Simularities between archetypes and the major arcana

http://wiki.dominionstrategy.com/index.php/Hermit

After looking into many of  the common archetypes of literature, history, and general human behaviors, I saw many similarities in tarot (specifically the major arcana).  I didn't find an archetype for each of the 22 major arcana, but I found very similar cards for about half of them.  I used the Caroline Myss archetype card collection and read the descriptions to compare the light and shadow aspects of the archetypes and the tarot cards.  For example the fool card represents being free, open, and having faith, but could also represent naivety.  In understanding the comparison between tarot and archetypes we can easily see the light and shadow sides of the characters and experiences that are described in tarot and bring understanding to how they are experienced in our own life.

The Seeker and the hanged man: The Seeker archetype is described as someone who is driven by a search for truth and understanding, but can also be unwilling to commit to anything because they insist on seeking for more.  This is similar to the energy of the hanged man who is quite literally stuck as he goes within himself and searches for more.  The quest for truth, whether it be inside or outside of ourselves, is valiant, but too much reflection and thinking and no action will not lead you anywhere.

Athlete and strength: The Athlete is someone who does no accept limitation and continues to overcome it through inner strength and a drive to do keep developing physically and spiritually.  In his shadow, he is unable to admit to weakness and believes he is much stronger than he is. The strength card in tarot is about patience, persistence, drive, and balancing our animalistic side with our spirit.  In the reverse it is a sign of weakness and lack of confidence.  Both cards represent using inner strength to become bigger and better people, but can just as easily become symbols of weakness and indulging in a false image of strength.

Slave and the devil:  The Slave archetypes represents the act of surrender.  In one sense it represents having trust in something greater than ourselves, but it also is giving away our own power out of fear.  The devil card is the card of being trapped and powerless to our own negative habits and addictions.  In both cases, the powerlessness is self induced and therefore can be stopped by the decision to reclaim this power.

Hermit and hermit:  Both the hermit card and hermit archetype represent withdrawing from the outside world and looking within.  This is a powerful act which can lead to personal discovery and growth, but becomes negative when it fueled by fear of others and leads to complete selfishness

The destroyer and death: The destroyer archetype represents taking away what is harmful so something better can come in, but can also represent destroying things in a way that is not helpful.  The death card also represents the destruction and rebirth of some aspect in our lives; it is a huge transformation just as life and death are.  Destruction must be done carefully however, because you could ruin something that could have been beautiful.

Judge and justice:  The judge is a person who attempts to discern in fairness what is just and right. In the shadow aspect, the judge is overly critical and misuses power.  Justice is a card of karma and getting what one "deserves" in accordance to their actions.  Both seek fairness, but we should be very careful about what we decide is fair, and not act as a god.

goddess and the empress: The Goddess is the ultimate symbol of femininity.  She represents beauty, nature, sensuality, and receptivity.  On the other hand she could represent exploiting the feminine to manipulate others.  The empress represents strong feminine energy as well as abundance and fertility.  Both cards show the positive side of embracing the feminine, but the goddess reminds us not to abuse it for short lived personal gain.

Dream analysis #3: The Alchemist (Santiagos dream)

Now that I have attempted to analyze a few of my own dreams, I thought I would take a look at the dreams of the character Santiago in "The Alchemist" by Paulo Coelho.  The story centers around the journey of a young shepherd who goes on a journey to the pyramids in search of buried treasure there.  On his journey he learns about the power of alchemy, the interconnectedness of the world, and the power of following ones purpose. 

He describes one of his dreams as follows, "I dreamed that I was in a field with my sheep, when a child appeared and began to play with the animals.  I don't like people to do that, because the sheep are afraid of strangers. But children always seem to be able to play with them without frightening them. I don't know why.  I don't know how animals know the age of human beings...the child went on playing with my sheep for quite a while.  And suddenly, the child took me by both hands and transported me to the Egyptian pyramids. Then, at the Egyptian pyramids the child said to me 'If you come here, you will find a hidden treasure' and just as she was about to show me the exact location, I woke up. Both times."(Coelho 15-16)

