SHARING THE MICHAEL TEACHINGS SINCE 1983
MICHAEL EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION
THE
SEVEN ROLES
Essence Role is one's "primary being-ness" or the underlying perception through which it chooses to experience its lessons in a cycle of lifetimes.
There are seven different Roles for essence to choose from:
Artisans
Kings
Priests
Sages
Scholars
Servers
Warriors
The Role is chosen in order to have one set of characteristics that evolves over an entire cycle of lifetimes. The rich set of skills that one develops provide a gift that each person can give to the planet to give back support to the world that sustains us. The choice of Role determines the nature of experience and perception, the part which the Essence will play throughout its cycle. The Role is not limiting, however, since all of life can be experienced through any Role. With the addition of Overleaves (Goal, Mode, Attititude and Obstacle), Centering, Male/Female Energy Balance and Body Type, each Essence can experience a great variety in all of its lives.
The Role determines the underlying nature and basic characteristics that an Essence will act out in each life. The interaction of the seven Roles provides for everything eventually getting accomplished and nothing being left out in the total experience of the Universe.
From the time the Essence leaves the Tao to come to the Physical Plane until it travels through the six other Planes of Existence and returns to the Tao, it remains as one Role. After the cycle is complete and the Essence returns to the Tao, it remains in that Role, merged with the total consciousness of this Universe, until it feels the urge to grow further by taking on another cycle. At that time, the Essence will most likely choose to experience another of the Roles and will combine with a new entity and come to the Physical Plane on a different planet.
To help further describe the characterictsics of these Roles, the Michael Teachings identify subsets to the seven Roles: three are Ordinal, three are Exalted, and one is Neutral.
THE ORDINAL ROLES
(Artisans, Servers and Warriors) tend to prefer close or intimate ties—in most lifetimes—as opposed to dealing with large numbers of people. They will tend to be quieter and more withdrawn in a crowd and sometimes are uncomfortable in large groups. They structure their lives around their internal experiences and their relationships with their intimates, and will have more experience in this area than Exalted Roles.
THE EXALTED ROLES
(Kings, Priests, and Sages) are more comfortable dealing with larger groups of people and will, in most lives, touch more people with their influence than the Ordinal Roles. They will tend to organize their lives around exalted causes such as teaching, preaching, and healing, or organizing groups or businesses. The Exalted Roles will be less comfortable working as a subordinate to someone else, particularly an Ordinal Role.
THE NEUTRAL ROLE
(Scholars) can be either introverted or extroverted, or a balance between the two.
In addition, the Michael Teachings further distiguishes the seven Roles by another subset: Inspirational, Expressive, Action, and Assimilation.
THE INSPIRATIONAL ROLES
Priests and Servers are Inspirational Roles as they are more spiritual and compassionate.
They concern themselves with the welfare and nurturing of people and the planet. Their orientation is towards growth, service, and dedication to a higher good. They are the most ethereal in their approach to life and in what they strive towards. Priests are the exalted side of the inspirational "axis," and servers are the ordinal.
PRIESTS
The concern of Priests is the spiritual welfare of the people. Priests remind people that they need to consider the growth of their Essence. They are ready at any moment to tell others what they need to look at in order to progress and to inspire them to do so. Priests are a high‑frequency role and they move quickly through lives and lessons. They enjoy using the emotional and higher emotional centers because of the sense of connection which comes from being in these centers. Priests are so willing to move ahead to the next lesson that they often do so without having examined the consequences. They are usually trying to convince the slower roles to jump ahead with them. Their disregard of Physical Plane practicality sometimes leads them into trouble, especially with the solid roles: Warriors, Kings, and Scholars.
Priests, like Servers, sense the unity of all creation and have innate compassion for others. They make excellent healers and are also willing to play the role of "goad," the one who propels others along because of their ability to see where others are "blocked." Like Sages, Priests make excellent promoters, although they are more concerned than Sages that you take their advice for your own good. In their negative pole, they become zealous, over‑enthusiastic and frenetic, promoting causes without due reason. Universally, Priests have the role of propelling Souls toward spiritual advancement and of reminding the other Roles that the Physical Plane is not all there is. As with all the Exalted Roles, there are relatively few priests worldwide.
