Self: The Archetype of the Soul

By Ryan Norris

“The self is not only the centre but also the whole circumference which embraces both consciousness and unconsciousness; it is the centre of this totality, just how the ego is the centre of the conscious mind.” – Carl Jung

The symbol of the Infernal Union is a solid example of this concept. Samael representing the masculine force (logic, reason, mental perseverance, etc) and Lilith represents the feminine force (emotional impulse, intuitive awareness, carnal instinct, etc) brought in unison which manifests Cain, Baphomet, or the head of the goat represented by the central inverted star. Leviathan coils endlessly around this unified self-awareness and is the primordial force of alchemical motion or motivation driving this marriage of the Horned God and Goddess. The union of the King and Queen of Hell through the Dragon’s coiled scales manifesting the spirit of the Great Beast as a whole symbol has resonated with practitioners of Luciferian ideology the archetypical symbol of the Self.

To comprehend the total Self as one exists within that circumference on a conscious level is like trying to comprehend the total size of the objective cosmic universe. Since the consciousness exists as a part of the Self but is not the total self and thus cannot fully grasp the magnitude of the total Self all at once. Samael is aware of Lilith as a spirit power manifested independently of his own manifestation, he accepts the parts of her that are hidden from his perception; and her vice versa.

Self-actualization is the central concept behind Carl Jung’s theory of individuation. This process is meant to bring the individual more in tune with their core Self. Jung held the notion that this core, this true Self, is what all people seek, but due to cultural and societal constraints and pressures, the Self gets buried alive under the conscious persona and covered over by the shadow. In the metaphorical sense, the Self is the hidden treasure all people seek yet fear to find. It is the boon of the hero’s journey and the object of the adventurer’s search. Yet, this level of self-realization won’t be without consequence as this personal uncovering will often, if not always, lead to a path that is devoid of the social comfort of being a nameless face in a heard. The mythological story of Cain provides an excellent allegory on self-actualization.

According to Luciferian ideology, Cain and Abel where not brothers in the carnal sense, but were rather the same individual. In these variations on the story, Cain was not conceived by Adam and Eve alone. It is seen as either Samael possessing Adam and copulating with Eve, Lilith possessing Eve causing her to copulate with Adam, or both being possessed by the infernal couple. In any case, the result of this first pregnancy was Cain. Due to Adam and Eve’s fear driven worship of Yehaweh, they went to work immediately forcing Cain to be buried under the repressive characteristics of Abel. But Cain, feeling the instinctual pull towards his spiritual heritage, could never fully accept this way for himself. It is also said that his true father, Samael, taught to him the “blow of death” necessary to kill this uninitiated side of his psyche that held him back from personal power. Cain eventual conducted the first satanic ritual with the intention of murdering his uninitiated self to allow his true self to rise in its place. After this, Cain transcended from Eden to walk in the shadow Earth in isolation as a spirit.

Carl Jung did not believe that humans are born as a blank slate as previously suspected. Rather, he saw the unconscious structuring of instinct and impulse before birth. In fact, this notion is only furthered today with what we know of as genetic memory, and with Jung’s metaphorical explanation of Odin rising from the dead as an angry repressed god for the German’s behavior as a nation in the early 20th century it’s plain to see why this fits. Repress a god it becomes a demon, repress a demon it becomes a devil, repress a devil and suffer the monster.

The concept of the spirit/soul/psyche by my personal stance aligns with the concept of Core or True Self. Whether it is an emergent property or a kind of fundamental force as yet understood is not to be known objectively at present time and for the foreseeable future. But that doesn’t mean one should put it on the back burner; especially when one walks the Left Hand Path. I view the Daemon (HGA, Personal Deity/Angel/ Demon, etc) as the alchemical symbol of the Total Self when the parts of the Self are brought into harmony with one another; synchronized in a “divine manner”.

Sources and Citations

The Self, carl-jung.net, https://www.carl-jung.net/shadow.html

III. The Adversary, the Bride of the Devil & Cain the Son, Luciferian Witchcraft: Azal’ucel Edition, Ford Michael w 2006

The Book of Cain, Luciferian Witchcraft: Azal’ucel Edition Ford Michael W, 2006

Infernal Union, Adversarial Light: Magick of the Nephilim, Ford Michael W, 2009

The Infernal Union Seal, The Bible of the Adversary, Ford Michael W, 2009