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Hanuman, an image produced by the creative Indian religious intuition, reminds us to become more conscious of the reality that we are ‘spiritualized’ (blue) animals (monkeys) and, thus, have to pay attention to the lower and the higher the biological and spiritual (the archetypal)- aspect of our nature. By ‘spiritual’, we mean the archetypal force behind the inborn drive to individuate, whose origin is out of reach of human reason; it is unknown (unconscious) to us, but we can experience and know that we are subject to this creative will of this unknown force. To put it in a Zen line: ‘It is just so’.
The image also depicts Hanuman carrying the two creative spiritual principles in his chest in the form of Goddess Sita and God Rama. Individuation, a mature perception of human nature and human life, cannot be achieved without a good degree of mutual assimilation (inner union) of these two creative principles, which also represent the Logos and Eros principles.
The mythological story of Hanuman we can find in the Ramayana.
Gods can be perceived as spirits-as unknown forces that influence our world from within and are also projected and depicted as personified spiritual forces and divine qualities as in Hinduism, so clearly is the case.
We see here in this image- serving as a hybrid symbol, that Goddess Sita (Lakshmi)and God Rama (a form of Vishnu)– are carried by Hanuman (The God or Divine force of service and devotion) within his chest – the heart centre of love- and the image can be interpreted as the masculine and feminine principles that we need to bring together -unite- within ourselves (by truthfulness, love and courage- matters of the heart).
The inner Spirit creates and comes to manifest within us through the two sexual principles; therefore, if we want to approach, know, experience and connect with the creative Spirit consciously, then we will have to deal with these powerful conflicting principles (which are spiritual drives) that are opposite and complementary to each other at the same time and make effort to unite these under a new conscious light. In the Far East, these creative principles are predominantly depicted as the Yin and Yang principles elsewhere, as Gods and Goddesses. In patriarchal religion the Goddess, we will find her in the mystical strand of these.
The Indian religious light festival of Deepavali or Diwali celebrates the return -or psychologically the inner union– of Rama and Sita to the Kingdom after defeating the force of darkness Ravana (unconsciousness). The festival also can be seen as a rite depicting spiritual enlightenment.
In the human domain, we find that a large part of individuation and creating conscious light has to do with the bringing together of the masculine and feminine characteristics of the psyche within each sex. In Jungian psychology, one has to gain first enough insight into one’s unconsciousness (shadow)-then via the experience of one’s animus or anima, attaining insight into the nature of – and making a bridge to – the other sex (and by this the other sexual principle in oneself) -before we can make good conscious relation to the Self….and attain Self-knowledge.
Two Hexagrams from the ancient I Ching flank this image of Hanuman.
Hexagram 11 ( Peace-fertility-heaven and earth unite) and Hexagram 12 ( Standstill-stagnation-destruction) . The first hexagram shows the masculine principle, allowing the feminine principle to have her say as well, submit itself to it when necessary, and all is good.
The second shows the situation when the masculine does not allow the feminine principle to be his equal creative partner and represses it. This is the situation today in the too much by the masculine dominated world and in the soul ruled by the masculine in men and women. Resulting in repression and undervaluation of the female and destruction of mother nature-sacrificed to masculine power and greed, blinded drive where life is not seen anymore as it is, let alone lived as it should be.
An incorrect balance of Yin and Yang results in stagnation of psychological growth and expansion, an infertile situation.
The I Ching says: “Heaven and earth are opposites, but their actions are concerted. Man and woman stand in opposition, but they strive for union”. Psychological wholeness and psycho-spiritual renewal result from the union of these opposites under sufficient conscious light, resulting in a mature individual. This individual has experienced and developed himself or herself by knowing the opposite sexual aspect of the creative Spirit within, and by that, is able to keep the right balance between the inner harmony of yin and yang in life.
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Grids of images + clarifying texts. Showing archetypal content (themes-imagery) reflected in religion and religious mythology in their images and symbols. Archetypes are nuclear instinctual forms that carry purpose and meaning in human expressions – psychological abilities and behaviours. They are the structures and forms behind our rites, creative intuitions and fantasy, woven into our dreams’ language. We find their presence in the imagery provided by religious intuition over the ages.
