The Archetypal Cycle
Each entity, e.g. each person, has two aspects to its identity - its individual self and its collective self. The first emphasizes the entity as a distinct individual with a focus on its own needs, goals, values, feelings, etc., while the second emphasizes the entity in relationship - to other individuals, to society, to the Universe. The sequential development of these two aspects of the psyche is symbolized by the twelve signs of the Zodiac (and equally well by the twelve houses).Each sign is a unique combination of the two emphases. In the first six signs, from Aries to Virgo, the individual aspect is emphasized in consciousness while the collective aspect operates in the unconscious background. In the last six signs, from Libra to Pisces, we see a reversal, with the collective aspect emphasized in consciousness and the individual aspect in the unconscious background.
We can think of these emphases as being the result of two interacting principles, which I call, not surprisingly, the individual and collective principles.1 These two principles, or forces, wax and wane over the cource of the cycle. There are different ways to visualize this; here is one:
Notice that except for the exact beginning points of Aries and Libra, one of the principles is always stronger than the other. We see that each of the stages of the cycle (i.e. each of the signs) is the result of the difference in strength between the two principles.
From Aries through Virgo, we see the individual principle stronger than the collective principle. It exists above the baseline, in the realm of consciousness. At the same time the collective principle is weaker, existing below the baseline in the unconscious background. The entity's focus and concerns in these signs center on its personal needs and wants.
From Libra through Pisces we see the opposite, with the collective principle the stronger of the two, above the baseline, conscious. The individual principle is now the weaker, below the baseline, in the unconscious background. The entity is here focused on its external, social world and its relationships to that world.
There is another factor we must now take note of. At each point in the cycle not only is one of the principles stronger than the other, but one of the principles is increasing in strength while the other is decreasing. This tells us the direction of development of the entity at this point in the sequence. When the individual principle is increasing while the collective is decreasing (from Capricorn through Gemini), the entity is building its individual self. This is done in the unconscious background in Capricorn through Pisces, and in the conscious foreground in Aries through Gemini. Then, from Cancer through Sagittarius, the collective principle is increasing in strength while the individual is decreasing. The entity is here building its collective identity, in the unconscious background from Cancer through Virgo, and in the conscious foreground from Libra through Sagittarius.
These four stages can be seen more clearly by visualizing the sequence of signs in a more traditional way as a circle:
From Aries through Virgo, we see the individual principle stronger than the collective principle. It exists above the baseline, in the realm of consciousness. At the same time the collective principle is weaker, existing below the baseline in the unconscious background. The entity's focus and concerns in these signs center on its personal needs and wants.
From Libra through Pisces we see the opposite, with the collective principle the stronger of the two, above the baseline, conscious. The individual principle is now the weaker, below the baseline, in the unconscious background. The entity is here focused on its external, social world and its relationships to that world.
There is another factor we must now take note of. At each point in the cycle not only is one of the principles stronger than the other, but one of the principles is increasing in strength while the other is decreasing. This tells us the direction of development of the entity at this point in the sequence. When the individual principle is increasing while the collective is decreasing (from Capricorn through Gemini), the entity is building its individual self. This is done in the unconscious background in Capricorn through Pisces, and in the conscious foreground in Aries through Gemini. Then, from Cancer through Sagittarius, the collective principle is increasing in strength while the individual is decreasing. The entity is here building its collective identity, in the unconscious background from Cancer through Virgo, and in the conscious foreground from Libra through Sagittarius.
These four stages can be seen more clearly by visualizing the sequence of signs in a more traditional way as a circle:
The result is four quadrants. I refer to the first quadrant - Aries through Gemini - as the individual-individual quadrant, where the individual principle is both the stronger of the two as well as increasing in strength. Using the same logic, we have Cancer through Virgo as the individual-collective quadrant, Libra through Sagittarius the collective-collective quadrant, and Capricorn through Pisces the collective-individual quadrant.
In the next pages I go through the signs as the expression of the interaction of these two basic principles.
In the next pages I go through the signs as the expression of the interaction of these two basic principles.