The child is acting as a guide for Santiago.  The archetypal child represents innocence and hope; the childlike space within us.  The child in the dream is a part of Santiago, he is choosing to follow his heart and seek his treasure (treasure being his true happiness).  He doesn't want the child to play with his animals because he is afraid of losing the life he already has as a shepherd.  He does not find the exact location of the buried treasure because the treasure at the pyramids is not physical, it is a new and greater understanding.  The pyramids are a symbol of the long journey he is embarking on, but the real journey is happening inside of him so the location is irrelevant.

http://www.jewelpedia.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Pieter_Bruegel_the_Elder_-_The_Alchemist.jpg

Dream analysis #2: The desire to see

This is the first dream I can remember.  People often don't believe me when I tell them this dream, especially when I tell them I had it at five years old.  My family, my neighbors, and everyone I know are lined up.  There is a line of tables with cardboard boxes.  The people "in charge" (my five year old conception of the government or adults?) are standing at these tables.  I ask my parents, "What is happening?" but they don't respond.  As I get closer to the table I am horrified.  My mother takes out her own eyes and places them in the box.  She tells me she is sorry and not to be afraid.  In panic and rage I steal the box of eyeballs and I run.  Some people follow me.  I am in a golden field and I give the people their eyes back.  We run free.

There are several archetypes that can be pulled from this dream.  To begin with, the people in line are obviously powerless victims.  They have no boundaries and submit to those in power easily.  They have no will and act as slaves.  The people in power are vampires that feed on the people who are now blind.  They are the definition of dictators.  I am neither of these things.  I am the avenger, the guide, the hero, the knight, the liberator, the rebel, the rescuer, the warrior, and the child.  There are shadow sides to all these archetypes, but they are not portrayed in the dream.  The dream is about overcoming powerlessness and delusion and finding freedom and strength, perhaps from both self and others.  It is the realization that you always have a choice, even if people make you feel like you do not.  There is no need to control the people or receive anything from them, I just genuinely want us to have freedom of choice and be allowed to seek the truth as we see it.

Dream analysis #1: the three parter

1st part:  There is a bomb that is going to go off, and I am told to take my younger brother to a safe place.  I drag him and we run off as fast as we can.  We go to a small baby blue room and we are safe as we watch the explosion from outside except I'm not with my brother anymore I'm holding a baby

I have a hard time interpreting this dream.  It's obviously coming from a fear or general feeling of unsafety.  There is a feeling of impending doom as the bomb gets closer to exploding.  I thought that it was coming from a feeling of needing to protect my brother, but now I wonder if it is more about feeling I need to protect myself.  In the dream I act as the hero, the child, and the hermit.  I protect the child from harms way by taking it to a far away place.  The small baby blue room is higher than all the other buildings.  We are so high nothing can touch us, but also entirely secluded.  What is most interesting about the dream is that my brother goes from being his age (14) to an infant.  What does this mean?  Is it the revealing of vulnerability?  Infants cannot protect themselves like 14 year olds can.  My general sense is that I am protecting myself as the infant from the dangers of the outside world.  I feel weak, vulnerable, and unsafe.

2nd part: I'm at college, the junior college.  Except this college is nothing like the junior college near me, it has grand halls with high ceilings and beautiful windows.  I'm with some people who seem to be my friends.  Some of them I even know in real life.  One of my friends looks ill, so I carry her out of class and put her to bed on the couch like a baby.  Once she is put to bed I go back to class but for some reason I get frustrated in a group project with someone and I leave class.  Then we are all at thanksgiving together with my family but all I want to eat is bread, I took 8 slices. Later in the dream when my friends come to find me I am acting out screaming "you guys this is just a dream"!  Of course my friends act like I'm going crazy.  I say I'll prove it by putting my hand through the metal bar but when I reach out I feel cold hard metal and my hand refuses to go through.  Then I realize what I must do to prove it isn't real.  I jump from the platform and when my face is inches away from the cold hard concrete and I'm about to feel great pain or die the dream ends.

