JUNGIAN READING:

Episodes in lives of Greekgods map well onto Jung's process of individuation: thestruggle to understand ourselves psychically, which is always seen as abringing into consciousness and an assimilation of unconscious elements in us.

Individuation an ongoingprocess throughout all of life, episodes of which are brought on by somepsychic trauma. For Jung, allmyths, like dreams, represented the individual's progress in the process ofindividuation.

A Jungian looks at myths as adream of *one of* the characters -- each myth could be looked at differently --with each character's perspective successively taken into account

Characters are made torepresent unconscious forces - psychic potencies, or ARCHETYPES.

Some specific archetypes,grouped within the FOUR main archetypes:

SHADOW-- those qualities and impulses that one denies in oneself, but that (through aprocess called projection) become esp. salient in other people. According to Jung "the thing aperson has no wish to be." values the self needs at some level, but existin form that is difficult to integrate. same sex, but opposite personality andself-image. can appear as beastlytype or as a neutral person. couldbe friend of foe depending -- just like any other human being with whom one hasto get along. Imagine a person whois *by definition* the most annoying person in the world to you.  in a successful moment of individuationthe shadow is faced up to and its negative characteristics are channeled inpositive directions. While it mayseem initially threatening to us, once we have assimilated it successfully werealize it was a part of us all along.

ANIMA-- The feminine side of the male character (man's anima is usually shaped bymother) takes role of guide or mediator to a world within (or even to the self-- see below), when she becomes "The Loving Mother" or can bedestroyer/devourer, when she becomes "The Devouring Mother." The characteristics of a man's animamay be projected (like the shadow) onto a real woman.

ANIMUS-- the masculine side of the female character (shaped by woman's father) could be wise and creative activetype, when he becomes "The Senex" or wise old man; or muscle-boundstrong man type. fulfillment ordestruction. The characteristicsof a woman's animus may be projected (like the shadow) onto a real man.

SELF-- inner guiding factor, different from conscious personality (= EGO). asame-sex figure Represents totality, wholeness, or inner part of person. Emerges into consciousness only afterstruggle through process of individuation. Could be symbolized as "The Significant Animal," whohas extraordinary powers helps human overcome danger; or the "CosmicMan" who incorporates the whole world in his vision.

But a Jungian doesn't justassign the archetypes and then stop. They track out instead how the dynamic process of individuation advancesin each case. Remember, this isindividuation AS SEEN FROM the perspective of one of the CHARACTERS in the myth(or dream) often the hero, but not always. Sometimes a character who is not the hero, per se, providesthe most useful individuating perspective.

The process of individuationis as the EGO or "outward personality" comes to terms with its shadowand its animus/anima.

EXAMPLE: Homeric Hymn to Demeter.

I will here look at the hymnfrom the perspective of Demeter, which means I will analyze all the charactersas though they were elements in a dream of hers. This analysis could be just as legitimately done from theperspective of Persephone, or Metaneira, or any other character in the tale,for that matter, though the assignment of the characters' archetypalsignificances would change with each change in perspective. That is, whereas Hades might be anANIMUS figure for, say, Persephone, he might also be a sort of SHADOW (as wellas also perhaps an ANIMUS) for Demeter. The important thing here is how much each exercise in analysis illuminatesthe processes of individuation -- and through the increased appreciation ofeach character's individuation the psychological process itself becomes betterunderstood (REMEMBER: as Jungians, we're all therapeutic psychologists!!)

So.....

For Demeter

Persephone : shadow figure -- females full of youth,beautiful, sexually available

Zeus / Hades : Animus as male destroyer figures,colluding to take away Persephone

Theloss of Persephone sets off a crisis, which results in her withdrawal from theworld during her search and her anonymity among humans.

Hekate : a self figure, who represents balancedgrief and acceptance; acknowledgment of loss, but also assimilation of it andlevel-headedness. (this is wherethe fullness and totality of the self comes in.)

Helios: Animus figure, here in the role ofhelper, offering wise advice in a knowing way.

Daughters of Keleos : shadow figures -- females full ofyouth, beautiful, sexually available

Metaneira : shadow figure --female still productive, in possession of a child, in possession of a place ofhonor within a household

Demeter'srole as nurse-maid represents a first attempt at assimilating the shadow, butthe rejection by Metaneira sets off a second, even more profound crisis. Leading to a second and even moreprofound withdrawal of Demeter.

Hermes : Animus figure -- amale helper to aid the process of integration

Inthe end, Demeter integrates her shadow of productivity to take on a new role ofnurturing mother, now configured as goddess of fertility.

NOTE: Other readings in a Jungian spirit arepossible and could be very good -- the test is do they illuminate?  It's especially true that the figuresof SELF and SHADOW are sometimes hard to distinguish -- this is something Jungacknowledged and was even actively interested in.

OK -- good luck with you ownreadings!!!