Téo Montoya is a Human Design Analyst, Metamodern Myth Mender, Indigenous Futurist writer and multimedia artist. His work focuses on synthesizing cosmological and spiritual systems, myths, archetypes, and modalities to find ways of supporting an emerging world in crisis through human development, ecological literacy, and reciprocity with our communities and more-than-human kin. In other words, Téo and I have a lot in common. We speak about our complex relationships to both Human Design and Astrology, and the importance of questioning the nature of “belief” when it comes to working with archetypal systems. We also discuss mythology, individualism, the collective crisis of meaning, grief, identity, ecology, masculinity, Metamodernism and so much more.
Hey! I wasn’t sure where to put this question on the threads but I figured it would relate to the topic of rewriting our myths...
Since we’re in the mars retrograde currently and I’m hearing a lot about this being a very argumentative time/a time of high tension, I’m wondering what your takes are on rewriting (or perhaps just adding onto) the myth of mars in terms of being a lover, particularly Venus’ lover. Do you think this can apply to how we can reinterpret integrating the energy of this mars? And how?
Hi Kirra. I love this question. I think you're right that we've sort of strayed away from Mars' association with being a lover, or at the very least reduced the archetype to "man" or "sex", but of course it's more complex than that. I actually think both Mars and Venus contain very potent themes related to desire, Venus being the things we desire, Mars being our capacity to identify then, follow through and go get them. I feel like because the culture we live in is so sex-averse that some of the really interesting aspects of these archetypes have been either put to the side or demonized... the latter of which could easily increase the association of Mars with tension and friction and war, but forget that these things are associated with sex and love and desire too.
As far as rewriting something or adding on, I would be interested in exploring the relationship between the warrior archetype, bravery, etc. with being a lover and the idea of desire. Like, if Mars represents half of the friction and tension within the polarity of Mars/Venus or feminine/masculine or desire/action, how does this polarity inevitably contain tension and challenge and destruction and darkness and heartbreak and how can we better embrace those things in our own lives and relationships?
Hopefully that makes some sense. As per usual the question is far more interesting than the answer... and you are definitely asking the right question.
That makes total sense! I think of the saying “all is fair in love and war” and the phrase “a burning desire”, when love is at stake, we are not bound by the rules of fair play. Similarly, I feel like the intensity of having a burning desire can cause us to put on horse blinders to focus our efforts towards getting what it is we want (perhaps at any cost). Ethics would have it that there are rules to this game but that’s not always entirely true..
My Mars is in Virgo in the 7th and I often think of that archetype in my own chart as the loving servant of Venus. Service as an act of love, serving love through methodical and thoughtful action.
This may be a stretch but as I type this, this idea comes to mind..like how warriors are bonded to their role (ideally) out of a love and deep regard for their cause/country. There’s a pride there and a willingness to do what it takes to achieve the desired results. Not exactly martyrdom but maybe something that looks superficially similar to it? Maybe more along the lines of an artist who channels their visions and attributes it to god - Mars becomes the capable vessel to bring forth Venus’ desires, done in honor of her and his love for her. Sometimes the route there is messy.
It’s been refreshing to think about Mars this way, especially because the archetype is so mythically attached to Venus! How could we forget this about the warrior who is in love with love itself?!
Love this. I was just watching the Bill Moyers interviews with Joseph Campbell, and they were discussing how some people wouldn't agree that soldiers are hero's because war itself is so controversial. Campbell basically said, it doesn't matter what our opinion is of war, or whether or not we believe in the cause, the point is that they are putting their individual selves aside in order to fight for something bigger than themselves, and that that alone is what constitutes a hero. To fight for one's country or to fight on behalf of love... they are fundamentally quite similar. Putting our own individual selves and our ego aside to fight for something bigger than ourselves.
Hi Garry - I did! It was fascinating. I feel like such a novice - there is truly SO much to understand, so it was definitely a tad overwhelming. However, there were so many juicy nuggets that Téo shared that I'm still mulling over months later. He also records the readings so you can go back and re-listen. I really, really love the way Téo approaches this practice, so I would definitely recommend it.
Archetypal thinking was a game changer for me. I’ve always been in love with astrology and attracted by Greek mythology but when you dive deep and discover the stories behind the myths and the planets/archetypes behind the signs, it’s a new and fascinating layer.
Human design was in my radar for quite a while and now that I know that a guy like Téo is over there, I’m definitely gonna take a closer look at it.
(I’m absorbing quite a lot of stuff on vedic astrology nowadays but I’m sure that I could find some time. After all, winter is coming… Hibernation is great for learning more stuff)
I love the fact that he takes it with a grain of salt like you do. This level of wisdom at a young age is always impressive. I also relate to his story as a child of a mixed couple. When you’re exposed to more than one culture at an early age, it’s quite disturbing. Your “social” self pushes you to make a clear choice. But your “essential” self, even if it’s painful, starts to explore, to mix things up and, slowly but surely, gain a sense of fluidity and curiosity that is super useful for the rest of your life.
Last but not least, I particularly appreciated his use of the word “grief” to describe our current state of mind. Everything seems to fall apart. We’re in the middle of a wide range of crises, and we don’t have a proper sense of identity. We lack community, global vision and guidance and all of that happened so quickly.
For my parents, born just after WW2, the fall of Berlin's wall was the end of History. Zero doubt in their minds, we will all have flying cars in the year 2000 and take some vacations on Mars while our domestic robots will take care of the house.
Overworking, consuming and being hyper-materialistic about everything does NOT work (and also destroys the planet). The death of this paradigm can be realized by anyone. It’s time to pronounce the death and to turn the page.
