This week on The Circle, we go all in on the Magician archetype through a queer lens with guest Stan Rain, founder of the Naked Dojo. Together we explore the Magician’s gifts of creativity, imagination, and transformation—and the shadow expressions of the manipulator and the innocent one—through real stories and Internal Family Systems. We also step into modern wizardry with Stan’s AI co-facilitator, TONI, and ask what it means to use powerful tools in service of intention rather than manipulation. This episode blends archetypal psychology, embodiment practice, consent-minded facilitation, and conscious technology to help you bring more clarity, play, and power to your Magician in daily life.

Chapter Markers

00:00 — Welcome and Intro to the Magician Archetype
02:00 — Meet Stan Rain
04:05 — Four archetypes overview and why they matter
07:18 — Painter’s palette metaphor for choice and balance
09:22 — Who is the Magician: creativity, imagination, manifesting
12:40 — Play as a practice: Lego blocks and adult tinkering
16:10 — Curiosity and experimentation in movement and art
18:45 — Shadow states: manipulator and innocent one
22:28 — Safety, queerness, and why shadow shows up
25:36 — IFS parts and relating to shadow without shame
28:30 — Using shadow skillfully and the Star Wars analogy
31:05 — Hypnotherapy as conscious influence and intention
34:02 — Awareness, intention, and skillful use of power
36:45 — Enter TONI: AI co-facilitator in a breathwork container
40:00 — How TONI runs timing, music, and context
42:30 — Boundaries: what AI should not say in a healing space
45:18 — Mirror effect of AI and why intention is everything
48:00 — Emptiness, projection, and staying grounded in purpose
50:35 — Practical takeaways: questions to invite your Magician
53:10 — Human creativity at the core, tech as a tool
56:05 — First steps for listeners new to archetypes
58:20 — Closing ritual and gratitude