The Seeker archetype is on a lifelong journey in pursuit of wisdom, knowledge, and truth because it is what their soul requires. The Seeker archetype also refers to one who searches on a path that may begin with earthly curiosity but has at its core the search for God and/or enlightenment. Unlike the Mystic, which has the Divine as its sole focus, the Seeker is in search of wisdom and truth wherever it is to be found.
The shadow side of the Seeker is the “lost soul,” someone on an aimless journey without direction, ungrounded, and disconnected from goals and others. Lost souls have failed to apply the wisdom they have acquired to their own lives or in the service of others. The shadow also emerges when Seekers become infatuated with the trappings of a certain practice or Guru—what Chögyam Trungpa so aptly called “spiritual materialism”—but never actually change their underlying egocentricity.
The polarity to the Seeker is the Wanderer. On the positive side, the Wanderer possesses a very wise mechanism that allows them to follow that intuitive hunch that says, “Take up your bed and walk. Go.” There are some people who are not supposed to stay in the same place all the time because it does not serve their soul, and they have sufficient courage to follow the signals. The Shadow side of the Wanderer is evident in many people who cannot find themselves because they do not know where they belong. Wanderers may have had many homes and many relationships, wandering from here to there unable to anchor their life because they cannot find themselves.
Film Reference: Brat Pitt in 'Seven Years in Tibet'