Archetype Settings and Symbols

The Sun

(masculine) both the giver and destroyer of life creative energy; consciousness; passage of time and life.

Rising sun: birth; creation; setting sun: death

The Moon

(feminine) marks the passage of time and controls the course of human events. Seedtime, harvest,

tides, etc.

The Shadow

life instincts which exist as part of the unconscious mind and are composed of repressed ideas,

weaknesses, desires, instincts and shortcomings. Often described as the darker side of the psyche, representing

wildness, chaos and the unknown.

Water

the mystery of creation; the life cycle (birth-death-resurrection); purification and redemption

The Sea:

the mother of all life; death and rebirth; the unconscious

Rivers

death and rebirth (baptism); the flowing of time into eternity; transitional phases of the life cycle; incarnations

of deities.

Fountain

rebirth, renewal, life

The Whirlpool:

symbolizes the destructive power of nature and fate

The Underworld:

a place of death; represents an encounter with the dark side of the self

The Magic Weapon:

Symbolizes extraordinary quality of the hero; no one else can wield the weapon or use it to its

full potential; usually given to the hero by the mentor figure

Garden:

paradise; innocence; unspoiled beauty (especially feminine); fertility; new birth; hope

Tree

inexhaustible life due to its growth, proliferation, and generative and regenerative processes; wisdom

Caves and Tunnels:

rebirth, passage, death of the old life

Islands

remoteness from society and the island’s isolation from all other societies; helps insulate people from other

cultures so that their culture remains true to itself; blocks outside influences

Desert:

spiritual aridity, death, nihilism, hopelessness

Fire

both protective and destructive; symbolizes human knowledge and industry

Circle (sphere):

Wholeness, unity, perfection, eternity

Egg (oval):

The mystery of life and the forces of generation

Triangle (pyramid):

The Christian Trinity; stages of life; hardship

Yin-yang:

the union of the opposite forces of the yin (female principle, darkness, passivity, the unconscious) and the

yang (masculine principle, light, activity, the conscious mind)