As we have seen in our previous article, there are five main archetypes that Jung defines: the Self, the Shadow, the Anima, the Animus and the Persona. Of course, there are several other archetypes apart from these that are present within the images of the Tarot cards. But to begin our journey, we shall start out with these five.

Today, we are going to look at the archetype of the Self and at how it has been portrayed in the Tarot cards.

The Self

As per Wikipedia, the Self (according to Jungian theory) is the totality of the psyche. It is the entirety of the individual’s consciousness and unconscious. The Self, according to Jung, is realized after going through the process of Individuation. And Individuation is a process of integrating one’s personality.

The Symbol of The Self

Jung symbolized the Self in a form of a Mandala that combines a circle and a square and is divided into four quadrants. This picture represents the different layers of the personality and the psyche that evolve and create the complete picture, the Self.

The Self Explained

Jung viewed the personality as a series of layers. There is the consciousness, the unconscious, and then there is the ego. According to Jung, the ego is the center of the consciousness, while the Self is the center of the entire personality as a whole.

Jung states that each individual begins with a feeling of wholeness or completeness. But as the individual grows up, the ego consciousness emerges based on the different experiences one has in life. The journey, therefore, to Self Realization, is the process whereby the individual finds a way back to that original feeling of completeness and wholeness of the Self. This journey back to the Self is helped along by myths and ceremonies of initiation and different rites of passage.

Thus, in essence, the journey of realization of the Self is a process of individuation through which we return back to where we had begun – with the feeling of wholeness and completeness of the Self.

Tarot Cards – The Archetype of The Self

The way I see it, the image of the Self is portrayed across two cards of the Major Arcana: The Fool and The World. The Fool card in this case represents the beginning part of the journey, where the sense of Self exists, but in an unrealized form. The World card, on the other hand, shows us the realized version of the Self. The stages of Individuation occur, then, at The Chariot and The Temperance cards.

Let’s examine the two cards that express the Archetype of the Self in the Tarot.

The Fool – The Unrealized Self

In this card, we actually see The Fool emerge from the cave (a symbol of the womb). The closed bag that he carries on his wand is said to contain his talents or skills or tools. These tools emerge from your intuitive or innate knowledge of yourself.

Even the pentacles that form part of his dress design are haphazardly arranged. We see the complete picture of these pentacles start emerging on the veil of the High Priestess (where, of course, it is hidden behind the pomegranates and the date palms) and on the card of the Ten of Pentacles where they are very obviously shown in the form of the symbol of the Tree of Life from Kabala.

The presence of the dog (which represents the Anima / Animus) is also a very interesting factor to take into account. As Jung mentions, the Anima and Animus are also the different archetypes that are present within the layers of the Self.

All of these symbols show an individual with the inherent knowledge of wholeness or completeness that exists, but which is not yet realized or accepted by the conscious mind.

The Fool is depicted standing on the precipice – he is on the verge of beginning his journey of life, where he will encounter different life experiences, and other archetypes, thus allowing his ego consciousness to emerge. At each stage of Individuation, he will start consciously becoming aware of the unconscious picture of the Self that he has carried within him throughout.

The tools he has carried with him in the bag, which were laid bare in The Magician card, will then cease to be simply tools. They will become the means of harnessing the powers and skills present within this Self, leading on to yet another journey on a higher plane of existence perhaps.

This state of being realized is portrayed very effectively in The World card.

The World – The Realized Self

The World card shows a picture of an individual who is floating amongst the clouds. This individual is portrayed in the nude. To me, thisnudity suggests the fact that this person has nothing left to hide, or cover up. What you see is what you get.

There is nothing left to be revealed. Whatever was hidden before has now become known. The Self that had remained in the unconscious before has now emerged in the conscious as well.

The individual in the World card also holds two wands. As I mentioned before, the tools that the Fool carried hidden in his bag and the Magician kept on his table are now the means of harnessing these powers and skills. They cease to become just tools, and are now more an external means of achieving the inner goals.

The dancing posture also signifies the fact that the individual is now rejoicing in the conscious realization of the Self.

This rejoicing has led to success and glory on the material plane of life. The laurel wreath symbolizes this material success.

The four angels located at the four corners of the card are a symbol of the fact that the individual has also harnessed the four elements present within Nature, and he is the fifth element. These four angels are also witnesses to the fact that such a realization process has occurred. This is because after this process, the individual has achieved the ability to recognize and interact with these elements.

The journey for this individual that began in an unrealized Self state with the Fool card, has now transformed him into the realized Self state in the World card.

Today, he is able to dance among the clouds of the Universe itself because he has realized his self, and has become aware of himself, both within and without.

Archetypes in Tarot – The Self

The Self is thus portrayed very effectively across both these cards. The Fool card depicts the Self that is in the unconscious, while the World card shows the Self that is now in the conscious of the individual.

And along the way, through the journey of the Major Arcana, the individual will go through the different stages of life and encounter a variety of archetypes and situations that will enable him to get closer to the conscious realization of his Self.

Your Turn…

What did you think about this article? Does my interpretation make sense to you? Or do you see the Self to be shown in other cards as well? What are your thoughts about this archetype? Do let me know your thoughts in the comments section below.