Your role is part of your overleaf chart or soul profile.  It's called the role because in some ways, it's a part you play.  You are All That Is, but in learning about yourself and the universe, at a deep level you chose to explore a certain way of manifesting, which affects on all levels how you interact with the world.  That way is called your role.

Another way of looking at the role is that it's a general pattern of interaction the flow of energy between your essence (or higher self), your conscious personality, and the world.

The role, in the Michael Teachings structure of the Overleaves is the fundamental expression of your Essence on the physical plane. It follows you through the reincarnational cycle in all your lifetimes (you have the same role for all lifetimes).

There is no limitation at all that is created by the choice of a role . All experience can be obtained through any role. It will have a different flavor, but the base of the experience will be the same. No role is better than any other.  Even though " King" sounds better than " Server", a role doesn't necessarily (or even usually) live their lives as the stereotype would have it.    It is an expression of All That Is on Earth through you - and All That Is values every aspect of itself equally.

List of Roles

Like most concepts in the Michael Teachings, there are 7 roles, like notes in a musical scale. They are listed as followed in order from most ordinal (desiring one on one interaction, working on a smaller scale) to cardinal (enjoying mass interactions, working on larger scales).  It is also the order from the most common to the least common:

Server

The server essence (previously known as the Slave) seeks expression of their soul in service to others, primarily on a one-on-one basis. This service will always be connected to what the server thinks of as "the common good", however they define that.  [For the old-time Michael Students, they are the ordinal expression of the Inspiration Axis.]

There can be enormous flexibility and choice in the perception of the common good. A server in a baby soul lifetime might think the common good is to punish anyone who violates the rules. A Young Soul server involved in high finance might think the common good lies in propagating their economic model throughout the world. An Old Soul server might make the perfect grandmother, taking care of the entire being of their grandchildren effortlessly and with fluidity, as part of their spiritual practice of service.

Servers tend to evolve more quickly because service to others ( karma yoga) is one of the most direct methods of spiritual growth. It greatly aids in the perception of the interconnectedness and oneness of All That Is.

Server are roughly 25% of the population. Unlike other roles, they need no special circumstances set up to manifest themselves fully or complete their life tasks, and so are the most adaptable of essences. They can truly be a manifested in essence in all circumstances and in all lifetimes, from the very first lifetime on this plane.

Servers have two channels of input - at all times they receive impressions from their immediate physical reality as well as their inspiration of their "common good".

The positive pole (full manifestation) of the server is +service and the negative pole (blocked manifestation) is -bondage.

Artisan

The artisan seeks to express themselves through creation. They are the ordinal manifestation of the Expression axis, and look at the world as clay they can create through.  They seek the original in all things and their life is lived as creation, though not necessarily consciously.  This creation can be in any form the artisan chooses, from using their body as a work of art, to automobile repair, to creating through words, to engineering, to creating a structure in an organization, to sports, or in medicine.

Artisans are approximately 21.5% of the population and can fully manifest their essence starting at the baby (2) cycle.

The artisan is very much involved with the cycle of creation and destruction. For something to be created anew, often the old must be destroyed first (at least in their mind), and this can be troubling to the artisan if there is a holding/clinging pattern of fear. Related to this is the focus of artisans on structure, which is absolutely needed as platforms to create from. They will create and destroy structures throughout their lives, both literally and in their minds and in their perception. An artisan can create order out of chaos, quite literally.

An artisan's energetic field can be quite large and difuse, which is used by the artisan to explore what truly is creativity (as well as through their five channels of input).  They can make wonderful energy healers because of this.  However, because of this large possibility of input, it is easy for an artisan to get overwhelmed by it if it is not managed well.  It is for this reason that most artisans do not like the public eye, where energy gets focused at them, at least until they have learned to process that level of energy well.

The positive pole of the artisan is +creation and the negative pole is -artifice.

Warrior

In Michael terms, the warrior is the ordinal manifestation of the action axis - they are the most physical, action-oriented role as their action is directed at people and things immediately surrounding them. As an expression of this energy,  manifested warrior seeks challenges, however they perceive them, and a good "cause".  On average, they are the most comfortable on the physical plane as they are the most physical of roles. Their Life Task is often some form of activity. Warriors are approximately 18% of the population.

Warriors tend to be direct. They can be good at management and organizing, as they can marshal other 'troops' together. However, they are not as adept at the wider picture as the cardinal role of the king, at least until the old soul cycle. They appreciate medals, ribbons, and honors.

The positive pole of the warrior is +persuasion, in which the outward energy of the warrior manifests in provoking change. The negative pole is -coercion, in which the warrior approaches others as "enemies" with the full perception of separation

Warriors have one channel of input, which adds to their directness.

Scholar

The scholar is the neutral role and will always have at least somewhat of a neutral flavor to them, irrespective of other Overleaves. This can show up as being remote and detached, but doesn't have to.  Noam Chomsky is a scholar.  Scholars tend to be sponges in many ways with respect to all forms of experience and knowledge - including emotional knowledge. Though the stereotype of a scholar is the intellectual one - and scholars tend to be most comfortable in that center - scholars can live just as well from other centers if they choose to.

Scholars are approximately one seventh of the population.

