“All that is outside, also is inside,” we could say with Goethe. But this “inside,” which modern rationalism is so eager to derive from “outside,” has an a priori structure of its own that antedates all conscious experience. It is quite impossible to conceive how “experience” in the widest sense, or, for that matter, anything psychic, could originate exclusively in the outside world.
The psyche is part of the inmost mystery of life, and it has its own peculiar structure and form like every other organism. Whether this psychic structure and its elements, the archetypes, ever “originated” at all is a metaphysical question and therefore unanswerable.
— C.G Jung, Psychological Aspects of the Mother Archetype
[T]he psyche consists essentially of images. It is a series of images in the truest sense, not an accidental juxtaposition or sequence, but a structure that is throughout full of meaning and purpose; it is a “picturing” of vital activities. And just as the material of the body that is ready for life has need of the psyche in order to be capable of life, so the psyche presupposes the living body in order that its images may live.
— C.G. Jung, Spirit and Life
Consider what stories or images appear most often in your life. Our inner depths are always speaking, the art lies in learning to listen.
May we be alert and patient,
Simeon
Quote of the Week
“You do not see the world as it is. You see it as you are.”
— Anonymous
Befriend Your Exiled Self
Carl Jung believed true transformation comes through understanding the hidden layers of the psyche. This video outlines his 3 steps to integrating your shadow, the exiled and repressed part of our personality. Discover how to work with the imagery and patterns within to reveal a path toward greater wholeness and clarity.
Suggested Reading
Man and His Symbols by Carl G. Jung
In Man and His Symbols, Carl G. Jung introduces readers to the profound world of archetypes and the language of the psyche. Through vivid examples and accessible insights, the book invites you to uncover the rich tapestry of images that define your inner and outer experiences.