POSITIVE POLE
Inspirational. Compassionate. Caring. Striving. Enthusiastic. Guiding (spiritually). Emotionally connected. Healing. Warm.
NEGATIVE POLE
Zealous. Overly‑enthusiastic. Fanatical. Feverish. Unthinking. Disregarding reason or practicality. Unworldly. Evangelical. Proselytizing. Irrational. Vague.
SERVERS
Servers inspire and care for others by serving them, even when they are not aware of it. The presence of a Server can seem like a special gift because they are so willing to take care of others' needs and are inspiring to be with. They are the people about whom love songs and poetry are written. Servers know on an essence level that the quickest way to advance spiritually is through serving others, and they know that the person who serves is the "cause" of the situation. Servers comprise the largest portion of the human population; 30 percent of the worldwide population are Servers, although this amount varies regionally.
Servers are most like Kings in that they are controlling. A Server with a Goal of Dominance or a Mode of Power, for example, can easily be mistaken for a King. The difference is that they control in a manner which is not always obvious. They can be very busy keeping their lives under control and may not want to leave things to others who may not handle them appropriately. When their sense of control is frustrated, they become very uncomfortable and nervous and they may feel enslaved by the situation. Servers will often be so busy taking care of others that they spend little time on themselves. Compared to Priests, who feel responsible for your spiritual growth, Servers will take care of either your bodily or spiritual needs. Being Ordinal, they prefer dealing with others on an individual level in most of their lives. They inspire love and affection from their intimates and family.
Servers often find themselves in the kind of work where they take care of people directly; for example, in medicine, nursing, food service, mechanics, computer programming, accounting, politics, or social services.
POSITIVE POLE
Nurturing. Caring. Warm. Sweet. Loving. Inspiring. Spiritual. Other‑directed. Competent. Capable. Practical. Trustworthy. Friendly. Devoted.
NEGATIVE POLE
Frustrated. Enslaved. Victimized. Martyred. Manipulating. Domineering. Underhanded. Covert. Over‑extended. Self‑denying. Subservient.
THE EXPRESSIVE ROLES
Artisans and Sages are the Ordinal and Exalted Expressive Roles,
and they tend to express, rather than do, their lives. Artisans express through their creations and their moods; Sages through their speech, humor and ability to be "on stage." These Roles provide an emotional ambiance in their environment by creating the mood or setting the stage for themselves and those around them. They emphasize interconnection, communication and creative flair.
ARTISANS
The job of the Artisan is that of creation. They bring to the Physical Plane everything that has not existed here before. This includes not only physical objects, but also ideas, emotions, moods, and concepts. Artisans are the most fluid of roles; that is, they vibrate at the highest frequency. They have feelers out in many directions, so they can perceive what new creations can be brought to the planet. For Artisans, the Physical Plane can be the most difficult because of its solidity and slowness. On other planes, their creations can appear instantly. Artisans will create the mood in their environment. They are extremely powerful because of their innate capacity to create, though they often hide behind unassuming or eccentric personalities. Being Ordinal, they are usually quiet and prefer one‑on‑one relationships to large crowds. Because creativity is so important to this planet, Artisans make up a relatively large portion of the world population with a total of 20 percent.
Artisans are the most eccentric of the roles. They can appear to be like any of the other roles, if they wish. As Artisans age in soul perceptivity, they feel more and more outside the mainstream of society. They also "go to seed" in the sense that they lose interest in the Physical Plane and can become very "laid back." Artisans sometimes have lives in which they are artists of some sort but this is not a necessity. They do, however, bring a unique and creative twist to whatever they do. They are often governed by chance, and create around or about whatever falls into their path. In this society, Artisans are generally more comfortable during their female lives, as it is more accepted for females to be creative. The Essence Twin relationship with an Artisan is quite affecting, in both directions, to the character of the Essences involved. In their negative pole, Artisans are self‑deceiving, in that they can re‑create their own reality around any circumstances and end up with something that is far from the truth.