The positive pole of the Scholar is +Knowledge, which is the knowingness that comes of a connection to Essence. The negative pole is -Theory, which is the knowing about something while maintaining disconnection from it and essence.

Scholars have one channel of input, which aids them in being thorough in their investigations and study.  If you see someone quietly investigating one small area of study for 30 years simply to learn more, they are almost always a scholar.

Sage

Sages are the cardinal (outward) manifestation of the Expression axis and are about 11% of the population. Being related numerically (5) to the Old Soul cycle, Sages come into their own at that soul age.

Sages are associated with communication and expression in an outward manner. Their lives - and their Life Task - is normally associated with dissemination and teaching (in the grander sense) to others.  They seek Truth in the higher sense, whether they are conscious of this or not.

Typically - and this is only the stereotype - Sages enjoy being dramatic and at the center of attention. When they are manifesting their essence, they seek to enrich others through this shared energy, leading to laughter, teaching, and understanding.  This is the positive pole of the Sage: +Communication. In the negative pole of -Verbosity, they are expressive and loud but are disconnected from both who they are and their audience.  Sages have a strong, built-in connection to the energy field of the audience surrounds them as part of their three channels of input.  This is why they are born teachers.

Sages are also like the children of the world. They are easily affected by the world, and will naturally seek to express what impact the world has on them in each moment, like a child.   If they are hurt, this usually shows immediately on their face, and the same for joy.  Because they are tapped into the audience, they can also express the unexpressed in the group that they are in, and this can come out in words, in emotions, or even in their bodies.  This can both be seen as positive - such as in an artistic manner - or in a negative fashion, especially if there is a general denial of what is occurring. Many a sage has been accused of causing "problems" by not shutting up about an injustice or dynamic that they are perceiving. As such, they can be good barometers of the dynamic and how open communication is in a group.

Sages like and need applause in some fashion, and it is part of their general lessons to learn to live their life completely, rather than to perform it.  It is rare that a Sage truly learns this lesson before the mid-level ranges of the Old Soul age.

Priest

The priest is the Cardinal (outward) expression of the Inspiration Energy and are relatively rare at approximately 7% of the population. They are concerned with serving the "higher good" or "higher ideal" - however they define it.  They will always be interested in helping connect others to that "higher good" in a mode of service.  As part of the "higher connection" that all priests possess, they are also intrinsically connected to the Astral Plane and so can seem "otherworldly".   A result of this is that they usually do not fully come "into their own" until they are cycled off and completed with their incarnations on the Physical Plane.

Although they are called "priests", they are most often not involved directly with religion, but in a dynamic where they can inspire and lead in an inspiration. This can be in management, leadership in an army (such as Napolean, a priest), politics, therapy, activism, or even as a singer such as Bono of U2 who is a priest.  Singers who are priests inspire; singers who are sages express.

The "higher good" of the priest is completely up to the priest to define.  The mass murderer Charles Manson was a priest who inspired others to join his lifestyle and world view.  On the other side of the spectrum are Martin Luther King Jr. and Gandhi, both of who inspired nations.

Priests have two channels of input; they are connected both to their physical reality and to their "higher good" at all times.  If a priest ever closes off that input, they will seem "dead" internally.  This is what has happened for many depressed priests, such as Anthony Robbins before he manifested.  Priests also need their flock as much as Sages need their audience and a Scholar needs study; they cannot fully manifest without this.

The positive pole of the priest is +Compassion.  In the manifestation of compassion, a priest experiences the harmony and oneness of what is around them, and so directly brings compassion to whoever is around them.  In the negative pole of -Zeal, priests do not experience this oneness, and so try to energetically force those around them to attach to their "higher good".

King

Kings are the Cardinal (outward-facing) expression of the Action Energy and are about 3.5% of the population. They are the warrior exalted.  They seek more abstract challenges to master, with examples such as guiding the community surrounding them, or mastering a way of living.  They also have one channel of input and in general focus on one thing at a time, albeit with a more diffuse awareness that helps they see the wider picture more easily than warriors.

Kings are focused on their "Mandate", which they create and perceive. They are born to manage their environment (much like the goal of Dominance) - but often this does not take place overtly. It is who they are.  They are like the hub in a network of energies that are the people surrounding them. Energetically they draw others in; you will tend to notice when there is a king in a crowd and have some impulses to give way. Kings feel this energy and the manifested king will seek to help others through this connection, as a true healer.  They can be powerful energetic healers.

This is the most cardinal role and is the most difficult role to manifest, because they truly need their "kingdom" to do so. Many kings learn to play the role of something else in childhood imprinting, especially in female lives, because most children are taught "their place" which is, of course, not as a king. Kings, in general, do not enjoy their female lives.

Examples:  John F. Kennedy was a young soul king. Thich Nhat Hahn is an old soul king, bringing his mastery of living, meditation, and observing energy flow to the world.

The positive pole of the King is +Mastery, which can also be described as Completeness.  With manifestation, they bring their dedicated focus and energy to be so full that others naturally defer to them - because this fullness includes others, without separation.  The negative pole is -Tyranny, in which kings still have the urge to bring themselves to bear, but from a perception of separation where others must be imposed on and controlled.

The basic summary of the roles is presented below in a table:

Table of Roles