There is so much to be gained by exploring Masculinity and archetypes, and I am grateful you joined this journey with me. I wanted to share a little bit about me and what inspired HeroRise.
Photo of me, Isaac Cotec
While growing up, I was full of angst and confusion about what it meant to become a man. I had loving parents and a safe environment growing up in the United States, but I always felt something was missing.
The media was selling me different versions of Masculinity. On the one side, I had James Bond (the womanizing stoic). On the other, I had Ross from Friends (the emotionally sensitive guy). I didn’t know which one to be and what made a man valuable in our society.
Without a map to navigate my transition into manhood — nor a plethora of positive masculine role models— I found myself pushing my Masculinity away.
I felt no drive and purpose.
For the longest time… I felt lost.
When I turned 30, I started to see that things had to change if I wanted to have a fulfilling life. I spent years on personal growth, therapy, and spiritual development, but something was still missing. During a moment of despair, a friend shared a book about Archetypes that changed my life.
I read the works of Carl Jung, Robert Moore, and the mythopoetic movement. Archetypes gave me a model I could use to recognize, develop, and mature my Masculinity. The deeper I connect with Masculinity, the more clarity of will I feel. It gives me the energy to make my dreams manifest and become the man I didn’t even know I could become.
I became a “student of the subconscious” and learned how to navigate my own psyche to regain my drive and purpose in the world.
I see the internal crisis I went through mirrored in our society. The increase in bullying, sexual assault, and destroying our natural environment are only symptoms of this disconnect to healthy Masculinity. Our culture, and each of us as individuals, needs tools to help us redefine Masculinity and its purpose in our modern world.
This is what gave birth to HeroRise and the Masculine Archetype Deck.
In January 2020, I was going through a transition with my work and a back injury. During that time, I started revisiting Jung’s works and all the teachers I have had over the years. All of a sudden, I became inspired to make the HeroRise Archetype Deck.
Once I got the idea, I couldn’t shake it. I started writing the free eBook I created and making the artwork for the deck.
It was like a dream… it was all just happening. I can’t explain it, but to say working on this project has been the most beautiful unfolding I have ever witnessed. Things just fell into place without any struggle or fear. Before I knew it… HeroRise was born.
The Masculine Archetype Deck gives you a tangibly way to explore your psyche and break free from unhealthy patterns.
