The Thick and the Sacred

Wellhead and Pump

 The analogy of "thick" and "thin" starts with an acceptance of the legitimacy of Jung's understanding of the role the "Shadow" plays in our daily interactions with self, with others and with our place in the world. Here we can see the nation as represented by its government as a shadow in our psyche.

 The ideal government offers its People what the Ancient Egyptians called "Ma'at."  Ma'at was the opposite of "Isfet" or chaos, injustice, violence and evil. For three thousand years, Pharaoh's job was to maintain a stable ecology by keeping isfet at bay. Pharaoh, as the Pillars of Ancient Egypt, did this by representing the state as a Jungian shadow of cosmic order, truth and justice which was allowed to float through the psyche of Ancient Egyptians.

In the distinctions we have made between "somewhere" and "anywhere" ma'at would be defined as the preservation of the "Sacred Somewhere" against the "Profane Anywhere." In the somewhere/anywhere understanding the "thin individual" will allow the Shadow of the State to dominate, he will render unto Caesar and in the process he will turn Caesar sacred. The "thick individual" hasn't surrendered his shadow, he is not a cog in a benevolent machine, he is quicker to risk the dangers of reclaiming his own sacred.



No comments:

Post a Comment