immanence
Carl Jung called immanence "the deep truth." This blog explores a Jungian view of immanence: the divine within.
Our battle with sacred mother
For Carl Jung, the archetypal theme of the hero’s journey represents the transcendence of consciousness. He says: “ “The hero’s main feat is to overcome the monster of darkness: it … Continue reading
Carl Jung: the child is the precious fruit of Mother Nature
“Abandonment, exposure, danger, ete. are all elaborations of the “child’s” insignificant beginnings and of its mysterious and miraculous birth. This statement describes a certain psychic experience of a creative nature, … Continue reading
Carl Jung: Earth Mother plays an important part in the woman’s unconscious
“The Earth Mother plays an important part in the woman’s unconscious, for all her manifestations are described as “powerful.” This shows that in such cases the Earth Mother element in … Continue reading
Carl Jung: the Earth Mother sometimes appears with multiple breasts
“The Earth Mother…Now and then I have come across multiple breasts like those of a sow.” (Carl Jung, CW 9i, para. 312)
Carl Jung: Earth Mother as sleeper of Hal Saflieni
“In form [the Earth Mother] not infrequently resembles the neolithic ideal of the sleeper of Hal Saflieni.” (Carl Jung, CW 9i, para. 312)
Carl Jung: Earth Mother as Venus of Willendorf
“In form [the Earth Mother] not infrequently resembles the neolithic ideal of the “Venus” of … Willendorf.” (Carl Jung, CW 9i, para. 312) The Venus of Willendorf is estimated to have … Continue reading
Carl Jung: Earth Mother as “Venus” of Brassempouy
“In form [the Earth Mother] not infrequently resembles the neolithic ideal of the “Venus” of Brassempouy.” (Carl Jung, CW 9i, para. 312) This carving, called the Venus” of Brassempouyis, about 25,000 … Continue reading
Mother Image: vessels
The mother archetype “can be attached to … various vessels.” (Carl Jung, 9i, para. 157) Notice also the ouroboros, in the form of a dragon, in this alchemical drawing. The … Continue reading
Kali: ‘the loving and terrible mother’
In India, “the loving and terrible mother” is the paradoxical Kali. (Carl Jung, CW 9i, para 158)
Mother archetype: the goddess
“Then there are what might be termed mothers in a figurative sense. To this category belongs the goddess, and especially the Mother of God, the Virgin, and Sophia. Mythology offers … Continue reading
Mother archetype: Paradise
“Other symbols of the mother in a figurative sense appear in things representing the goal of our longing for redemption, such as Paradise, the Kingdom of God, the Heavenly Jerusalem.” … Continue reading
Mother Image: secret and hidden
“the mother archetype may connote anything secret, hidden…” (Carl Jung, CW 9i, para. 158)
Mother archetype: moon
“Many things arousing devotion or feelings of awe, as for instance… the moon, can be mother-symbols.” (Carl Jung, 9i, para. 156)
Mother Image: Still Waters
“still waters… can be mother-symbols.” (Carl Jung, 9i, para. 156)
Anima Image: nixie
“The nixie is an even more instinctive version of a magical feminine being whom I call the anima. Moralizing critics will say that these figures are projections of soulful emotional … Continue reading
Psyche and Pan
Myth reflects the relationship between psyche and pan: “[Psykhe (Psyche) despairing at having lost the love of Cupid (Eros) was about to cast herself into the river:] The rustic god … Continue reading
A man who is possessed by his shadow…
“A man who is possessed by his shadow…” (Carl Jung, CW 9I, para 222)
Enveloping, embracing, devouring
“Had we not long since known it from the symbolism of dreams, this hint from the Orient would put us on the right track: the enveloping, embracing, and devouring element … Continue reading
Magic Places and the Mother
“The place of magic transformation and rebirth… are presided over by the mother.” (Carl Jung, 9i, para. 157) Reference: Carl G.Jung, The Archetypes and the Collective Unconscious – Collected Works … Continue reading
Ambivalent aspect of the mother archetype
“An ambivalent aspect [of the mother archetype] is seen in the goddesses of fate (Moira, Graeae, Noms).” (Carl Jung, CW 9i, para. 157) Reference: Carl G. Jung, The Archetypes and … Continue reading
Anima Muzzled
