“An Archetypal Understanding of the Path of Individuation”

In the Jungian view, the human being is on a journey toward developing individuation. Along this path, one must enter the darkness of the unconscious, become conscious of it, illuminate it with the light of consciousness, and thereby complete the process of individuation.
Within the collective unconscious we carry an image of this path, formed through thousands of years of human experience of life. Recognising this path through an understanding of its archetypal structure gives us the opportunity to search for it in the deepest part of our being, bring it into consciousness, and make possible the realisation of the Self seated at the centre of this image.

The orphan, avenger, child, warrior, lover, Great Mother, Great Father, rebirth, and the Self are all archetypal forces living in the depths of our being. Only by drawing upon the positive energy of these forces can we integrate our being through their union and give our true being a rebirth.

All of us have experienced moments of defencelessness and disappointment. In encountering suffering, we fall into the orphan archetype and arrive at a crossroads. One path leads downward toward the darkest forces of the psyche—the eternal orphan, victim, trickster, eternal child, devouring mother, and dark warrior—and toward the death of the spirit. On the other path, the ego enters a heroic position and, through ascent into the archetypes, gives individuation a rebirth.

In this video we consider how the orphan archetype prepares us for our journey and brings about the resurrection of our unique individuation.

Video link on the YouTube channel “Steps in Illumination”:
https://youtu.be/af8wlCth588

Full original video:
https://youtu.be/JtroYC_KGJU