Examples:
Krishna-as androgyne Child-God, as the spirit of Love that brings divine Truth and insight. Bhagavad Gita: “Because you showed Love, I moksha you. Because I am Love”. Moksha reveals Truth and brings reality to a new conscious light. Love of God (higher qualities and values), the higher aspects of human nature, others and the opposite sex lead to Truth; in short, love of nature and life.
In the symbol of the Divine Flute, the creating masculine (phallic) and the creative receptive (hollow) and creating feminine is brought in union by the breath of the divine Spirit and produces music/sound, expressing harmonious ordered energy of higher spiritually-based feeling-ability.
Vishvarupa – Vishnu as the Cosmic Man. A projection of God in which all other Gods ( his spiritual forces) are embodied. Similar to Isha (the Lord of the Gods). The Cosmic Man is an anthropomorphized depiction of God as One and manifold. Out of his body parts (Purusha has a similar manifestation), the parts of the world are created. Krishna is a God in itself and, at the same time, an avatar of Vishnu. Through Krishna, Vishvarupa was revealed to his mother, Yashoda, as his inner reality. As One God who contains all Gods and Goddesses (masculine and feminine spiritual elements/archetypes).
An image of the Indian Goddess of wisdom Sarasvati–as the Spirit/Goddess wisdom, she rules over Parvati (spiritual reality) and (the earthly) Lakshmi, her partners with whom she forms the Tridevi, the counterpart of the masculine triad, the Trimurti. Making music must be understood as a disciplined and cultivated expression of feeling. A correct view of reality and human life cannot be established without having a cultivated differentiated feeling-life, which makes sound feeling-valuation possible and adds feeling-order to our rational reason and judgment. Only then does one have the wisdom to make the best choices for man’s and humanity’s end.
This image of the core Christian doctrine shows as a hybrid symbol, the crowning of Mary by the renewed masculine principle/spirit through Christ, that the earthly material Feminine (Mother nature) is connected with the heavenly spiritual Feminine. She (as the spirit of Life and higher Eros, in turn) brings about the connection of the old masculine Spirit (father) with the new masculine Spirit (the son) and, by that, the renewal of the Father God (the masculine generating Spirit). The renewal of the feminine and masculine spirit (within the deeper layers of the human psyche) cannot be realized without the two sexes and sexual principles (like yin and yang) working in unison.
The Holy Spirit (as an innate creative spirit) is the (5) quintessence that generates and rules this dynamic spiritual process. The crown -the corona- symbolises conscious light and wholeness.
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Image Grids, categories :
Abrahamic religions – Judaism -Christianity- Islam
Hinduism – Hindu Pantheon Gods and Goddesses-(spiritual qualities and
creative elements as projections/personifications )
Far Eastern religions —Taoism and Buddhism
Greek and Egyptian mythology, pantheons and religious imagery
Miscellaneous– – Roman Mythology–Ancient near Eastern mythology– Gods Goddesses ( Artemis of Ephesus – Lilith -Echnaton, etc — – Folklore – Animism -(animal symbolism totems rites)
Alchemy is a symbol system that relates to a religious endeavour; it shows the process of individuation in rite, symbol and action. It seeks the realization of Spirit by freeing it from matter. In modern language, this means taking back the projections of the Unconscious (innate spirit) onto the world of matter. Through this process, it was thought that one could realize the stone of Wisdom within the soul in Western alchemy. In Chinese alchemy, the endeavour aims to realize the diamond body, which equals the subtle spiritual body, and, by that longevity, even immortality in its Taoist alchemy. Alchemy also includes a union of the masculine and feminine aspects of the human psyche. Alchemy of the West and the East contains a treasure trove of symbols that relate to the process of individuation, which is our instinct or innate spiritual drive to become fully human. In that sense, it is obvious that alchemy will be a very valuable field to explore in the near future and an asset to modern depth psychology.