Thank you so much for this golden nugget. Keep it up !
Hey! I wasn’t sure where to put this question on the threads but I figured it would relate to the topic of rewriting our myths...
Since we’re in the mars retrograde currently and I’m hearing a lot about this being a very argumentative time/a time of high tension, I’m wondering what your takes are on rewriting (or perhaps just adding onto) the myth of mars in terms of being a lover, particularly Venus’ lover. Do you think this can apply to how we can reinterpret integrating the energy of this mars? And how?
Hi Kirra. I love this question. I think you're right that we've sort of strayed away from Mars' association with being a lover, or at the very least reduced the archetype to "man" or "sex", but of course it's more complex than that. I actually think both Mars and Venus contain very potent themes related to desire, Venus being the things we desire, Mars being our capacity to identify then, follow through and go get them. I feel like because the culture we live in is so sex-averse that some of the really interesting aspects of these archetypes have been either put to the side or demonized... the latter of which could easily increase the association of Mars with tension and friction and war, but forget that these things are associated with sex and love and desire too.
As far as rewriting something or adding on, I would be interested in exploring the relationship between the warrior archetype, bravery, etc. with being a lover and the idea of desire. Like, if Mars represents half of the friction and tension within the polarity of Mars/Venus or feminine/masculine or desire/action, how does this polarity inevitably contain tension and challenge and destruction and darkness and heartbreak and how can we better embrace those things in our own lives and relationships?
Hopefully that makes some sense. As per usual the question is far more interesting than the answer... and you are definitely asking the right question.
That makes total sense! I think of the saying “all is fair in love and war” and the phrase “a burning desire”, when love is at stake, we are not bound by the rules of fair play. Similarly, I feel like the intensity of having a burning desire can cause us to put on horse blinders to focus our efforts towards getting what it is we want (perhaps at any cost). Ethics would have it that there are rules to this game but that’s not always entirely true..
My Mars is in Virgo in the 7th and I often think of that archetype in my own chart as the loving servant of Venus. Service as an act of love, serving love through methodical and thoughtful action.
This may be a stretch but as I type this, this idea comes to mind..like how warriors are bonded to their role (ideally) out of a love and deep regard for their cause/country. There’s a pride there and a willingness to do what it takes to achieve the desired results. Not exactly martyrdom but maybe something that looks superficially similar to it? Maybe more along the lines of an artist who channels their visions and attributes it to god - Mars becomes the capable vessel to bring forth Venus’ desires, done in honor of her and his love for her. Sometimes the route there is messy.
It’s been refreshing to think about Mars this way, especially because the archetype is so mythically attached to Venus! How could we forget this about the warrior who is in love with love itself?!
Love this. I was just watching the Bill Moyers interviews with Joseph Campbell, and they were discussing how some people wouldn't agree that soldiers are hero's because war itself is so controversial. Campbell basically said, it doesn't matter what our opinion is of war, or whether or not we believe in the cause, the point is that they are putting their individual selves aside in order to fight for something bigger than themselves, and that that alone is what constitutes a hero. To fight for one's country or to fight on behalf of love... they are fundamentally quite similar. Putting our own individual selves and our ego aside to fight for something bigger than ourselves.
Hey Anya, you had a Human Design reading with Teo right? Would love to hear your take on it.
Hi Garry - I did! It was fascinating. I feel like such a novice - there is truly SO much to understand, so it was definitely a tad overwhelming. However, there were so many juicy nuggets that Téo shared that I'm still mulling over months later. He also records the readings so you can go back and re-listen. I really, really love the way Téo approaches this practice, so I would definitely recommend it.
I think I’ll get a reading from him. I’m so into it! I’ve started ready books about it already!
Amazing! Enjoy.
Wow, there is so much in this one. I’m busting to learn more about Human Design. Thank you 🙏
Another golden one !
Archetypal thinking was a game changer for me. I’ve always been in love with astrology and attracted by Greek mythology but when you dive deep and discover the stories behind the myths and the planets/archetypes behind the signs, it’s a new and fascinating layer.
Human design was in my radar for quite a while and now that I know that a guy like Téo is over there, I’m definitely gonna take a closer look at it.
(I’m absorbing quite a lot of stuff on vedic astrology nowadays but I’m sure that I could find some time. After all, winter is coming… Hibernation is great for learning more stuff)
I love the fact that he takes it with a grain of salt like you do. This level of wisdom at a young age is always impressive. I also relate to his story as a child of a mixed couple. When you’re exposed to more than one culture at an early age, it’s quite disturbing. Your “social” self pushes you to make a clear choice. But your “essential” self, even if it’s painful, starts to explore, to mix things up and, slowly but surely, gain a sense of fluidity and curiosity that is super useful for the rest of your life.
Last but not least, I particularly appreciated his use of the word “grief” to describe our current state of mind. Everything seems to fall apart. We’re in the middle of a wide range of crises, and we don’t have a proper sense of identity. We lack community, global vision and guidance and all of that happened so quickly.
For my parents, born just after WW2, the fall of Berlin's wall was the end of History. Zero doubt in their minds, we will all have flying cars in the year 2000 and take some vacations on Mars while our domestic robots will take care of the house.
Overworking, consuming and being hyper-materialistic about everything does NOT work (and also destroys the planet). The death of this paradigm can be realized by anyone. It’s time to pronounce the death and to turn the page.
Thank you so much for this golden nugget. Keep it up !
Thank you so much for your reflections as always Abbas! <3