Jungian Archetypes in the Kabbalistic Tree of Life

This video was the final project for a Jungian Psychology class. Kabbalah is a rich and complex system of study. Understanding the Seiphera, or spheres, in the Tree of Life glyph, what they represent and how they work together is a significant undertaking. As I've studied Kabbalah over the years one aspect that has always fascinated me is how each Seiphera in the Tree of Life represents a God/Goddess, and how that energy is expressed in its magical image. Each Seiphera corresponds to a planet (e.g. Mars, Venus, Saturn, Jupiter, etc.) and each planet has a god-form upon which its planetary "personality" is derived. Similar to the planetary influences in the Zodiac, the Seiperotic influences have distinct personalities and traits.

As I studied Jung I was struck by the corollary between Jung's Archetypes - his relationship with his active imagination and beings like Philemon - and how as a Kabbalist I interact with the beings/god-forms in the Tree of Life. I wanted to explore this relationship, feel into each Seiphera with an open ear for which Archtype wanted to speak to me through it. This was a very intuitive, non-rational process where I digested information and then allowed it to percolate. I probably could have gone online and found a hundred different correspondences between Archetypes, Planets and Kabbalah, but it felt important to me to live into this process on my own, to have a conversation with these energies and allow them to speak to me, teach me about themselves. I needed to have my own experience with them. I let these energies speak to me through my unconscious. It was very much a felt sense process. I allowed myself to let go of any concept of a "correct" interpretation and instead simply gathered images that felt attuned to the Archetype as I experienced it in a Seiphera.

I decided to create a video piece that predominantly uses images to convey the story of the Archetypes/Seipherot. I know that at around 60 seconds of watching a visual piece of any kind the brain moves into a light trance state, and so I wanted to use this medium as a way to create a kind of visually guided active imagination with these energies.

As you watch this piece I invite you to open your inner eye and allow these images to speak to you in their own unique way. Notice how your body responds when you see an image. Does it contract or expand? Notice the images you are drawn to, and the ones that repel you. Notice any strong emotions, positive, negative or neutral. Do you hold any judgment about what you see? Allow your awareness to be engaged, absorbed and expanded by these Archetypal energies. Perhaps you'll want to make notes of any words or images that come up for you while you are experiencing them.