Correspondences of the Archetypes

 

This is modified from a version published on my old generations blog. An older version was published on these pages, but I have since rethought some of the correspondences, as well as added a line for the four medieval humours. The correspondences with the subtle bodies of the human form come from the theories of Amit Goswami, and those with the modes of consciousness are from Carl Jung. The correspondences with the elements connect the theory of subtle forms with the levels of consciousness as described by the Qabbalah and by the Bardo Thodol, and also with the seasons and humors. They lined up pretty well, except that the Phases of Life and Seasons aren't well aligned. Also, the association of Winter and Artist seems a little odd to me.

 
  HERO ARTIST PROPHET NOMAD

Character

 Civic Adaptive Idealist Reactive

Element

 Air Water Fire Earth

Tarot Suit

 Swords Cups Wands Pentacles

Qabalistic World

 Yetzirah (Formative) Briah (Creative) Atziluth (Archetypal) Assiah (Manifest)

Body

Vital

Mental

Supramental

Physical

Mode of Consciousness

Feeling

Thinking

Intuiting

Sensing

Phase of Life

 Young Adulthood Midlife Old Age Childhood

Season

 Spring Winter Summer Autumn

Humour

 Sanguine Phlegmatic Choleric Melancholic

Paradigm

 Cooperative Communicative Judgmental Opportunist

Realm

 Accomplishment Expertise Values Survival

Social Ideal

Duty

Love

Righteousness

Respect

Political Ideal

 Fraternity Equality Justice Liberty

Need

 Power Empathy Vision Realism

Ability

 Loyalty Compassion Wisdom Courage

Danger

 Conformity Pity Fanaticism Indifference

Ethos

Good behavior

Constructive activity

Implement values

Community

Self-fulfillment

Compromise

Caution

Find balance

Bad behavior

Destructive activity

Question values

Us vs. Them

Self-determination

Competition

Risk-taking

All or nothing

Role in Pre-History

 Young tribe members required community and a sense of purpose to fulfill their roles of hunters, warriors and mothers. Older, experienced humans were an important resource for arbitrating social conflict once the tribe reached a critical size. The few early humans who lived to old age were the tribe’s venerated source of wisdom and justice. Disaster could quickly destroy a tribe; only the cunning and courage of the survivors gave it a second chance.
Adapted from the The Fourth Turning Broadway Books, 1997.


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