astrologyclub.

org

http://astrologyclub.org/archetypal-astrology/jungian-archetypes/

Jungian Archetypes
The word archetype is defined by Webster as original pattern or model. Jung took this Platonic concept,
refined it and applied it to depth psychology specifically to his theories about the collective unconscious.
Jungian archetypes presuppose that all people even
across cultures share a common landscape of
attributes, have a similar relationship to all the primal
qualities of human energy and expression. Individuals
may manifest these qualities in different proportions, but
the energy or attitude of every archetype is contained
within every human being to some degree, however
imperceptible it may seem. Obviously, some individuals
will be more predisposed towards certain qualities than
others.
Jungian Archetypes

Jung positioned the collective unconscious as a psychic

reservoir of accumulated knowledge, culture and conditioning that informs us, indeed defines us, as a species.
There but for the grace of God go I, muttered one of the saints. There certainly is something reassuring in
knowing that we all contain the same stuff the same instincts, desires, needs, impulses. Looked at positively,
this means we all share in the same great potentials; only the proportions of elements are distributed differently.
Archetypes can be viewed as expressions of the different qualities of consciousness or energy which inform
human experience. For instance, when we think of queen as an archetype, we can think in terms of queen
energy the expression of the feminine in a sovereign position rather than focusing on any specific historical
personage. According to a Jungian understanding of archetypes, queen energy is one element of every
individuals psyche.
The Queen could be referring to an individuals sovereignty perhaps
with regard to a completely personal realm or to some social context
(like the nurturing mother, for instance). Factor in the four suits of a
system like Tarot and archetypes become even more highly defined.
Queen of Swords (Spades) energy might point to the quality of highly
developed discernment while Queen of Cups (Hearts) could be about
unconditional love and the pouring out of blessings.
Jung explained that archetypes have a shadow side as well as a
positive side. Modern Jungians have pointed out, for instance, that
sovereign energy out of balance can manifest as a tyrant (positive
shadow pole) or a weakling (negative shadow pole).
The gods of the ancients mythological personalities manifesting
some powerful quality or characteristic were personifications of
archetypes, often appearing in dreams. Their power over the human
psyche was enormous. The fact that human beings created a mythology
which anthropomorphized archetypal human qualities does not diminish
the effective power those archetypes had over people.

Queen Archetype

Jung was one of the first to closely examine the phenomenon of projection. He came to realize that the archetypal
qualities that humans project onto heroes and gods were the powerful sources of energy emanating from within
the human psyche itself. Through his experiments in psychotherapy, he confirmed that awakened archetypes

become sources of useful power which can be channeled through an individual personality and expressed in
creative ways. When we gaze upon an archetypal quality projected outward, it almost automatically stimulates the
part of ourself that it exemplifies. When one appreciates the Hero, for instance, she or he is naturally drawn to
heroism.
On the other hand, Jung also acknowledged the tremendous destructive power of archetypal energies when they
are operating out of awareness, out of control. He outlined the relationship between the kind of inner chaos that
can result and psychological problems of all types.
Let an archetype take over and trouble will invariably follow. We call this losing it or going over the top. It
happens, but it can only happen when we are not aware of the archetype operating. Awareness is the key to
channeling archetypal energy skillfully. When we can recognize an awakening archetype, the presence of some
energetic quality within us wanting to express, we have a chance to guide it and ride it in a direction we choose.
Jung realized that if archetypal forces within the psyche were not recognized, respected and dealt with skillfully,
an individuals wholeness, if not his life, would be in danger. This realization was one basis of his
psychotherapeutic strategy. For deeper information on Jungian archetypes, see Carl Jungs collected works,
nicely abridged in The Portable Jung brilliantly edited by Joseph Campbell.
Its no accident that Jung studied both the I Ching and Tarot humanitys most respected and time-honored
archetype systems. An archetype system is a complete and balanced set of archetypal images. The I-Ching
offers 64 calligraphic images with associated text 64 primary archetypes which represent 64 different types of
situations or attitudes related to the social world of politics, business dealings and love affairs. Similarly, the Tarot
deck contains 78 cards, each one an archetype.