The Archetype of the Shadow

[David Guyatt]

In Egyptian mythology, Nehebkau ("he who harnesses the souls") was the two headed serpent deity who guarded the entrance to the underworld and who fed "Milk of Light" - a magical liquid - to the deceased to heal them had they been bitten by a poison creature. He was one of the 40 Gods in the Halls of Maat who helped judge the deceased.

How curious then, that a two-headed snake has been found in, of all places, a drawer full of rubbish in the USA. It may be worth mentioning the rubbish-in-a-draw angle because tit could easily equate with the mire of the underworld and therefore be a quite fitting location in which to find a two-headed snake.

In the below article, the Greek Hydra is incorrectly allocated, as the Hydra normally had nine heads - but if one was cut off, two grew back in its place. The Hydra was a water snake.

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/5/20091028/tod-...0a197.html

Two-Headed Snake Found In Drawer Of Rubbish
Wednesday, October 28 09:28 am
© Sky News 2009



A two-headed snake has been discovered in a drawer full of rubbish in Illinois. Skip related content

When Jerry Williamson's wife first told him she had found the scary reptile he thought she was pulling his leg.

But to his surprise she was telling the truth.

Unfazed by the terrifying stigma attached to the two-headed Hydra of Greek mythology the couple decided to keep the reptile.

They were worried it would not be able to survive on its own.

They say it is a North American water snake and has just shed its skin.

The 'Nerodia sipedon', as it is also known, is a large non-venemous snake active during day and night.

http://www.cgjungny.org/d/d_mythpsyche.html

Jung on the descent to the Underworld (Hades):

The Hero Myth: The Dragon Fight and Redemption of the Feminine
In the fight with the dragon the hero battles the regressive forces of the unconscious which threaten to swallow the individuating ego. The forces, personified in figures like Circe, Kali, medusa, sea serpents, Minotaur, or Gorgon, represent the Terrible side of the Great Mother. The Hero may voluntarily submit to being swallowed by the monster, or to a conscious descent into Hades so as to vanquish the forces of darkness. This mortifying descent into the abyss, the sea, the dark cave, or the underworld in order to be reborn to a new identity expresses the symbolism of the night-sea journey through the uterine belly of the monster. It is a fundamental theme in mythology the world over – that of death and rebirth. All initiatory rituals involve this basic archetypal pattern through which the old order and early infantile attachments must die and a more mature and productive life be born in their place.

The mythological goal of the dragon fight is almost always the virgin, the captive, or more generally, the “treasure hard to attain.” This image of the vulnerable, beautiful, and enchanting woman, guarded by and captive of a menacing monster gives us a picture of the inner core of the personality and its surrounding defenses. The hero’s task is to rescue the maiden from the grasp of the monster and, ultimately, to marry her and establish his kingdom with her. This dragon fight and liberation of the captive is the archetypal pattern that can guide us through those major transitional passages in our personal development where a rebirth or reorientation of consciousness is indicated. The captive represents the “new” element whose liberation makes all further development possible.

In response to the call the hero undertakes a journey, usually a dangerous journey to an unknown region full of both promise and danger. Often the journey is a descent. Sometimes, as with Jonah, Aeneas, Christ, and Psyche, it is a descent into the depths — the sea, the underworld, or Hades itself. Always there is a perilous crossing. Sometimes the faintheartedness of the hero is balanced by the appearance of guardians or helpful animals that enable the hero to perform the superhuman task that cannot be accomplished unaided. These helpful forces are representatives of the psychic totality that supports the ego in its struggle. They bear witness to the fact that the essential function of the hero myth is the development of the individual’s true personality.

My bolding