Did you grow up feeling misunderstood by your family, peer groups, or community? Or maybe you felt like the path you chose to take in life was outside of what was considered “normal” — this could be due to using your voice in ways others were afraid to or choosing not to settle for the mundane and surface-level expression of life. Maybe you have had a sense of being different follow you around for most of your life, a feeling that could not simply be ignored, instead deeply explored. This path is often attributed to the archetype of “The Black Sheep” and maybe you are just now discovering that everything you have experienced is for a reason.
Being “The Black Sheep” is not an easy role to take on, it often comes with immense growing pains and many life-defining lessons. “The Black Sheep” of the family is usually the member who absorbs the family’s collective feelings of pain, tension, and anxiety. The Black Sheep will mentally, spiritually and most likely physically show manifestations of holding onto the energy that was so heavily projected onto them in their younger years. If the question “why me?” has frequently come up for you in this lifetime, you may be happy to hear your pain has a purpose, your shadow comes with light and your perception to see, feel and act outside of the “norm” is truly a gift. To have experienced “The Black Sheep” archetype grants you the capacity to evolve into “The Healer”, if you so choose.
Humans are social organisms, we have always gathered in groups to stay safe from predators and gain strategic advantages. Now and then, one in the group is a bit different from the others. They tend to be an outcast, often chronically ill – their solitude and suffering grant them gifts, wisdom, and insight that those who are too busy with everyday tasks seem to lack. These gifts, if nurtured and subsequently engaged by the group, play the vital societal role of perspective and guidance to the others in the group – from someone who has the unique dualistic perspective of being in two worlds simultaneously, both inside the group and outside of it. Both sick and healthy. Both awake and asleep. More accurately somewhere in between. That is the common thread that stitches “The Healer” role into every culture on earth, since prehistory. The rest is cultural individuation, the development of traditions and practices. My understanding of “The Healer” archetype is that the role itself is not a specific doctrine or school of thought, it is more of a societal phenomenon and collection of wisdom. That said, pretty much every culture has some form of Healer origins, so if you’re looking for a specific culture to tune into for inspiration or guidance, take your pick, Earth has loads to choose from.
I encourage you to recognize that although your path may have felt like you were going through hell at times, it was only to provide you with the wisdom to guide others through the flames and show them how to rise from their own ashes. Give yourself permission to allocate a good chunk of time to get to know yourself, learn your gifts, embody your medicine and share it with those who seek it. We all have a sacred medicine to share with the world & so many people are seeking yours.
Written by Samantha Bond for the Ayahuasca Awareness Program
Samantha — Holistic Health Enthusiast, Mind Architect and Mystic. Through experiencing the extreme dualities of life, Samantha has developed a newfound interest in liberated living & spirituality. She enjoys pursuing self-development and learning how experiences shape people, in order to regulate the nervous system and return back to authentic, natural living.
