The Altruist
The Altruist - As represented by the steadfast Elephant
If you released the rabbit from the trap, then congratulations, you are what is known as the Altruist. As represented by the steadfast Elephant, you are a thoughtful individual driven by a need to do good, gifted with the power of generosity. Your strength is in your ability to do good for others. But be mindful that you don’t get caught up in causes you don’t believe in. Be sure that you aren’t betraying yourself or failing to take care of yourself too.
In a world where success is often defined by your drive to succeed at any cost, the Altruist can sometimes feel a bit lost. Your desire for justice and fairness may cause you to feel hurt by the selfishness of the world around you. But do not allow your externally focused mind to see your desires and hopes for the world as a weakness. The Altruist is similar to the Magician in many ways, and indeed, Altruists have been known to transform into the Magician at times. But just as the Magician must remember balance and turn inward to make sure they’re living according to their values, you must also turn inward to make sure your compulsion to do good is not at the expense of your own well-being. When the Altruist takes care of their own needs first, they are far more capable of helping others than when they ignore their own needs.
Every society is in need of its Altruists. Above all others they are driven by an internal compass - a sense of morality that even they don’t always understand or are able to explain. They are much like the Warrior in their desires and goals, but are driven more by an inner drive and a sense of martyrdom than in an ideal they believe in or the desire for glory. Altruists are selfless to a fault, which, ironically, can make them remarkably self-centered. The Altruist must learn to see how their values and need to do what’s right might be impacting their loved ones in a negative way.
The Altruist archetype can be dangerously self-sacrificing. This drive to sacrifice their own privilege for the rights and safety of others is fundamentally flawed when the Altruist is not living in balance. Recall that in airplanes we are asked to put the oxygen mask on ourselves before helping another. This reason may not sit well with the unbalanced Altruist, but remember that when you take care of your own needs first, your capacity for helping others is greatly increased.
The Altruist who is living in balance is a truly exceptional individual.
But the Altruist must be cognizant of their true goals. Recall how you were labelled the Altruist in the ritual, how you released the rabbit from its trap, risking the anger of the cabin’s owner. If your overall goal is to help others, this seemed like a worthy choice. But think of the rewards within the cabin, which may have contained the power to save the world. Do not allow a short sighted compulsion to help at all costs prevent you from your higher goals and values.
A word of caution: we can see from the great Altruists in history how difficult the path of selflessness can be in a world that rewards the selfish. But we especially live in a strange time today, where the world puts on a pedestal the pseudo-Altruists, who are vocal about the injustices of the world, who seed outrage and harbor a sense of righteous superiority against those who they deem are the problem. But the only contribution to the world these pseudo-Altruists give is sowing outrage. The righteous superiority that comes as a result from their outrage harbors inaction, which is the end result of all pseudo-Altruist’s actions. Be cautious that in whatever cause you align yourself with, that you do not get caught up in this sort of negativity and inaction.
REMEMBER – The most impactful of Altruists are those that follow an internal compass pointed towards a higher calling, they know they cannot save everyone. Spiderman is the quintessential Altruist, but recall that in every one of his stories he must learn balance. The balance of understanding that he must take care of his own needs first, which means not sacrificing his relationships or his own well-being for the sake of helping strangers or a cause they don’t believe in.
Other Notable Altruists in Fiction: Spiderman (Marvel), Chidi Anagonye (The Good Place), Leslie Knope (Parks and Recreation), Wall-E (Wall-E), Ted Lasso (Ted Lasso), the Doctor (Doctor Who).
To continue to the second part of the ritual . . .