This diagram was inspired by one I found in Phallos: Sacred Image of the Masculine (Studies in Jungian Psychology by Jungian Analysts, No. 27) by Eugene Monick.
First take a good look at the diagram below.
What exactly is this trying to convey?
This diagram ties together Jungian psychology, the process of individuation, evolution, things that are depicted in alchemical texts and in a way, I think, our eternal fascination with twins and the search for a TwinSoul.
This whole process of individuation or enlightenment is summed up in alchemical phrases such as "Work on what is spoiled." This is not judgmental. There is nothing judgmental in metaphysics. It is a nonjudgmental world, like physics. Do we say the sun is bad because it does not revolve around anything?
We begin our consciousness raising by taking ourselves apart, lovingly. We are working on what has been spoiled. We were put together by well meaning parents, teachers and others in authority. But is this who we really are? Our goal will be to put ourselves back together again properly. No one can do this for us. To do this for ourselves, is our gift to God, the Creator.
THE PSYCHOID UNCONSCIOUS
For example, babies and innocent young children exist in this state, the psychoid unconscious. They don't differentiate between themselves and the world around them. They have no gender. In fact, in languages like German that give words gender, a young virgin is called das Madchen. "Das" is neutral. "Die" would be the feminine form for when she becomes a woman, die Frau.
This is the magical stage of existence when we feel omnipotent. We make the sun rise in the morning and the stars come out at night. They do not exist outside our own consciousness.
OLD CONSCIOUSNESS
Old consciousness represents an early stage in our evolution and in our personal development when Mother is all. This is the time when the Goddess ruled. This state still exists in some households where the Mother holds power or where there tend to be absent men, through divorce, war, death or because marriage is not expected in the culture or subculture.
In this structure, the emphasis is on the day to day, what can be seen, touched, eaten, owned.... Society in this state of consciousness operates on instincts, an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. The needs of the physical body dominate. There is no tomorrow.
PRESENT CONSCIOUSNESS
The patriarchy has been predominate during most of recorded history. That is not to say these powers are unequal because we have had a lot less recorded history than unrecorded history. Let's say for the past 1,000 years men have dominated. In evolution, this period is marked by the arrival of Yahweh, for example, the God of the Old Testament, and before him Zeus, and before Zeus Marduk and so back into the mists of time when the Goddess began to yield up her power. The patriarchy has been firmly established by the time of the monotheistic religions like Christianity and Islam (Muslim) which have male gods and which have historically made the male dominant.
What is this like in your own personality? How much power do you give men? How much power do you give authority figures, since even today they remain predominantly men, though this is changing?
Here is a current day Authority Figure.
Condoleezza Rice has one of the most powerful charts I've seen. It's a tie between her and Alan Greenspan. SEE CONDOLEEZZA RICE'S CHART.
More importantly, look inside yourself. Be you male or female, what values do you honor? A hotpoint of entry would be these two questions which are gender laden:
- How do you feel about stay at home housewives?
- How do you feel about abortion?
Or these:
- How do you feel about circumcision?
- How do you feel about female genital mutilation?
There's a wonderful movie out on the topic of female genital mutilation, Moolaade. It is made by the great 81 year old African writer/director Ousmane Sembene. It is a work of art. Don't think it is gory or graphic. It is tastefully done, with a real charm. Six girls run away from a purification ceremony. Four of them seek shelter with Colle Ardo Gallo Sym who gives them amnesty. That's what the word "moolaade" means. We see how this ritual of amnesty works -- blocking off her immaculately clean homestead so the girls are safe, Colle refuses to have the girls taken away.
Moolaade is a look inside a very different world. You might be surprised to see this movie.
READ THE NEW YORK TIMES REVIEW OF MOOLAADE.
If you are more impressed by the movie because of the New York Times review, chances are you lean toward the patriarchal.
Those who are more matriarchal might prefer to DOWNLOAD A MOVIE ABOUT FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION.
Here is an alchemical symbol I purchased on a CD of alchemical images. Look inside the "alembic". The alembic is a bottle used by early chemists which can represent the womb among other things. See the "king" and the "queen" in union with one another. If they are still inside the alembic, the process of unification is not complete. Having sex is the way we try to do this in a lower state of consciousness. In a manner of speaking and notwithstanding the joys of sex, we are trying to import male or female qualities, depending on our gender.
You may have noticed that gradually men become more womanlike. Old men often have little breasts and love to garden or play with the grandchildren. Old women may have little beards and like to start businesses! This reflects some of the unconscious transsexual process that takes place during our lives, often from close or sexual associations with members of the other gender. This is our urge toward wholeness. We don't want to be "either" male or female. We would like to be both, all things.
NEW CONSCIOUSNESS
New consciousness, so-called by Jungians, is where we are heading when we talk about differentiation, enlightenment and raised consciousness.
Here the polarities are joined back together in UNUS MUNDI. The male and female parts of us cooperate and support one another. This is also a model of male/female relationships in the world. If you've ever had a relationship with someone who could share power, you realize that the union benefits both tremendously. No one is diminished Both are enhanced.
We want this to take place inside of us, too. A man who is suffering recently wrote me: "I am doing o.k. I am having to stay sensitive to the
feelings deep within myself and keeping my spiritual
condition as my first priority. So, with this, I am
attempting to be patient, kind, and loving to myself
rather than listening to thought about what a bad
person I am.
If I am going through all this change and pain, I want
it to count for something... like spiritual growth."
This man is very much in touch with his feminine side. If not, he would have said, "I'm fine."
The HIEROSGASMOS, or Holy Marriage of Opposites is depicted in alchemy this way. This is a very abstract representation.
and a more common representation
or this
This symbol also represents the union of opposites, the staff carried by Mercury, has become a symbol for doctors, "healers", because to join the two opposites alchemically is to heal or become whole. Heal and whole come from the same Indo-European root word, kailo- .
The best website for alchemical art is www.levity.com.
Here are the King and Queen outside the alembic. The Queen stands on the Moon and is the moon or the female polarity. She is represented later in time by Quan Yin, Mother Mary and other goddesses. Look for the moon beneath her feet. The king and the sun are one.
When the inner male and inner female are joined properly, the conscious and unconscious minds work together as they should. The conscious mind impregnates the unconscious mind which faithfully reproduces the desired result. A good way to learn about this process is by studying Tarot. You can also read Joseph Murphy's book, The Power of Your Subconscious Mind.
Nancy R. Fenn