Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung, originally Sigmund Freud’s follower, developed the analytical psychology approach and expanded on the idea that the unconscious is vital in behavior and personality, not just the personal unconscious but also the collective unconscious. He believed that the body, mind, and soul, or the human psyche, are made up of three parts; the collective unconscious, the ego, and the personal unconscious. The ego represents the conscious mind; in the personal unconscious, there are memories, even the suppressed ones, and finally, the archetypes are in the collective unconscious. The difference between the collective and personal unconscious is that the personal unconscious is unique to each individual. In contrast, the collective unconscious contains all the memories that the whole of humanity shares.

According to Carl Jung, we inherit biological, fundamental, and unconscious aspects from our ancestors. These archetypes are remnants of joys, sorrows, fate, and psychology repeated countlessly throughout history. Jung believes that this part of the human psyche; the collective unconscious, contains all the experiences and knowledge that humans, as species, share, and this theory goes against the ancient Greek concept of tabula rasa, believing that at birth, the human mind is a blank slate to be filled only with experience.

These archetypes serve as a basis for how to be human and how we experience some things. They symbolize fundamental human values, personalities, ambitions, beliefs, morals, and motivations. Jung felt that although each archetype had a vital role in personality, most people had a specific dominant archetype. The expression of archetypes depends on unique personal experiences, and cultural influences, among others. We can conclude the existence of archetypes by looking at religion, art, literature, and dreams since they cannot be directly apparent to the naked eye. There are an unlimited number of archetypes that may be in existence. However, Carl Jung identifies four major archetypes with a suggestion of two different personality centers.

Carl Jung’s Four Major Archetypes

The four main archetypes identified by Carl Jung represent the union of the conscious and unconscious. These archetypes are; the self, the Persona, the animus or anima, and the shadow. Here is a detailed analysis of these archetypes.

1. The Persona

A derivation from a Latin word meaning mask, this archetype defines how we present ourselves to others; socially, it shows the different masks we wear when with our families, when at work, and when out with friends, to name a few. Based on our upbringing, the environment we are in, and our culture, our Persona takes different forms. It reflects our adaptation to our surroundings; we can protect ourselves or fit in depending on the groups and situations and protects the ego from negative images.

The Persona, according to Carl, takes different forms and may appear in dreams. This figurative social mask keeps one in check and ensures that they contain socially unacceptable impulses, emotions, and primitive urges. For instance, children, from a young age, are taught that to fit societal norms and expectations, they have to behave and act in a certain way. The downside to this archetype is that it can lead one to lose their true self as one tries to keep up with everyone else’s expectations and norms.

2. The Shadow

In this archetype, humans have two sides; the dark and the light. While we want to show our light side, we choose to suppress the dark side, which becomes our shadow. Contained in the unconscious mind are personality aspects we are unaware of and those we don’t like. We can only realize through automatic responses; they arise without warming, more like reflexes. The Shadow archetype has our weaknesses, desires, repressed ideas, shortcomings, biases, prejudices, and instincts. This archetype represents chaos, wildness, and the unknown and is often referred to as the darker side of the psyche. It forms when we attempt to build our PersonaPersona and adapt to societal norms; all the things unacceptable to society and one’s morals form the shadow. Some things we repress and are found in the shadow include hate, envy, greed, and aggression.

According to Jung, this archetype, just like the Persona, can appear in dreams and may take various forms. It can also appear in visions and may appear as some dark, exotic, or wild figure like a demon, snake, or even a dragon, to name a few. We all have this side and often project it onto others as we deny it ourselves.

3. The Animus or Anima

Anima is a woman, representing the femininity or feminine image in a man’s psyche. At the same time, the animus is a man and a representation of the masculine image or masculinity in a woman’s psyche. A combination of the animus and anima is referred to as the divine couple or syzygy and represents wholeness, unification, and completion.

How we perceive the world results from what we experience, our way of life, and how we are brought up. According to Jung, these three teach us what an ideal person should be like. He also believed that gender identities and the development of sex roles resulted from social influence and physiological changes. The encouragement in many cultures to adopt the traditional gender roles among men and women and exercise rigidity to anything contrary has undermined psychological development.