POSITIVE POLE
Creative. Innovative. Unusual. Spontaneous. Broadly perceptive. Eccentric. Self‑sufficient. Imaginative. Paternal. Visionary. Inventive. Mood‑enhancers. Gamesters.
NEGATIVE POLE
Self‑deceptive. Artificial. Self‑deprecating. Emotionally callous. Irresponsible. Flaky. Despondent. Invisible. Easily thwarted, influenced or victimized. Moody.
SAGES
Sages are the informers, disseminators, and truth‑tellers. They tell the other Roles what is going on. Their job is to keep us informed, but, unlike Priests, they do not demand that others grow spiritually from the information they have given. They do, however, expect others to pay attention. Sages are the expressors of the Universe, and each Sage gives great attention to correct expression. Sages enjoy the medium of speech and can be extremely talkative. They are the most humorous and fun‑loving of the Roles, and they make excellent entertainers and media people. They teach enlightenment through humor, showing people that life can rise above the mundane and dull. They enjoy having an audience and reaching as many people as possible.
Although only eight percent of the people on the planet are Sages, they are so visible that they seem more numerous! Sages have an innate ability to know what is true. They are quick‑witted, perceptive and can be quite emotional. They make good sales people and authors. Sages are good listeners and are always eager to find out something new they can pass on to others. Sages also make excellent gossipers and critics. They love to create scenes and dramas to entertain their friends and give them more to talk about. In their negative pole, Sages can be verbose or overly‑dramatic. Sages like written material and can be great collectors of articles, magazines, and anything informative.
POSITIVE POLE
Expressive. Truthful. Inquisitive. Entertaining. Humorous. Perceptive. Dramatic. Enthralling. Wise. Friendly. Concerned. Affable. Bright. Colorful. Informative.
NEGATIVE POLE
Orating. Talking too much. Deceiving. Attention‑craving. Loud. Tasteless. Overly‑dramatic. Arrogant. Hypochondriacal, Gossipy.
THE ACTION ROLES
Kings and Warriors, the Exalted and Ordinal Action Roles,
can be recognized by their natural orientation towards and ability to resort to action in their desire to "do" things. This can manifest as an ability to organize, to be direct or "hands on" in their approach to life, and/or an ability to be great producers, to accomplish a lot. They also are more physical in their approach to life, enjoying the experiences of the senses and the experience of the Physical Plane in general.
KINGS
Kings strive to master and perfect themselves and their environment. They often become authorities in their chosen field. They are natural leaders and good advisers. They attract great love and loyalty from people through serving them, usually in an exalted manner. They are often gentle, kind and benevolent. Kings have a natural ability to see the overall picture and are able to lead people appropriately by stating what needs to be done. They lead people to action. They have an intuitive sense of balancing energy and will master situations by noticing where the energy needs to be balanced.
Kings are perfectionists and can be relentless with themselves while striving for mastery of whatever area they choose. They make good organizers and are efficient at directing others toward getting things done. They have a natural flair and a commanding presence. Kings can be quite dispassionate in their evaluation of situations. This can seem like ruthless compassion or, in its negative pole, heartless and cruel. They make good popes, politicians, corporate leaders, and founders of dynasties. Since leaders are in much less demand than followers, there are very few Kings on the planet at any given time.
POSITIVE POLE
Masterful. Expert. Gentle. Commanding. Informed. Comprehensive. Good strategist. Natural leader. Benevolent. Powerful. Charismatic. Trouble‑shooters. Objective. Arresting. Self-assured. Composed. Poised.
NEGATIVE POLE
Tyrannical. Overbearing. Heartless. Intolerant. Demanding. Inflexible. Haughty. Extravagant.
