gold, Deconstruction, Decay, Clandestine, Total Change, Collapse, Meat Grinder, Tantric Sex, Secrets, Surgeons, Compost, Lust, Phoenix, Rot, Fertilizer, Shit

What's Included

  1. All course materials, including videos, audio recordings, assignments, examples, reading materials, and more. All are suitable for downloading. There is also a substantial supplemental reading list to expand your knowledge beyond this course.
  2. Access to an online forum to interact with other students taking the course.
  3. An opportunity to ask your teacher questions over a ten-week period.
 

I'm Jumping In

Tuition for the full 10-week immersion class is $485 US.

This is an introductory price. Student pricing available.

Once you make payment you will get login information to where the course itself takes place and to the chat room where you can ask questions.

Once you register, you are entitled to ask Laurence Hillman questions about the course material for 10 weeks.