A Very Jungian Christmas
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Enthusiastic fan of all things Jungian that I am, I tend to view religious stories as symbolic of internal activities more than I do historic tellings.
The Christmas story is no different. Was Jesus a real person? Well, all signs point to probably. Does that make every traditional detail of his origin story factual? Seems unlikely, but the power in the details, I believe, is more in what they can tell us about our own experience. Right Carl?
And the great thing about this interpretation? You can just add it on to whatever interpretation you already prefer. I’m not presenting this as anti-Christian. Just… something else to think about. Cool? Cool.
So what can the story tell us about us? Let’s start at the beginning.
The Christmas story begins with a birth announcement. Mary is told, by angels, that she’s pregnant and that the baby is part human, part God.
That describes Jesus but it also describes you.
You weren’t born of a virgin but your lineage is part human part divine. You were born and walk around down here on earth in the muck and mud — but, burning in you is a spark of divinity — and that divinity is expressed most readily in your ability to create. Maybe it’s a painting, or a song, or a table, or an essay, or a meaningful conversation — but you have the ability to turn the limitless potential of chaos into an ordered expression of your innermost self. You can alter and subvert the world — and you can do it by simply opening your mouth, or turning on the stove, or folding a paper airplane.
Tell me that isn’t God-like.
The world was one way. Now it’s different. Because of you.
You walk around with this ability every day so you’ve grown callous to its significance, but never take for granted that YOU WERE BORN WITH THE ABILITY AND RESPONSIBILITY TO BE CAUSATIVE AND CREATIVE.
Next, Herod, the king, finds out Jesus is about to be born, feels threatened, and starts killing babies in hopes of killing Jesus.
This is about you too.
Herod represents the state. The status quo. Power structures. Institutions whose power is threatened by creativity.
You know… you.
So, the lesson in the Herod bit of the story is that the divinity in you — your power to be creative, order reality, and unleash the power of potential found in chaos will not be welcomed by everyone. Some structures only value a certain kind of order — that which they create, control, and sustain. Instead of wanting you to go your own way and do your own thing they will want you to punch a clock, keep your mouth closed, and submit to authority. Don’t do that.
I’m not saying be an island — individuation, as described by Jung (and valued by me) isn’t about rejecting the tribe. It’s about rejecting a set way of doing things, discovering a new way, an elixir, and bringing it back to your tribe to improve their lives.
We see this, oddly enough, played out in Disney cartoons. Think about it, the hero or heroine never figures out their true worth and then goes and lives in a cave, as a hermit. They go back to their family and show them what they learned.
You should do that too!
The next bit — the bit about Jesus being born in a manger is kind of an extension of that.
Let me talk about Campbell for a sec — as I am wont to do…
Campbell told his students at Sarah Lawrene college to FOLLOW THEIR BLISS. To do what made them feel whole and most like themselves. He said this would guarantee their joy and fulfillment in life.
But…
It wouldn’t guarantee an audience.
He said, some of them, heros that they were, would slay the dragon and bring the gift of a healing elixir back to the village and the village would say,
“Meh.”
Villages often say “meh.” They may say it to you. It happens. Even when the village desperately needs the elixir, even when you have the key to their happiness and wholeness, they may say, “meh.
Sometimes you, and your burning desire, your compelling mission, the very thing that makes you what you are and must be…
will make you unpopular.
It will make you an outsider. That’s kind of what Dan Harmon said the show Community was all about — a bunch of people who were rejected by the world for what made them special.
And that’s probably what you can expect. Not only will institutions object to and resent your gift — you may have a hard time finding a place where it’s accepted. You will find, throughout life, as I have, when you let your freak flag fly, there is often…
No room at the inn.
But, that brings us to a Harmon quote (the maker of Community, remember?) that I love. Here it is as printed in the wonderful Austin Kleon book, Share Your Work:
Share your gift and, eventually, like Jeff and Britta and the other misfits from Community, you will find the people who need what you’re offering (no guarantee there will be awkward kissing):
You even see that in the story — people recognizing your value (not awkward kissing) — you see it in the three kings coming to present gifts to Jesus. Not everyone will get you, but the right people will.
So, there’s a little snapshot of what Christmas means to me — Carl Jung, Coco, Joseph Campbell, Dan Harmon, Community, and awkward kissing. There aren’t exactly carols about all that, but I make it work.
Of course, I recognize I generate the meaning I attribute to things.
Christmas doesn’t “mean” anything.
It’s not a container that holds pre-determined meaning. WE bring meaning to everything.
So… what’s Christmas mean to you?Merry Christmas, y’all. Whatever the stories mean to you, I hope this time of year brings you great comfort and you and your loved ones have a great time seeing out this bloody meathook of a year.