WARRIORS
Warriors are the organizers, defenders, and persuaders of life. They make life function in a practical manner. They express themselves through action or force. They are the doers. Warriors are strong‑willed, focused, and can be single‑minded in purpose. They dislike chaos. They are the glue that holds society together. Like Artisans, Warriors also make up 20 percent of the worldwide population. Warriors make excellent teachers, especially of children, because it is in their essence to persuade, mold, and imprint life into established patterns. They are also maternal, nurturing, protecting and caring, especially of their loved ones. The best strategists are Warriors. They are excellent in business or industry because of their ability to organize and to be productive and goal‑oriented. They take their ability to form matter and persuade people into every field including the arts, sales, management, crafts, the armed forces, and law enforcement. Warriors are highly principled and willing to fight for their sense of justice. They tend to be conservative in their principles. They are also very blatant. This lack of subtlety can make them poor liars or diplomats. With a tendency to want to do everything on their own, Warriors can be workhorses. They are capable of working or fighting until they die of exhaustion. Warriors make excellent generals and corporate leaders, although they usually would prefer to have someone else in the position of final authority. In their negative pole, Warriors can become coercive and even violent.
POSITIVE POLE
Persuasive. Good organizers and promoters. Productive. Energetic. Resourceful. Straight‑forward. Focused in attention and purpose. Strong‑willed. Maternal. Nurturing. Protective. Skillful. Principled. Deliberate.
NEGATIVE POLE
Coercive. Bullying. Narrow‑minded. Overly conservative. Blind. Emotionally withheld. Pushy. Violent. Explosive. Exhaustive.
THE ASSIMILATION ROLE
Scholars are the Assimilative and Neutral Role.
They retain and digest their experiences to a greater degree than the other Roles and provide others with a resource of knowledge. They have an insatiable thirst and curiosity for new information and experience. Scholars have the ability to remain the most neutral because they tend to see all sides of a situation. They also have the ability to act either from an ordinal or exalted point of view.
SCHOLARS
Scholars are driven to know and to assimilate knowledge. Their nature is innately curious. They provide the service of recording, on an Essence level, everything that happens in the Universe so that nothing is forgotten or left out. Scholars, being the Neutral Role, are the facilitators through which the others Roles can connect. They also understand the other Roles better than anyone else. When a Scholar is present, things move more smoothly, since they provide the stability which allows the other Roles to perform their own tasks. People go to Scholars for information and for a neutral viewpoint. Scholars accumulate a vast store of knowledge in their essence. Scholars make up about 15 percent of the population of the planet.
Scholars tend to be more ordinal than exalted in most lives so that they can remain quiet and unobtrusive and gather knowledge. However, in the lives in which they choose to be exalted, they can be very powerful. This is because they have such a great store of knowledge to draw upon. Scholars have the greatest physical endurance of any Role and can endure extremes of climate. They absorb experiences kinesthetically to the extent that a strong experience will show up as a physical manifestation somewhere in their bodies, up to six months later. For this reason, they can have physical difficulties despite their endurance. Because these physical manifestations can be carried from life to life; Scholars, more than other Roles, can benefit from past-life regression. Scholars will have a number of hobbies or interests related to the different Centers: Intellectual, Emotional, and Moving. Except in lives in which they are Moving Centered, they will generally have a strong intellectual bent.
POSITIVE POLE
Knowledgable. Open-minded. Adventurous. Curious. Grounded. Logical. Methodical. Understanding. Mediating.
NEGATIVE POLE
Over-intellectualizing. Theorizing. Obsessive. Pontification. Abstract. Boring. Overbearing. Slow. Reclusive.
POSITIVE POLE
Innately knowledgeable. Curious. Honest. Truthful. Comprehensive. Diligent. Thorough. Unassuming. Methodical. Thoughtful
NEGATIVE POLE
Hypothesizing. Theoretical. Confused. Overly intellectual. Passive. Reclusive. Pontificating. Exhaustive. Overbearing. Slow.