[Opinion] Archetypes or Pantheons

[Asteriskos]

Do the Gods/Goddesses reflect the Archetypes (Jungian) or do the Archetypes reflect the God/Goddesses of a people / Mankind in general?

 

[taschr]

Jung's own view was that the archetypes were primary. He saw them as innate patterns that existed before cultural filtering was applied, the Gods and Goddesses being manifestations of deep psychological structures.

My view is that Jung reverse engineered patterns that he observed across different mythologies and called them archetypes. Ultimately I'm not sure that the distinction matters a whole lot beyond one's own ontological framing, but I favor the view that mystical experiences point to genuine contact with the divine.

 

[Asteriskos]

My view is that Jung reverse engineered patterns that he observed across different mythologies and called them archetypes. Ultimately I'm not sure that the distinction matters a whole lot beyond one's own ontological framing, but I favor the view that mystical experiences point to genuine contact with the divine.

I think pretty closely to this myself, but it's interesting to get some other opinions. This question was actually prompted by something similar that John Michael Greer said somewhere (not an exact quote, but close) so I thought I'd toss it out for comments.

 

[FireBorn]

I think it depends on how you met them.

If someone meets gods through books first, then their experience will usually follow the lens they were handed. Nothing wrong with that, it's just filtered.

If you meet them directly, in the dark and without inherited frameworks, then the encounter shapes your understanding instead of someone else’s imagination doing it for you.

Archetype vs deity only matters to the mind.
Standing in front of them makes the question feel small. And to be honest, for some reason those questions melt from the mind when you're standing in front of one.

I don’t care what Jung or a grimoire thinks I “should” experience, I trust the thing standing in front of me more than the author who described their own limits. YMMV

 

[Asteriskos]

I'll buy that. Everyone must ultimately decide for themselves, still interesting to get the feed back!