On Calling and Character: Caring as Archetypal Act

Abstract

This paper explores caring as an archetypal act. The great archetypal myth of the hero’s journey, considered in light of the great stories of feminine archetypes, provides a framework for understanding the relationship between calling, character, and caring. Excerpts from the personal narratives of contemporary female healers, as explored in a qualitative research study, reveal how caring can be understood as an enactment of an archetypal reality.