The Potentiator of the Body
-Archetype Nine-

In the Law of One material, the archetypes form a fundamental part of understanding the structure and evolution of the mind, body, and spirit. The Potentiator of the Body is the archetype of the conscious body—the sub-sub-Logos within that, through free will, chooses to make alterations in the experiential continuum of the physical vehicle. It is the Sage who walks in darkness with a tiny candle, intervening in the habitual cycles of the Matrix of the Body so that catalyst may arise.

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Overview of the Archetype

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The Potentiator of the Body is symbolized by a male figure standing with a walking stick in his right hand and a lamp in his left. He wears a square cape or cloak that partially hides the light of the lamp. He faces his own left, and in front of him crawl two serpents, each wearing one of the two primary Egyptian crowns.

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Symbolic Elements

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The Male Figure, Lamp, and Walking Stick

The male figure represents the conscious body. The lamp is the brilliant truth of the inner sub-sub-Logos—the tiny candle with which, during incarnation, we work in darkness to correct imbalances. This candle reveals only the next step that must be taken: the alteration in the Matrix chosen by the sub-sub-Logos within. The walking stick indicates the forward motion of conscious action through the physical world.

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The Square Cloak

The squareness of the cloak symbolizes the physical world itself. The physical world partially hides the light of the inner sub-sub-Logos from everyone else. It represents the veil between self and other: the wisdom in one’s own actions and the intentions that drive them is not clearly visible to others. The light of the inner Logos is obscured to all but the conscious body itself.

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The Two Serpents

The serpents that precede the figure represent wisdom, especially in their raised, uraeus position. The crowns on the two serpents indicate the outward and inward qualities of kingship. The conscious body follows along behind both the outward wisdom commonly known as prudence and the inward wisdom experienced as a clear sense of what must be done for the sake of some higher purpose.

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Functions and Dynamics

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The activity of the conscious body is transparent to itself. We are aware of our conscious reasons for acting and we understand how these reasons fit together with our conscious beliefs and the circumstance in which we find ourselves. The Sage is characterized by his willingness to do what seems to him like a good idea to do. Formulating an appropriate plan of action causes within us a desire to enact that plan; it is irresistible. Even when others say the plan is unwise, the Sage finds himself doing it anyway. This intervention in the Matrix of the Body inevitably produces catalyst in the form of unexpected consequences. The production of catalyst is why the Sage’s activity is wise: there are no mistakes.

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The Role of Catalysts

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The Potentiator of the Body is responsible for conscious intervention in the habitual cycles maintained by the Matrix of the Body. Whatever action the Potentiator takes will affect the Wild Woman’s patterns of activity. The Matrix responds by counterbalancing the intervention, and this counterbalancing measure becomes the catalyst that records experience. The Sage does not merely observe; he is the original actor whose conscious observation of patterned activity leads him to judgments about what ought to be done, and these judgments motivate him all the way to action.

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Veiling and Unveiling

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The square cloak shows that the light of the inner Logos is partially hidden by the physical world itself. Others cannot clearly see the wisdom that guides the conscious body’s actions. Following the hidden wisdom of one’s own small candle is an isolating experience; to others, the individualism of walking one’s own path of appropriate action can look like folly. The veil between self and other remains, yet the conscious body itself has access to the next step revealed by the sub-sub-Logos within.

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Polarity and Balance

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As with all Matrices and Potentiators, the Potentiator of the Body does not admit of polarized expression in the same way that Catalyst and Experience archetypes do. The wisdom of this persona is not the far-seeing clarity of the wise old man. It is the deep wisdom of the sub-sub-Logos within, which has no regard for the petty concerns of the individual life. What may look to others like a grave mistake in judgment turns out to be a crucial experience without which the individual may not have developed the proper sensitivity to the nuances of activity in his environment.

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Integration and Transformation

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The Potentiator of the Body cannot be forced into purity by will. Its function is to intervene according to the light available at the moment. When a course of action produces unpleasant consequences that lead us to say “I’m never doing that again,” it is not the Sage who has learned something; the Sage’s activity remains the same. The learning is recorded in the Matrix of the Body as an alteration of habitual cycles. Integration occurs as the conscious body learns to trust the small lamp of the sub-sub-Logos rather than seeking external validation or perfect foresight. Each intervention prepares the ground for the catalyst that will eventually call for Transformation in the body cycle.

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Practical Application

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In practical terms, working with the Potentiator of the Body involves noticing the judgments that arise about what ought to be done in the physical world and observing the irresistible desire to enact those judgments. Meditation and honest self-inquiry can reveal when the small lamp of the sub-sub-Logos is being followed and when external opinions or fear of isolation are overriding it. The work is not to eliminate unexpected consequences but to recognize that the production of catalyst is the purpose of the Sage’s activity. By allowing the conscious body to act according to the next step revealed by the inner light, the seeker creates the conditions under which the Matrix of the Body can respond and the cycle of catalyst and experience can continue.

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Summary

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The Potentiator of the Body is the conscious body—the Sage who walks in darkness with a tiny candle, intervening in the habitual cycles of the Matrix of the Body so that catalyst may arise. Through its symbolism of the lamp, the square cloak, and the two crowned serpents, it shows how the sub-sub-Logos within reveals the next step of action while the physical world itself veils that light from others. This archetype guides the seeker to trust the irresistible judgment of the conscious body, to accept the unexpected consequences that follow as the necessary production of catalyst, and to allow the small lamp of the inner Logos to illuminate the path of appropriate action.