Friday, February 14, 2020

MBTI: House Rowan

Valley of Flowers (Uttaranchal)
[Image from Himalayan Trekking]

“The Explorers”
Fi/Te + Si/Ne
(ENFP INFP ESTJ ISTJ)

Home: The World
Patron: Brigantia
Quadra: Delta
Vice: Cynicism
Virtue: Joy


Rowan has no home because the whole world is their home: ENFP, INFP, ESTJ, and ISTJ. The unpredictable sea, the wild places, distant and exotic lands, the Explorers seek adventure, and they have the practical skills to ensure that they and their companions make it there in one piece.
Have the same sense of individuality as the Aristocrats, but instead of their intensity and singular perception they have the Philosophers’ exploratory perception, giving them more of a sense of wandering. This makes them even less fettered than the Aristocrats, making them want even more to be free and go their own way. This doesn’t match stereotypes of the STJs, who are often perceived of as worker drones, or traditionalists, duty fulfillers and strict, rule bound killjoys. But these are only surface impressions that people might get from them – severity, or thoroughness – which many people associate with being a strict, rule bound killjoys. But this is no more accurate than saying that ENFPs are just flighty bundles of joy.

ISTJ: A thorough thinker, someone who is trying to build and waterproof every inch of their ship that can take them safely across dangerous and unpredictable waters. But the key is, they’re interested in sailing into the ocean, they just tend to take a long time preparing for the journey. An important part of the ISTJ personality is this free-spiritedness, this sense of “going their own way,” but they’re very thorough and responsible about it.

ESTJ: Similar to ISTJ but their free-spiritedness is actually easier to see. They’re characterized by a strict sense of responsibility, even severity, but they’re still free-spirited. They go their own way. But they’re responsible on their journey, or at least they try to be. Fi, by its very nature, is individuating, because it sees the world as cold and the individual as warm. They’re not system builders, they’re survivors, and in this sense very free spirits.

ENFP: The definition of the term “free spirit” in their energetic exploration.

INFP: Being characteristically idiosyncratic is also the definition of “free spirit,” going their own way in their lifestyle itself.
- Michael Pierce, “Function Axes Categories”  (YouTube)


Socionics: Delta Quadra

Explorers tend to explain the rationale behind their actions, emphasizing the productiveness or unproductiveness of different ways of doing things. They enjoy peaceful, refreshing activities where they’re doing something both externally useful as well as internally balancing. They tend to rely on their own hard work to achieve their goals rather than luck, group effort, or strong leadership. Explorers enjoy sharing personal experiences, and their feelings about those experiences, in a thoughtful, undramatic way. They also enjoy talking about exciting new plans and opportunities, and their plans for the future.

Although deeply passionate Explorers generally prefer understatement and wry humor to drama and emotionality. They prefer to take part in group activities that are productive and/or refreshing, as opposed to those based on fun and/or emotional interactions. They don’t usually do very well in high-pressure situations, being forced to do things they dislike, having to deal with threatening opponents, or harsh discipline. They tend to wear out, leaving to find a more peaceful, welcoming environment.

In groups Explorers tend to work on projects, enjoy physical activities, or find out interesting things about others. Instead of laughing a lot Explorers tend to be witty and welcoming. Groups need to be focused on a specific activity or discussion topic or else they splinter apart with each person going off with only those people who share their interests. They don’t demand that everyone does one thing but rather jump from group to group to keep their interest engaged. They tend not to be interested in building a group identity but prefer for it to be decentralized. Relationships are based on spending time together on fun activities, with an atmosphere focused on comfort and practicality.


How Explorers see other houses

Alphas (Ash): Explorers tend to find Philosophers to be fun and interesting people to discuss ideas and prospects with, but also naive and inconsistent in their personal and business affairs. They feel Philosophers are overly idealistic and lacking in common sense, failing to turn their fun ideas into something productive.

Beta (Rowan): Explorers tend to see Cenobites as people who dream big, and always want to turn everything into a grandiose undertaking, even though they struggle to manage their day-to-day affairs. They tend to dislike what they see as a mean-streak resulting from the Cenobites unwillingness to consider other points of views on topics they feel strongly about.

Gamma (Oak): Explorers tend to see Aristocrats as driven and reliable but lacking in the ability to understand that people have their own ideas about what they want out of their lives. They feel that Aristocrats can be excessively demanding, and dislike what they see as their vindictive streak, which keeps them from accepting and forgiving others.