This drawing, titled Anima Muzzled, by Daniel Mace expresses something archetypal about mankind’s repressive relationship with the anima. In his artwork and accompanying poem Daniel address the aggressive tendencies … Continue reading
Immanence: the archetype of revelation
In Ruin the Sacred Truths, Harold Bloom tells us that God is primarily “the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Issac and Jacob.” Western history is founded upon … Continue reading
Carl Jung: ‘religion is a vital link with psychic processes’
“religion is a vital link with psychic processes independent of and beyond consciousness, in the dark hinterland of the psyche…” (Carl Jung, CW 9I, para. 262) Reference: Carl Jung, Archetypes … Continue reading
Carl Jung: transformation processes announce themselves mainly in dreams
Carl Jung says that the process of individuation can be observed through our dream content. He says: “Natural transformation processes [individuation] announce themselves mainly in dreams…” (Carl Jung 9i para … Continue reading
Carl Jung: Alchemy as the transformation of the mortal into the immortal
Alchemy is about more than just the transformation of chemical substances. It is a metaphor for the transformation of the mortal into the immortal, and an archetypal representation of the … Continue reading
Reconnection with the Anima Mundi
Just as a man must connect with his anima in order to know the nature of his Self, so too mankind must connect with the anima mundi to know the … Continue reading
Carl Jung: “Hermes was the mystagogue and psycho pomp.”
Carl Jung often speaks of Hermes as psycho pomp, spiritual friend, or personal guide. He says: From the earliest times, Hermes was the mystagogue and psycho pomp of the alchemists, … Continue reading
Carl Jung: We divide the cosmos to reflect our own inner polarity
“How else could it have occurred to man to divide the cosmos, on the analogy of day and night, summer and winter, into a bright day-world and a dark night-world … Continue reading
Carl Jung: the self & the mystic Buddha
In the last post we learned that the self can be known through archetypal images: “Because of its unconscious component the self is so far removed from the conscious mind … Continue reading
Carl Jung: the self and its corresponding figures and symbols
Carl Jung calls the totality of our being the ‘self’. The self includes the conscious and the unconscious. This is represented by the ‘ego’ and the ‘superordinate’ aspects. Jung says: … Continue reading
Carl Jung: ‘no archetype can be reduced to a simple formula.’
“No archetype can be reduced to a simple formula. It is a vessel which we can never empty, and never fill. It has a potential existence only, and when it … Continue reading
Carl Jung: on the coniunctio
A passage from the Gospel of Thomas in the Nag Hammadi Library reads: Jesus said to them, “When you make the two one, and when you make the inside like … Continue reading
The Holy (inner) Family: mother, wise old man, child, shadow, anima/ animus
Carl Jung dedicated many years to the investigation into the nature of the soul. He was one of the patriarchs of the psychoanalytic profession with many years of observing the … Continue reading
Hieros gamos in the drawings of Opicinus de Canistris
When discussing the Hieros Gamos [sacred marriage] in the Archetypes of the Collective Unconscious, Carl Jung speaks the symbolical drawings of Opicinus de Canistris. He says: “While, in Church mysticism, … Continue reading
Carl Jung: on Exercitia spiritualia
“The exercises known in the East as yoga and in the West as exercitia spiritualia… These exercises represent special techniques prescribed in advance and intended to achieve a definite psychic … Continue reading
Carl Jung: symbols unite duality
“There is no position without its negation. In or just because of their extreme opposition, neither can exist without the other. It is exactly as formulated in classical Chinese philosophy: … Continue reading
Carl Jung: dreams say things beyond our comprehension
“Our dreams are continually saying things beyond our conscious comprehension. We have intimations and intuitions from unknown sources. Fears, moods, plans, and hopes come to us with no visible causation. … Continue reading
Carl Jung: Khidr as symbol of the self
Over the last couple of days we have been discussing images of the self. I would like to continue exploring this idea. Carl Jung says that Khidr may be an … Continue reading
