Carl Jung's Archetypes: Universal Patterns in the Psyche

Collective Unconscious

Carl Jung believed there is an unconscious shared by all humanity beyond the personal unconscious. Within this collective unconscious exist universal images and patterns called Archetypes. They are like “software” built into the human psyche.

Major Archetypes

• Persona: The mask shown to society. Me at work, me in front of family.
• Shadow: The dark side I deny and repress. Projected onto others.
• Anima/Animus: Femininity within men (Anima), masculinity within women (Animus). Source of fantasies and projections about the opposite sex.
• Self: Integration of conscious and unconscious. The ultimate goal of Individuation.

Connection with Tarot and Saju

Tarot’s Emperor is the Father archetype, Empress is the Mother archetype. Saju’s Ten Gods also contain archetypal patterns of human relationships. All express the same human psychology in different languages.

Meeting Archetypes in Daily Life

• Mentor character in movies → Sage archetype
• Rebellious protagonist → Rebel archetype
• Pure child → Innocent archetype

We can understand ourselves and others through these archetypes.