How other houses see Explorers

Ash: Philosophers tend to find Explorers to be kind and creative, if a bit too serious about their ideals and principles and too demanding that others feel and act just as they do about those ideals.

Yew: Cenobites tend to find Explorers to be noncommittal and unwilling to support goals decided in a group, lacking drive and ethics. Explorers prefer not to get involved in group efforts, instead preferring to work on personal projects that are meaningful to them.

Oak: Find Explorers to be well meaning and creative but too present focused and lacking ambition. They also tend to feel that they’re too welcoming and forgiving of people the Aristocrats find undeserving.


Rowan

Protection, Expression, Connection
Rowan is the tree of power, causing life and magic to flower.
- The Goddess Tree

Rowan symbolizes courage, wisdom, and protection. She guards us on our journeys - the berries contain a tiny pentagram, the ancient symbol of protection. A stick cut from the tree will protect you from harm on your journey, and bring spiritual enlightenment along your path.
A second way to look at the concept of protection is to view it as a request to be given the strength to overcome whatever roadblocks are discovered on the path before us and to repel evil. In this way protection is summoned from outside of ourselves as a way of fostering a deeper relationship with the divine and with ourselves. With every step that we take we become more and more connected to everything around us. Protection does not become a shield around us but the energies become a part of the process within us.
- Shanon Sinn, "Luis (Rowan)" (Living Library)


The Rowan is associated with Brigantia, goddess of poetry, medicine, arts and crafts, and animal husbandry. She was the pre-eminent goddess of the Celts; so important was she that she's considered the mother of her people - they called themselves the Briganti after her - and was later canonized by the Catholic church as Saint Brigid.

She's related to the dawn goddesses of the Indo-Europe, and her holy day is Imbolc (February 2), the day when the sun is said to be reborn. Beloved by poets, master of both healing and smithing, Brigantia's name means "High One" or "Exalted One." Her name reflects both her solar nature as well as her connection with crafting and wisdom.

She's the patroness of travelers, sailors, and fugitives. She was particularly special to the Druids; she provides the "fire in the head" of poetic inspiration. Brigantia is the goddess of learning, but a different, more practical kind of learning than that of the Philosophers.
Many tales existed of strangers who came to Brigid (or St, Brigid), asking for her blessings, her inspiration, and her healing, which comes to those pure of heart and intention and those clever and cunning. To those who lack these things, her gifts come at a price: a lesson, giving them what they really need to act better and be better."
- Gregory Wright, "Brigid, Celtic Goddess of Fertility" (Mythopedia)


She had special meaning for the filid, a priestly class that seems to have been halfway between the spiritual Druids and the more worldly Bards:
What is known is that the filid (like the druids) studied for years and years in order to memorize ancient Irish oral lore. Their focus was directed toward the material world prioritizing history, genealogy and the law rather than spiritualism. The filid were experts in preserving and guarding knowledge rather than entertainment and performance."

This is the perfect description of the kind of practical wisdom that's the special gift the Explorers... as well as their deep connection to the arts.
Rowan emphasizes the need for color and creative endeavor in our lives and encourages us to open our minds to creative inspiration. It also teaches us that we can draw on the forces of life to heal ourselves and those around us. We can develop the art of turning adversity into creative opportunity. Rowan protects and gives courage and strength to those walking the path of spiritual growth and enlightenment.
Rowan (The Goddess Tree)



To go beyond the contradiction of freedom and security; Rowan’s sacred task is to live fully and deeply, to swim the currents of life with skill, wisdom, and intelligence. Union with this beautiful, perilous world.
Out on the ocean: the ISTJ is nearest to the shore, maintaining a very sturdy boat on the way; the ESTJ took off before everyone, running a tight ship and working hard to keep everyone in line so that the ship runs properly and they can get to where they need to go; the ENFP has practically constructed their ship at sea, but it works well enough and they have a rough idea of dozens of places they want to go; and then the INFP is far out at sea, adrift and alone, watching the clouds and thinking about life, without any plans to return to shore anytime soon.
- Michael Pierce, “Function Axes Categories”  (YouTube)


Posts

The Houses
House Ash
House Yew
House Oak
Meyers–Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)
Jungian MBTI



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