Animals have been an integral part of human existence since our earliest origins. They are deeply ingrained within us and play a crucial role in the unconscious. In various religions, animals are revered as gods. Swiss psychiatrist and psychologist Carl Jung frequently remarked that animals embodied the divine aspect of the human psyche. He wrote a bold statement for a thinker of his era, "Even domestic animals, to whom we erroneously deny a conscience, have complexes and moral reactions.”

We belong to the animal kingdom, and knowing this is part of the individuation process, the journey towards wholeness. Yet, we seem to have forgotten our roots.

The animal is a symbol of the Self. It embodies the complete wisdom of nature yet does not possess the light of human consciousness. Animals are deeply connected to a “secret” order within nature itself and the absolute knowledge of the unconscious, living according to their own inner laws beyond human notions of good and evil. Animals live exactly as they were meant to live, and grasp a sense of wholeness instinctively, rather than intellectually. They are the ones who can lead us to this source of natural life.

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━━━━━━━━━━━━━📚 Recommended Reading▶ Archetypal Symbolism in Animals – Barbara Hannahhttps://amzn.to/3AaM1lW▶ Grimm’s Fairy Taleshttps://amzn.to/3WwtBDk▶ The Interpretation of Fairy Tales – Marie-Louise von Franzhttps://amzn.to/3yxI8qt▶ Archetypal Patterns in Fairy Tales – Marie-Louise von Franzhttps://amzn.to/3Wm2ta4▶ The Cat: A Tale of Feminine Redemption – Marie-Louise von Franzhttps://amzn.to/3ya7Z80▶ Animal Presences: Uniform Edition of the Writings of James Hillman, Vol. 9https://amzn.to/3Wwgylq▶ Aesop’s Taleshttps://amzn.to/4fqrhGO▶ Medieval Book of Beastshttps://amzn.to/4foDzPT🎧 Prefer Audiobooks? Get a 30-day Audible Plus FREE trial: ▶ https://amzn.to/332zPzNAs an Amazon Associate, I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you.

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⌛ Timestamps

(0:00) Introduction

(2:45) Animals: The Divine Side of The Human Psyche

(7:42) Animals in the Unconscious

(8:46) Our Animal Instincts and Symbolic Animals

(12:08) The Helpful Animal Motif

(15:36) The Archetypal Symbolism of Animals

(18:05) The Psychology of The Cat

(25:50) The Psychology of The Dog

(33:53) The Psychology of The Horse

(37:35) The Psychology of The Bull and Cow

(40:30) The Psychology of The Lion

(45:43) The Psychology of The Serpent

(58:05) Conclusion