Androgynity, Hermaphrodism

Androgyny represents the primordial state of humanity or the divine—the self-sufficient wholeness. (Cf. Circle and Egg.) The primordial refers to the unconscious, and because the symbols of the unconscious encompass their opposites, they are expressed “hermaphroditically.” The symbol can represent the absence of distinction characteristic of the unconscious (cf. Two). On the other hand, it signifies a union of opposites made conscious through differentiation, often portrayed as a goal.

In many contexts, the hermaphrodite symbolizes the perfected human being. Across numerous myths, the union of man and woman is seen as the ultimate wholeness. This symbol recurs in countless folktales where the prince and princess unite and "live happily ever after"—in other words, they achieve fullness.  

However, the symbol is complex, and its nature is inherently ambivalent. According to Jung, the hermaphrodite is a symbol of, let’s say, a milestone in the individuation process but not its endpoint, as the goal lies beyond this. With the hermaphrodite, the individual contains opposites or even conflict within themselves; in psychological terms, "the other" is integrated. However, the union of opposites in this context carries a quality more akin to crucifixion than perfection. (Visions, pp. 933–955.)

Mythology  

Many gods were androgynous, symbolizing “primordial wholeness,” with some even self-fertilizing, such as Ra. Other deities, like Nun and Tiamat, are described as “bisexual.” (“Only absolute wholeness can renew itself from within and rebirth itself,” Jung observes in Aion, par. 221.) Traces of this theme appear in Zeus, who carried his child Dionysus in his "thigh," and in Odin, the great father imbued with distinctly feminine traits. (The bisexuality of the Greek gods likely reflects their hermaphroditism.) Similarly, the Great Mother was at times depicted with a beard to signify her androgyny, just as certain gods wore women’s clothing.

The Great Mother can represent the deepest layers of the unconscious, where the opposites of masculine and feminine have not yet been separated. (Compare below.) “The notion of a bi-sexual primordial being has deep roots and wide distribution,” according to the historian of religion Folke Ström (Nordisk hedendom, p. 95). One might interpret the Virgin Mary as an expression of this archetypal pattern, as she gives birth to Christ without a man—just as the androgynous primal human Adam “creates” Eve from his own body, similarly aided by a mystical “helper.” (Mysterium Coniunctionis, par. 581.)  

“As civilization progresses, the bisexual ‘primordial beings’ transform into a symbol of personality wholeness, a symbol of the Self, where the war of opposites finds peace. ... From the very beginning, they have been a projection of ... the union between the conscious and unconscious personality.” (Introduction to a Science of Mythology, p. 130.)

Alchemy  

Even the Philosopher’s Stone is said to fertilize and give birth to itself in alchemy, just as Mercury in its sources is sometimes depicted as hermaphroditic or bisexual, capable of self-fertilization. This primordial state describes the prima materia, the chaos of primeval times, and indeed, monsters have often been attributed both masculine and feminine traits. The "Mercury serpent," as a symbol of the alchemists' primal matter, was bisexual and/or a self-fertilizing dragon. Above all, Mercury was always paradoxical—both one thing and the other.  

The Dual Nature of Symbols  

Symbols are expressed as "bisexual," or, put another way, as containing both feminine and masculine qualities because they always include their opposite. For instance, they can be both "good" and "bad;" eg. fire can symbolize both purification and destruction, a serpent can represent both instinct and spirit, a tree can have both distinctly masculine and feminine qualities, and so on.

Differentiation  

The first human, Adam, can be viewed as a hermaphrodite rather than simply a man, because the woman is created from him. In other words, God differentiates the first human into man and woman, just as He "differentiates" the earth and the sea, light and darkness, and so on. Through differentiation, consciousness arises. The original unity is sometimes referred to as chaos (the prima materia in alchemy) and symbolizes unconsciousness, from which consciousness is born through differentiation. (Cf. Two.)  

The Union of Opposites  

The union of opposites is symbolized as a hermaphrodite, both in alchemy and elsewhere; as such, it can be an expression of the Self, of totality. (But see below, it is more common to understand the hermaphrodite as an expression of the union of opposites as a beginning or part of a process, rather than as the "final product.")

