When Everything Gets Turned Upside Down

Your life was going along predictably — and then it wasn't. The job ended. The relationship imploded. The belief system you'd built your identity on crumbled. Maybe it felt like destruction. Maybe it felt like chaos. Maybe you're in the middle of it right now, wondering what the point of all this upheaval could possibly be.

You might be having a Trickster experience.

From the Norse deity Loki to the Native American Coyote, cultures across the globe have recognized this multifaceted and intricate figure. The Trickster archetype shows up when the established order needs to be disrupted — when what you thought was solid ground turns out to be something that needed to give way.

This isn't comfortable. But it might be exactly what's needed.

"The trickster is a boundary crosser, a shape-shifter. He is both subhuman and superhuman, a being of the margins, the ultimate outsider."

— Lewis Hyde

What Is the Trickster Archetype?

The Trickster is an archetypal figure that appears across mythologies and cultures worldwide. He frequently takes the form of a cunning, mischievous entity who challenges the established order. In shamanism, the Trickster is a potent force that can catalyze transformation and change.

Although the Trickster archetype is frequently linked to chaos and unpredictability, it also serves as a catalyst for ingenuity and innovation. Destruction and creation are two sides of the same coin — and the Trickster moves between them freely.

"The trickster is a figure who crosses borders, who turns things upside down. He is a figure of transformation and change."

— Michael Meade

Trickster Figures Across World Mythology

The prevalence of the Trickster across cultures suggests something universal about this energy — a recognition that chaos, disruption, and boundary-crossing serve essential functions in the human experience.

"The trickster is a master of disguise, a jester who takes delight in upsetting the status quo."

— Malidoma Patrice Somé

The Purpose and Goal of the Trickster

In shamanism, the Trickster's role is to upend the established order and bring about change. The Trickster is a catalyst for transformation who frequently disrupts the status quo to introduce fresh perspectives and ways of being. Think of the Trickster as a force driving individuals and communities to advance and adjust to changing conditions.

The Trickster's objective is metamorphosis and change — but this frequently comes at a price. The Trickster can be a destructive force, leaving chaos and upheaval in its wake. Yet this destruction also creates space for new growth and evolution as old methods of being are questioned and replaced.

The state of the world since 2020 has been presented to me as "spring cleaning." When we deep clean, there's a stage of the process that often looks like complete destruction — where closets and drawers are upended and everything is out. This stage, though daunting, allows us to really see all that we've hidden away in the deep recesses so that we can sort through to determine what needs to stay, go, or be reordered.

This is the classic work of the Trickster.

"The trickster is the mythological equivalent of the court jester, the one who speaks truth to power, who makes the king laugh and yet holds the power to undermine his authority."

— Joseph Campbell

The Trickster in Your Life

The Trickster archetype can be a powerful influence in your life, encouraging you to question the status quo and create change. You can challenge the established order and gain new perspectives with the Trickster's help. By working with this archetype — rather than fighting against it — you can unlock your own creativity and innovation, enabling positive changes that wouldn't be possible through gentle, incremental adjustment.

But it's crucial to remember that the Trickster can also be a destructive power, leaving a wake of chaos and upheaval. There is real risk and difficulty associated with embracing this archetype; therefore it's important to proceed with awareness and understanding of the role the Trickster is playing.

The Problem With How We View Destruction

In our society, we place a great deal of value on creation. We do not tend to regard destructive processes with the same appreciation. This is unfortunate because the processes are yin and yang to one another.

We cannot create — not well anyway — without a prior stage that allows us to destroy what is no longer needed or beneficial. We must have a process that recycles old worn-out energies and creates space for us to birth the new.

"The trickster is the archetype of the paradox, the unexplainable, the two-sided, the ambiguous, the ambivalent."

— Lewis Hyde

An Expanded View: The Trickster's Push-Pull Technique

There's a deeper aspect of the Trickster that's very prominent right now. Though we typically see the Trickster operating through chaos and destruction, this isn't always the case. Sometimes, continuous pressure doesn't get the job done.

If something is really "stuck," it can be more helpful — and more gentle — to use a push/pull or oscillation technique. This type of redirection is something I use in my practice when I encounter mental resistance or deeply lodged energies.

The Rocking Technique

If you've ever tried to push a car out of the mud, you know that it's very difficult to just push continually in the forward direction. It's often more productive to push, release, allow the car to rock back (while you get a quick break), then push again. Creating momentum through rocking is a very effective technique — whether we're talking about a stuck car, stuck mental paradigms, or stuck energy in the body.

When Trickster "Lies" to Help You

Another variation: if we're in a particularly challenging circumstance, Trickster archetypal energy might come in not to trigger us, but to pull us out of fearful places we aren't in a position to tackle.

For example, if I'm particularly anxious about something, and that something is unavoidably outside of my control, my guides and guardians might choose to "falsely" reassure me, enabling me to continue moving forward and do the things I need to do. This looks (and feels) a great deal like false promises, even lying — particularly if things go badly from our human viewpoint — but it's the Trickster's attempt to "salvage" a very delicate situation.

Working With Trickster Energy

If you recognize Trickster energy at work in your life, here's what I've learned about navigating it:

What Helps

• Release resistance: The more you fight the upheaval, the harder it becomes. This doesn't mean becoming passive — it means not wasting energy on what can't be changed.
• Look for what's being revealed: What's coming out of the closets and drawers? What's now visible that was hidden before? That's valuable information.
• Trust the process: Easier said than done, but the Trickster ultimately serves transformation. The chaos has a purpose, even when you can't see it.
• Stay grounded: During Trickster phases, your nervous system regulation practices become even more important. You need a stable center to navigate instability.
• Find the humor: The Trickster has a sense of humor. Sometimes the most transformative thing you can do is laugh at the absurdity of what's unfolding.

What Doesn't Help

• Trying to control outcomes: The Trickster will outmaneuver you every time. Control is an illusion that Trickster delights in exposing.
• Demanding certainty: Ambiguity is the Trickster's native environment. You won't get clear answers until the transformation is complete.
• Taking it personally: This isn't punishment. It's transformation. The Trickster doesn't target you — you're simply ready for what the Trickster brings.