In this dream I play the role of the martyr.  First I carry my friend to bed like a baby.  This may suggest that she is playing the role of the victim.  Then later on I sacrifice my life to break the illusion of our reality so that my friends can know the truth.  What is interesting here is that the martyr in the dream (me) and the victim of the dream (my friend who also likely represents me) are both coming from the same place.  Both the martyr and the victim are coming from a place of self pity. The martyr in its shadow is performing acts of selflessness from a place of selfishness.  This isn't nescesarrily evil or ill intended, mostly it comes from a place of great need.  The martyr and the victim are inadvertently seeking love and adoration.  They believe they must come from a place of great lack to deserve this love.  When I eat the eight pieces of bread I am acting as a glutton.  But where does the need for gluttony or greed come from?  Hunger.  The glutton clings to the bread because it is not used to getting any.   The essence of the dream is a deep need that is not getting met, a hunger.  In some sense I feel I must be sacrificial in order to get this hunger fed leaving me to feel powerlessness and desperation.

3rd part:  me, my college friends, and a little girl are at an amusement park getting on a ride.  But the ride is dangerous.  It goes to great heights and falls into 4 feet rushing water.  Before I realize it the little girl is gone probably drowning in the water or already dead.  I escape from the ride and see a black women.  I realize the women is up to something.  I think she realizes that the ride was intended to kill people but she is trying to stay hidden as she attempts to take it down.  She finds me hidden and tells me irritably that I must be more careful 

Of all the dreams I've ever had, my dreams of horrendous amusement park accidents reign supreme.  Even without looking into archetypes I can understand this dream easily.  The child in the dream is me, it represents my child like self.  In archetypes I would call the child the magical or innocent child.  It is the part of me that believes in fantasy, hope, and possibility.  The child is drowning because I feel this part of me is at risk of slipping through my fingers as I am faced with difficult circumstances that are much larger than me.   So why the amusement park?  Two years ago my family went to Disneyland.  My brother has moderate to severe autism and cannot speak, so our yearly vacations had their challenges.  Sometimes he can act out violently if he is angry or confused, and as he has gotten older and stronger this has become harder to control.  My brother was acting out more than we'd ever seen him act out before.  It was scary, my parents didn't know what to do.  When my brother struck one of the people we were in Disneyland with, we knew he had to go home.  This was very sad on its own because my  brother adored Disneyland, but what was even worse was when he broke the window of my moms car.  She was alone in the middle of no where with a violent speechless child and a broken mirror.  My dad couldn't do anything because she was two hours away.  The police came and taped up her window, but my dad was a wreck the whole time they were driving hoping it would be alright.  This wasn't just scary, it was an acknowledgment of a sad truth.  It was finally recognizing how powerless we really are and the very real fear that we carry about where my brother is going to be as an adult.  It was also having to let go of our most binding family tradition, something that I had looked forward to every year.  The amusement park and the dying child are about my fear of losing childhood.  The black woman is acting as the hero.  She is my self preservation instinct trying to save me from any more pain.

Dream analysis: Carl Jung

This blog is devoted to helping others in learning the symbolism behind tarot cards, and I intend to continue this shortly.  In the meantime I would like to go on a tangent in explaining Carl Jung, archetypes, and our unconscious mind.  Carl Jung was the Swiss psychiatrist who developed the branch of analytical psychology.  He had a theory of the meaning of dreams which states that dreams are a reflection of not only our outer worlds, but our inner states.  He also created the theory of the collective unconscious.  The collective unconscious represents the part of our unconscious mind that is shared with others.  It represents the common symbols from religion and history that have become so prominent in our culture that we have all adopted them in our minds in an unconscious way. Dreams show us a window into unresolved issues and feelings in our psyche through symbolism.  When I read this I immediately thought of horror films.  The horror genre often portrays our common nightmares, but it isn't just about scaring people.  In my opinion horror is about reflecting our own unconscious fears unto the screen.  Basically the monster on the screen isn't just a physical monster but a representation of mistrust, feeling unsafe in a cruel world, or possibly just the feeling that we cannot protect ourselves. The monster could represent a multitude of things to different people but the point is it comes from a very real and tangible place inside ourselves that we may not want to face.  Nightmares are not only about the scary places outside of ourselves but possibly the even scarier places within ourselves.  People often avoid the unconscious mind out of fear of facing these nightmares.  I have decided that I will try to decipher my own dreams using the common archetypes and Jung's theory of the collective unconscious, while also looking at the striking similarity between archetypes and tarot cards.