The Wise Old Man or Sage is an archetype that is recognised by almost everyone, be it in stories, games, movies, or everyday life. In myth he is often shown as one living in isolation, meditating and living a simple life deep in a forest, in the mountains, or in other uninhabited places. The Wise Old Man is a lover of wisdom, and uses his experience to guide others. He is portrayed as a mysterious person or a wizard, in contact with nature and the numinous and unseen forces that permeate our existence.

The Wise Old man appears as a teacher of wisdom such as King Solomon from the Bible. In Hermeticism, he is Hermes Trismegistus, the fount of all wisdom and the teacher of the mystery of all ages. In China, the sage is Lao Tzu ("old man" or "old master"), the founder of Taoism, while in India there are the sadhus and yogis. In Arthurian Legend he is Merlin, in Nietzsche he appears as the prophet Zarathustra, and in Carl Jung as Philemon. In modern popular fiction we have Yoda, Gandalf and Dumbledore, among others.

In the individuation process (the lifelong journey towards psychic wholeness), the archetype of the Wise Old Man is late to emerge, and is therefore seen as an indication of the Self (the total personality).

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⌛ Timestamps

(0:00) Introduction
(1:35) The Symbolism of the Desert
(3:30) The Hermit and The Wandering Ascetic
(5:00) The Wise Old Man Archetype
(12:32) Senex and Puer Aeternus
(14:47) The Dark Side of The Wise Old Man
(18:34) The Wise Old Man and The Hero
(19:44) The Dangers of Identifying as The Sage
(21:00) The Hermit in Tarot
(24:35) The Hermit and The Madman Archetype
(27:18) Facing Death in Old Age
(28:08) The Forgotten Art of Solitude
(32:48) The Sage’s Journey: The Search for Truth
(35:20) The Eternal Inner Centre
(37:24) The Book of Ecclesiastes: Meaninglessness
(38:47) The Truth Shall Set You Free
(39:50) Conclusion