Jung's Archetypes

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Jung's Archetypes
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The Main Archetypes:
Shadow
Anima
Animus
Self


The Shadow:
Generally when someone posts a topic on shadow magick here they use RP terminology and give it some sort of ''superhero'' attributes. When I speak of the shadow I use the psychological terminology, esp. provided by Jung, in describing the aspects of ourselves that remain hidden behind our consciousness. It reflects the shadowy, unknown parts of our-self (hence the name). It is possible to see, recognize the shadow in ourselves and others- though it is not always easy. We tend to avoid, through repression or suppression, this aspect of ourselves and in this way we limit our potential. If denied or projected onto someone else long enough, it is possible that this part becomes something referred to as "the Other", in which it has a life of its own. This is sometimes known as the "mirrored image" of ourselves, the "yin and yang" aspect. For more information on this one might look into something called The Mirror Phase, which was defined by Jaques Lacan. "The mirror separates us from our selves. In order to recognize myself, I have to be separate from my self. Thus identity as a notion I can consider appears.". A goal we should each strive for is to re-integrate the shadow into our self. The shadow aspect appears in several different forms, and you may notice it if you try to be aware of yourself. It can come in the form of dreams, musings, and often we project it onto people we deem "bad, fearsome". It can control physical actions when a person is confused, or frightened. Encountering your shadow sends an alert through your subconscious, which ultimately will help you in determining or revealing deeper aspects of yourself. I will write more on this specific subject in the future.

The Anima and Animus:
Sometimes referred to in psychological terms as the "soul". Anima being male, Animus being female. This represents our true selves, quite opposite to the masks and facades that we adorn, and is the source of inspiration and creativity. "In fiction, heroes, super-heroes and gods may represent these powerful beings and awaken in us the sense of omnipotence that we knew in that very early neonatal phase." People can be androgynous, and contain multiple aspects of anima or animus in their whole. "In combination, the anima and animus are known as syzygy (a word also used to denote alignment of planets), representing wholeness and completion. This combining brings great power and can be found in religious combinations such as the Christian Holy Trinity (Father, Son and Holy ghost).". It is important for a relationship between two lovers. Not only should physical form be compatible and appealing to us, we should seek what is sometimes referred to as "our soul mates" who share or compliment our anima and animus.

Self:
Jung believed that the Self was not just an "I" or "me" but was also God, in the sense that it is universal and connects us all in some form or another. It is the "Whole", the unification of our known and unknown, conscious and unconscious self. Lacan called the self "The Real". Refer to a separate article to know more about this, as it contains more information that I feel can fit into one topic.


Other Archetypes Suggested By Jung:


Family archetypes
o The father: Stern, powerful, controlling
o The mother: Feeding, nurturing, soothing
o The child: Birth, beginnings, salvation
Story archetypes
o The hero: Rescuer, champion
o The maiden: Purity, desire
o The wise old man: Knowledge, guidance
o The magician: Mysterious, powerful
o The earth mother: Nature
o The witch or sorceress: Dangerous
o The trickster: Deceiving, hidden
Animal archetypes
o The faithful dog: Unquestioning loyalty
o The enduring horse: Never giving up
o The devious cat: Self-serving



Sources:
http://changingminds.org/
You may wish to use a previous post of mine as a reference,
I tend to compile all of my information and use a continuation system
when writing.
http://www.spellsofmagic.com/read_post.html?post=352606
Jung, C.G. (1964). Man and His Symbols, New York; Doubleday and Company, Inc.
http://webspace.ship.edu/cgboer/jung.html

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Re: Jung's Archetypes
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Post # 2
OUTSTANDING! Thank you so much for posting this info. I can only hope that it sinks into the general populations hard heads.
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Re: Jung's Archetypes
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Post # 3

Lovely interesting post.

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Re: Jung's Archetypes
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Post # 4
That view of God (in the self section) is exactly the same as mine! Well, it is certainly nice to know that I'm not the first to arrive at such a conclusion.
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Re: Jung's Archetypes
By: / Knowledgeable
Post # 5
Always enjoy the knowledge you share.
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