The Shadow of the Opposites

Summer Solstice and the Power of the Shadow

We've just gone past the longest day of the year, Summer Solstice and it inspired me to reflect on the theme of enantiodromia, things turning into their opposite.

Enantiodromia is deeply related to projection. Jung revived the Greek word enantiodromia from the ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus, who has been deeply influential on western (Eurocentric) philosophy, but whose writing only survives in fragments, quotes by other ancient and modern writers. None of his works survive. Somehow this is strangely fitting, reminding us how certain ideas or powers in the unconscious, even when long forgotten or obscured, still have great power over us.

Back to enantiodromia. How to even pronounce it? Why couldn't there be a simpler word? 'enantio' is ancient Greek for 'opposite' and 'dromia' means 'running course' (think of autodrome or hippodrome). Anyway, there's really no other word for the idea, which Jung defined as "the emergence of the unconscious opposite in the course of time."

Nature, which taught Heraclitus and Jung, provides easy to understand examples: The above-mentioned summer solstice, from which, over half a year, the winter solstice happens, from the longest day to the longest night. Nature is full of such cycles, such as spring and fall, day and night, etc. When the sun is at its highest peak, at noon, the seed of the inevitable night is already there. The old country song 'The darkest hour is just before dawn,' to me speaks of the same idea. What goes up must come down. What decays turns into the soil for the new.

One aspect of enantiodromia, both in nature and in the unconscious, is that it appears inevitable. When we unconsciously project (and all projection is unconscious), this projection is liable to flip into its opposite, from great admiration to disgust or hate. We see this in the unconscious of individuals and groups. This is why enantiodromia is deeply related to projection. If we unconsciously project, enantiodromia happens more or less inevitably, if we remain unconscious.

For example, in individuals, when someone has a crush, an unconscious projection, and thus full of passion and a certain irrationality, it often happens that the crush turns into the opposite. There's a recent very public 'bro-mance' (even that term speaks to the power of the unconscious) where this happened quickly, dramatically and with an anticipated inevitability. I've also seen the opposite, where someone has a negative projection onto another person, judging them in a harsh way, and then that can flip also into a more positive view, discovering that the person has multiple aspects and that the one-sided projection reveals more about oneself. And that is the way out of unconscious projection: Making the unconscious conscious, so we see and own what we are unconsciously projecting. In that way, as frustrating as projection can be when it rules us unconsciously, it can be a great guide and teacher to make the unconscious conscious.

In groups or collectives, the same thing happens, but it may present slightly differently. If members of a group are very passionate (& unconscious) about their beliefs and unable to tolerate their own doubts, they project this doubt onto others, who are often very closely aligned and yet get labeled as somehow not being 'true believers.' We've seen this in historical dictatorial regimes, such as during the Soviet era when idealization and idolization of leaders turned into the opposite (e.g. Stalin, who was first idolized, was replaced by Khrushchev and scorned, and then Khrushchev was removed and ousted). It may be hard to believe, but Iran and the US were allies a long time ago, before the mutual shadow projection took over. There are examples throughout history, because groups of people are ruled by unconscious forces. Even though these historical trends can feel inevitable, like day turning into night, if each of us explores our projections (both positive and negative) and works to make the unconscious conscious, it can ripple out into the world. Even when historical, political and natural forces seem larger than us, we can always work on ourselves.

The seeming inevitability of feelings, of projections, turning into their opposite, is an aspect of the power and rule of the unconscious. When we are ruled by the unconscious, by the Shadow, it feels almost impossible to resist, like the force of gravity.

It's important to distinguish this willingness to make the unconscious conscious from egoic willfulness. We can't just pretend we don't have a Shadow or that it has no power over us, as much as the ego wants to trick us into believing just that. We are invited to continuously explore the power of the Shadow. We can't ever get rid of our Shadow. It takes effort.

That's one of the motivations behind the new Shadowpyre group: That we commit to and behold each other as we continue to explore Shadow aspects that continue to manifest. The term pyre is the invitation to throw things into the pyre, so that like the phoenix rising from the ashes, we can turn the power of the Shadow into the foundations for a new consciousness.

The next Shadowpyre group happens Thursday July 17.