In other words, the original unity is split into opposites, and the mystical goal is to reunite them (which is especially prominent in Gnosticism). This becomes a rhythm recognizable from Eastern philosophy, where the world is created and destroyed, created and destroyed, infinitely; with the entire universe pulsing, like the human heart and breath—differentiating-unifying-differentiating-unifying, in-out-in-out, disappearing-returning-disappearing-returning, and so on. (Cf. Breath.)

Unresolved  

In dreams, hermaphroditism can sometimes have a negative quality, resembling a monster that represents a fixation on "this and also that," where one side needs to be released through differentiation. (Redemption Motifs, p. 27f.) For alchemists, the hermaphroditic monster was synonymous with the dragon, something that must be broken apart to be redeemed (cf. Dismemberment). This monster refers to a union of opposites that is premature, unconscious, possibly a result of regression (cf. Incest).

Anima/Animus

The human and his "contrasexual complex" often appear in alchemy as a hermaphroditic figure, frequently adorned with a crown.  

Innate Androgyny  

Both the oldest belief systems and contemporary depth psychology, as well as modern biology, agree that no one is solely one or the other; we all carry traces of the original hermaphroditism, so to speak.  

Homosexuality  

Heterosexual individuals' dreams with homosexual elements can reflect the hermaphroditic symbolic value, where the dreamer adopts the role of the opposite sex and, in this way, possesses both sexes.

Popular posts from this blog

Forget About the Archetype - It's the Complex

A good post on Reddit expresses criticism towards people seeking answers to their personal problems in Jung’s archetype theory, arguing that they misunderstand Jung’s fundamental theoretical framework, particularly the process of individuation. The post became popular, receiving many upvotes and quickly garnering several fairly lengthy, often well thought-out responses. But what struck me was that the writer didn’t mention complexes a single time in the nearly 600-word post, and no one else did either in their comments. This prompted me to write a short post highlighting the point that when people share their thoughts on Jung in relation to their own or others’ psychology, it is actually, in most cases, about complexes—not archetypes. A couple of days later, the thread had 54 comments and 246 upvotes, which are rather high numbers in this forum for a serious post that sticks to the topic of Jungian psychology. However, my post hadn't received any comments or upvotes. Still no-one e...
Read more

Shadow Work – A Critical Commentary

When browsing public channels on various platforms that deal with Jungian psychology, one is struck by how frequently “shadow work” appears.  It seems to be mostly young men, who don’t appear to have studied Jung to any significant extent, who are fascinated by and encourage this "work." As someone who has studied Jung and Jungian literature for a long time, I don’t recognize this focus on so-called shadow work in the sources at all. It actually seems to be a modern internet phenomenon rather than something genuinely Jungian. Yes, it is of course true that the “shadow” is a central concept in Jungian psychology, and it is true that Jung stated that it is "a therapeutic necessity for the ego to confront its shadow" (CW 14, par. 514) – but this shadow work they speak of, where does it come from? Because it certainly doesn’t come from Jung or any influential Jungians. What is the shadow according to Jung? It is simply hidden or unconscious aspects of ourselves that we...
Read more

3. The Muster of Rohan; 4. The Siege of Gondor

Since neither Frodo, Gandalf or Aragorn participates in the events of this chapter, there is very little symbolic significance. We may note that Théoden’s army meets Éowyn at Dunharrow, an ancient fortress to which the people have fled under her leadership. During supper, Merry asks about Aragorn and the Paths of the Dead, but no one—neither Théoden, Éomer or Éowyn—understands why he chose to take this hopeless road. No one knows of the Stone of Erech or the “peril in the south.” “Woe that so valiant a man should trifle with death in this dire hour!” Éomer exclaims. The reason for Aragorn’s reticence is probably that his initiation is an intensely private matter, a secret pure and simple. Théoden intends to leave both Éowyn and Merry behind here—neither of them is suited to battle, he believes. But when the host later rides toward Gondor, Éowyn and Merry ride with it in secret. Both refuse to be left in a place where their respective callings would remain unfulfilled. 4. The Siege of G...
Read more