Анна Шиман
Draft translation. This text was translated automatically and has not been proofread yet — if something reads oddly, it does.
“Archetypes.
Jung hypothesised that the collective unconscious consists of powerful primordial psychic images, the so-called archetypes (literally, ‘primary models’) (Jung, 1968). Archetypes are innate ideas or memories that predispose people to perceive, experience and respond to events in a particular way. In fact, they are not memories or images as such, but rather predisposing factors under whose influence people display, in their behaviour, universal patterns of perception, thought and action in response to some object or event. What is innate here is precisely the tendency to respond emotionally, cognitively and behaviourally to specific situations — for example, to an unexpected encounter with one’s parents, a loved one, a stranger, a snake or death.”
Getting to know the archetypes is a truly fascinating and exciting process!
As we touch the facets of an Archetype, we begin to feel the movement of its energy within us.
The visual channel of perception, for example, is one of those people use most often. A huge amount of information is passed on precisely through visual contact. So everything we look at activates one archetypal image or another inside us, setting off the creation of a personal symbol that prompts us to take some action or to live through some feeling or state.
The working of an Archetype’s energy often stays hidden from a person’s conscious mind.
Mostly because of the split between mind and body, and also because of habitual ways of living that force us to suppress inner tension so as not to feel discomfort. Or because of the habit of living fast, almost always busy controlling outer reality and suppressing feelings.
Does this mean that inner life, the energy of an Archetype, does not show itself and does not affect a person and what they do?
Of course not!
Such an assumption resembles “magical thinking”, when a child shuts their eyes so as not to face something unpleasant.
It is as if the child were saying:
“If I can’t see it, it isn’t there!”
The energies of the collective unconscious act through us, prompting us to behave in certain ways. Whether we like it or not, we have to admit the enormous influence the Archetypes have on our lives.
Exploring the Archetypes can become an amazing journey that opens up an incredible, deep world of personal symbols to you.
For example, I have been exploring the facets of the Archetypes for more than six years now, and it gives me great pleasure to say that the quality of life has improved — both mine and that of the people who come to me for help. The changes that follow the attempts to attune to archetypal energies are truly amazing!
Archetypes cannot be bent to your will!
However, by directing their will in line with the working of a particular Archetype, a person attunes to its energy and gains an extra resource for carrying out the tasks of life!
To do this, it is worth learning as much as possible about these structures, touching their facets, observing and identifying their features, a structure that is enriched with new content at every contact.
As an example, I am leaving here a card from the Symbolon deck, which introduces us to the system of zodiac Archetypes and their interplay and helps us explore psychological states, build up emotional intelligence, cope with anxiety and learn to regulate our psychological state. This card is called “The Furies”.
What did you see on the card?
How did it resonate inside you, what feelings arise, what associations or memories come up while you are in contact with the image?
This card embodies the image and state of inner tension and aggressive thoughts, and it can symbolise self-directed aggression.
Try to imagine the state of the person that you sensed from the card. What world do they live in? What will their most frequent thoughts be?
Working with cards, with the metaphor of archetypal plots, helps us explore, adjust and model psychological states. To lay a foundation for developing emotional intelligence and managing emotions.
If you need to create a resourceful state, unload your thoughts or take a rest from processing the constant flow of incoming information, cards like these become an indispensable helper!
Let us take one more card from this stunningly beautiful and no less talkative Symbolon deck.
This card is called “The Royal Children”, and it can be described with a quote:
“Rose-tinted glasses are an optical device that protects the eyes from contact with reality”
How long is it since you had a day of building castles in the air, of travelling in a world of images and daydreams?
Now is the time to give yourself that chance!
Contact with this archetype is a great opportunity for inspired work with images of the future, which seems just as fairy-tale and distant as the island shown on the card.
Fantasies, daydreams, dreams are the territory of the Inner Child archetype, which suffers and grieves a great deal if for a long time it finds no contact with images of the future, with imagination.
Understanding the value of these activities opens a fresh view of the world and develops imagination and creative thinking.
Whereas the wish to brush them aside as frivolous and useless harms the emotional life of any person. Especially a child.
Imagination is the ability to create images through which we can perceive reality in amazing colours.
The rainbow shown behind the island tells us so. The future does not yet exist in reality, but its images give hope for the very best!
Sometimes a fantastical perception of the world can get in the way of seeing reality in its concrete forms.
For example, of paying attention to the needs of those around you.
And then, after the rainbow daydreams, disappointment is sure to come from a bitter encounter with reality.
Perhaps this is how it was for some people at the moment when the time for childhood dreams was taken up by other things. For example, by growing up beyond their years. Or by pushing away their sensitivity and vulnerability.
And then, as a serious grown-up, you so want to live in dreams up in the clouds, not wishing to meet the hard, “grown-up” reality.
So how do you create a dreamy mood and lightness?
- take a break from routine and give yourself over to dreams
- create a romantic mood in your relationships
- better not to take new acquaintances too seriously
- learn to enjoy the process
- respond sensitively to whatever sparks your interest
- draw your own personal island and find out how to meet the princess
We meet images and metaphor on the course in working with metaphorical associative cards, where we introduce participants to the concept of the “symbol”, to images and to the ways they can be used in psychology and psychological help.
On 21 March a new course on metaphorical associative cards, “Metaphorical Universe”, got under way.
We are preparing another interesting course on getting to know the archetypes!
Watch for announcements!
Anna Oleksandrivna Shyman,
course teacher.
