Two, Opposites

Two is associated with “the other” – the unknown, contradictory, the different. One is known, but the other is its shadow or opposite. Before “two” emerged, there was unity, wholeness. (Compare Androgynity, Circle , and Egg.) The Father and the Mother (heaven and earth, etc.) were one, but with consciousness, the division into two arose; opposites that then seek union. Therefore, the number two can imply awakening consciousness.

“When things appear as two in dreams, it suggests that they are attaining conscious status for the first time.” (The Eternal Drama, p. 10.)

Distinction

Two is a number for distinction, which is a fundamental function of consciousness, what the alchemists called separatio. We cannot make a conscious statement about something without excluding “the other.” If something appears as two in dreams, as we will return to below, it may be an expression of the will or possibility to become conscious.

Consciousness

To distinguish, therefore, is an expression of consciousness, the opposite of the unconscious’s massa confusa. For example, the infant is one with its mother, but as it grows older (more conscious), the realization comes that they are two separate (separated) individuals. An adult person may be “one” with his or her partner and not see the other as a separate individual, but rather as an extension of one's own self. This common psychological state is sometimes called participation mystique, meaning identification with one and projection of the other. According to Edinger, separatio is a key aspect of therapy. (Anatomy of the Psyche, p. 187.)

Creation myths describe the separation of the one or the contents of chaos; increased consciousness is also a kind of creation.

Two could thus symbolize differentiation, distinction. “Not just the first,” says von Franz (Creation Myths, p. 239), “but all subsequent steps toward higher consciousness are preceded by the separation of opposites.” Edinger says:

“Psychologically, the result of separatio through division into two is knowledge of the opposites. This is a critical function in the emerging consciousness.” (Anatomy of the Psyche, p. 187.)

In dreams, therefore, the number two can indicate the bringing of unconscious content into consciousness. (Compare Sword.) Jung exemplifies:

“The splitting of the primordial human into man and woman expresses an act of beginning consciousness; it generates an opposition, whereby a possibility of consciousness arises.” (Aion, par. 320.)

“As long as the opposites are one and in unity, consciousness is not possible,” clarifies von Franz (Creation Myths, p. 240). From this original distinction into two follows the ordering into four.

Of course, not everything should be divided. A “living whole” that is divided out of curiosity or an inability to choose or live in uncertainty leads to murder and darkness rather than life and enlightenment. Eros must balance logos; the soul is part of the work.

Crystallization

An unconscious content approaching the threshold of consciousness often appears as two in dreams; it is essentially split at the threshold of consciousness and illustrated as a pair. It is not uncommon to dream, for instance, that a person you know, or other figures for that matter, are two in the dream. The reason is that important dream figures or significant content behave in a way that goes against the ego's attitude, if the latter has no understanding of it. But as the ego’s understanding increases—that is, as it becomes more conscious of the content—the symbol begins to crystallize into two distinct parts. The ego, with its distinguishing function, cannot readily manage opposites as a single figure or content. When the symbol is eventually, as much as possible, understood, the content that doesn’t fit within the conscious understanding falls back into the unconscious, and the remaining figure is experienced as one.

Another image of the same content is the good and evil brother, for example, which can be seen as a man becoming self-aware and distinguishing.

Energy

Thus, the number two can represent consciousness, and for consciousness, energy is required. Psychic energy, like all energy, depends on polarity; it assumes the polarity between two opposites.

The Ambiguity of the Unconscious

Symbols are paradoxical by nature, and the unconscious possesses a “dangerous dual nature.” This can be expressed, for example, by animals appearing in dreams, where, say, a bear can be helpful or life-threatening—the symbol is inherently ambiguous, its own opposite. Instinct can be divine but also animalistic. Mercurius, as a symbol for the alchemists' work, or in psychological terms, the unconscious, was called “the two-headed” and “the dual.”

Opposites

Two describes opposites in dreams and myths: the good and the evil brother, the black and white bird, and so on. The good and the light symbolize what is known, conscious, and the evil and the dark symbolize what is unknown, unconscious (repressed, the shadow). In dreams, a “doubling of the shadow” occurs, where content appear as different or even opposites. This may be because the conscious personality, as we have discussed, cannot encompass all content, and thus a splitting occurs.

The ability to identify opposites is characteristic of consciousness. Jung writes that the differentiation of opposites is synonymous with sharper discernment, and this is a sine qua non for the development of consciousness (Alchemical Studies, par. 291). But with the division into two, conflict also arises; being between and aware of opposites can be painful, which is why continued unity—unconsciousness—is preferred by the “immature ego.”

Sinister, Conflict

The above suggests that the number two implies something sinister, “the other.” In this respect, it shares similarities with left as a symbol. This negative aspect of the number two reappears in the thought that two implies conflict—the hostile brothers, good versus evil, and so on. The second day of creation is the only day that God did not call “good” (Genesis 1:6). The number two implies that the one (harmony) has split into a conflict between opposites (discord).

Since “one” is the indestructible, “two” becomes the vulnerable; harmony and discord, as mentioned. “De tenebris contra naturam” in Theatricum Chemicum (quoted in Mysterium Coniunctionis, par. 554) suggests that the serpent could not attack "unity", Adam, and therefore attacked "the divided", Eve.

Conflict is not in itself negative; opposites are a prerequisite for life, but whether the relationship between opposites becomes destructive depends on our attitude toward it—do we become overwhelmed, choose one side, etc., or do we learn to live with the conflict while rising above it? Individuation does not make one free of conflict, but rather aware of opposites.

The Feminine

According to Jung, the number two relates to the number three in a feminine way, "that is, as receptive and absorbing patience or as matter to be shaped. (The alchemists speak here of impregnatio, fertilization, and informatio, shaping.)" (Psychology and Alchemy, par. 407.)

Union

The union of the two opposites is a goal in alchemy, traditional yoga, and other expressions of deeper psychological processes, with the most famous illustration being the union of man and woman; for example, as king and queen (common in alchemy) or prince and princess (common in fairy tales). Union in this sense requires, from a psychological perspective, that the opposites be separated and made conscious. Otherwise, the union would be premature (often expressed as incest in alchemy, for instance) and destructive, where one party is lost (mother devouring the adept, etc).

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