The personal unconscious has experiences with brothers, husbands, and boyfriends that contribute to a man’s image. In contrast, the collective unconscious contains information and notions on how men are supposed to behave, and the same applies to women. This archetype represents not what we present to others but who we are and acts as a principal source of communication with the personal and collective unconscious.

4. The Self

This archetype is a result of merging the unconscious and conscious states with the ego. Here, you cannot find two similar personalities, everyone is unique, and their unique experiences in life help shape their individuality. This archetype is often referred to as mandala, square, or circle.

Other archetypes

The Jungian archetypes are not only limited to the four that have been mentioned above. There is no fixed number of archetypes in existence. These archetypes can combine, overlap, and intermingle to form more archetypes. According to Jung, the four main archetypes can combine to give rise to the following 12 archetypical images or figures.

• • • Explorer
    • Rebel
    • Hero
    • Wizard
    • Lover
    • Caregiver
    • Sage
    • Innocent
    • Jester
    • Creator/artist
    • Everyman
    • Ruler

These 12 archetypical figures can be divided into four depending on their orientation and what they seek to realize. The ego type wants to impact the world and leave a mark; the freedom type desires paradise; the social type seeks to connect with other people; the order type yearns to provide or create structure in the world.

Paul Wagner’s Personality Cards: An Extension of Carl Jung

Each person is unique; there is no replica of you anywhere else in the world, even with the belief that you have almost seven replicas. That being said, we all cannot identify with these 12 archetypical figures. The personality cards by Paul Wagner have 78 personality cards that aim at inspiring people divinely in relationships, life, and matters of love. These cards help one not only discover their personalities but also act as a guide to help people navigate issues like forgiveness and other situations. Each card has a symbolic image that is unique to a person. These cards are an extension of Carl Jung’s archetypes; they include;

• The Heart collector, the Family Fable, the Softie, the Transparent, the Innocent Rascal, the Disconnected, the Feral Storm, the Squeeze, the Contradictor, the Mystic, the Disruptor, the Conscious Twist, the Interrupter, the Whimsical, the Small stepper, the Cowboy, the Bull Rider, the Naïve, the Electricity, the Calculated, the Seeking Solace, the Skater, the Copycat, the Comedian, the Cuddler, the Serpentine, the Two Minds, the Indifferent, the Mosaic, the Regurgitator, the Fearless, The Partial Truth, the Coiled, the Frail, the Observer, the Lover, the Little Devil, the Bumble Bee.
• The Empty Space, the Forgetful, the Feeler, the Rekindled, the Once-enchanted, the Harness, the Grouch, the Networker, the Awakened, the Disconnected, the Unattached, the Do-gooder, the Righteous Beast, the Yearning, the Wanderer, the King, the Jester, the Influencer, the Incredulous, the Noble, the Hermit, the Money, the Verge, the Repeater, the Socializer, the Outrageous, the Shifter, the Untouchable, the Floating, the Judge, the Healer, the Dogmatist, the Hedonist, the Menace, the Yesterday, the Asserter, the Respite, the Silent, the Facilitator, the Enticer, the Covert.

A look into these cards will help you discover yourself and how to navigate your relationships with others. The messages at the back of the card give a simple reading into the personality the card identifies with. Which ones resonate most with you?

Meet Paul Wagner

Paul Wagner is an Intuitive Life & Business Coach, clairvoyant reader, and a five-time EMMY Award-winning writer. He created “THE PERSONALITY CARDS,” a powerful Oracle-Tarot deck that’s helpful in life, love, and relationships. Paul studied with Lakota elders in the Pecos Wilderness, who nurtured his empathic abilities and taught him the sacred rituals. He has lived at ashrams with enlightened masters, including Amma, the Hugging Saint, for whom he’s delivered keynotes at Her worldwide events.

Paul tours the world lecturing on spiritual liberation. He lovingly offers intuitive readings, inspirational coaching, and illuminating courses to help others with self-discovery, decision-making, healing, and forgiveness. Book a session with Paul: HERE