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Archetype of the Good King

Jan 21, 2021

“The Good King is the deepest underlying matrix in a man’s psyche”

The king is figured prominently in myth, religion, and fairy tale. This compelling archetypal image has roots in our earliest human beginnings, when the king embodied his tribe’s earthly vitality and supra-human connection to spirit. Today, the king symbolizes universal psychic functions; each of us has an internal ruler. Like Solomon, the king presides over standards of ordering and lawgiving that undergird processes of discernment and decision.

As warrior, the king protects and defends the kingdom of selfhood he has built; he has access to aggression and takes responsibility for the consequences of his actions. The masculine principle is also a symbol of the fertilizing presence that creates new psychic life and fuels libido for growth. And the king has the power to confer blessings. Like King Arthur, he provides all aspects of internal life with a seat at the round table of consciousness—and wholeness.

Here’s the dream we analyze:

“I’m in a beautiful old building, it looks to be a library with large windows and oak desks. I’m there to talk to a man that my bossy/controlling neighbor friend is interested in. She wants me to convince him to ask her on a date. I’m carrying the book How to Be An Adult by David Richo in a semi-translucent grocery bag. As I start talking to him, we really hit it off and I’m very attracted to him; I want him for myself. Getting caught up in our connection, I almost forget why I’m there to talk to him but I also completely forget my friend’s name. I go looking for her and find her bathing in a large metal tub in a back room of the library and I’m scared to tell her I didn’t do what I was supposed to do (and that I even betrayed her in a way). I’m trying to get her to tell me how to pronounce her name, acting as if I still remember it but just can’t pronounce it. The dream ends there.”

References:

Robert Moore. King, Warrior, Magician, Lover: Rediscovering the Archetypes of the Mature Masculine, https://www.amazon.com/dp/0062506064/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_746bGbFC2ARTC

Sir James George Frazer. The Golden Bough: A Study in Magic and Religion, https://www.amazon.com/dp/0199538824/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_B66bGbGB9ZEXA

Jordan Peterson. 12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos, https://www.amazon.com/dp/0345816021/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_t76bGb3B1NVRP

Bella Puglisi and Angela Ackerman. The Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to Character Expression, https://www.amazon.com/dp/0999296345/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_m86bGb7FJ6PY9

Resources:

Learn to Analyze your own Dreams:  https://thisjungianlife.com/enroll/

8 Comments

  1. William Woodard

    Assuming the dreamer is female, seems like this is the story of the passing of reins from the inherited animus to the developed one.

    Reply
  2. Charlotte K

    Jordan Peterson is a problemed person and you should look deeper into what he supports before recommending him.

    Reply
  3. John N

    It was disappointing, and even concerning, to me that you portrayed Jordan Peterson’s work as serious and beneficial. The most generous I can be is that perhaps he is unaware of his irresponsibly opportunistic way of proceeding. I encourage listeners who are going to explore his work to go in with both eyes wide open and be curious about why he writes and speaks in the manner that he does. What would motivate someone to present in this way, what could be the origin and goals?

    It will not be difficult for listeners to gather enough information to develop an informed opinion, but I remain disheartened that this podcast would recommend Peterson’s work. I half expected that you would bring him up again when you discussed the shadow king, especially the weakling-tyrant variant.

    Reply
    • jamie

      Peterson knows what he is talking about when it comes to jung and symbolism.

      Reply
  4. Mamie Allegretti

    Hello,
    Perhaps the friend represents the part of herself that she finds “bossy and controlling” and keeps her from having a romantic relationship. She said she wants a relationship in real life but is a bit wary as well. That part of herself is kind of being washed away in the bath. We might even see it as herself being soaked in the emotion of it as water can often represent emotion or feeling. She is afraid to tell this part of herself that she didn’t do what she came to do ,and I almost get the feeling that she also wants to confess to the woman in the bath that she actually is attracted to the man. Perhaps she is afraid that the bossy, controlling part of herself will give her an argument over it. It seems like she needs to have a confrontation with this “friend” part of herself and accept her desire for this man – to kind of take responsibility for her desire and stand up for herself. What does the library mean? To me, a library is a place you go to learn something. She also had a book in her bag about how to be an adult. Part of being an adult is taking responsibility for your desires even though you may have to disappoint or betray or confront someone else. So perhaps the library represents her having to learn about this process. It would be interesting to know what a library means to the dreamer. Thank you.

    Reply
  5. Shirley Lancaster

    I thought Joseph’s reference to Petersen’s book was apropiate and I have found this book both perceptive and useful. The podcast was so rich in content and insights and I found it open-minded and challenging – as the podcasts generally are.

    Reply
  6. Alesha Dixon22

    Nice! This helped me with my english assignment! 🙂 Thanks!

    Reply
  7. jake

    the simple way to check out mr Peterson is to go on telegram, search his name, go on the chat he runs and see what he posts. quite a different story from his outer public face. he is an overt climate denier for instance. I think unfortunately he got powerfully shamed by the gender crowd. went into a reactive fight or flight process and has never left it.

    Reply

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