Metaphor & Symbol: The Archetypal Roots of Behavior
Guidance from Marion Woodman
“I always try to grasp the metaphor at the root of an addiction. That varies. With food, it can be mother; with alcohol, spirit; with cocaine, light; with sex, union. Mother, spirit, light, union – these can be archetypal images of the soul’s search for what it needs. If we fail to understand the soul’s yearning, then we concretize and become compulsively driven toward an object that cannot satisfy the soul’s longing.”
— Marion Woodman, Conscious Femininity
Many behavioral patterns we struggle with most have an intractable quality — rigid, dogmatic, ossified into a structure it refuses to budge from. We likely find ourselves spinning in circles, repeating the same dynamics over and over again. Frustrated, we attempt to shift the tides through sheer force of will. We may have temporary relief, a short time of reprieve, and then the symptoms return, a dark companion that we cannot seem to shake.
It presents a challenging inner work problem: How can we bring about evolution when these dynamics seem resistant to change?
Jungian analyst Marion Woodman offers a key to finding resolution — Consider the metaphor, the symbolic core, at the root of the experience. This act opens a pathway into the deeper recesses of the psyche, where behaviors, emotions, thoughts, and body sensations coalesce around an archetypal center and its images.
With this in mind, seemingly compulsive or difficult patterns and symptoms are not seen as problematic, but rather, as styles of communication, how the soul is conveying its needs. The actions we take around these yearnings are often misaligned due to a lack of perspective and disconnection from the archetypal structure. Or the dynamic may be so shadowy that we’re barely aware of what we are doing and why. When this happens, we are more likely to overly concretize the urge, to literalize the psycho-symbolic impulse.
Perfectionism and control may stem from a symbolic urge towards order, a compensation for early chaos that went unattended. Unbeknownst to the individual, they become fixated on impossible standards and rigid routines, believing that these will quell their inner turmoil. This compulsion, though, is a misdirection of the psyche’s need for harmony and stability. By literalizing the impulse—order as perfection and control—they create an unsustainable emotional and behavioral pattern, constantly chasing an ever moving target, without addressing or meeting the inner cause.
In practice, the solution lies not only in uncovering the metaphoric equivalent but also in exploring the full landscape of images and impressions arising within the archetypal constellation1. Here, we are presented with a canvas of shapes, colors, sounds, and figures that flesh out the dynamic.
Steps for Uncovering the Metaphor
“If you imagine the uninhabited body as sort of an empty hole, you see people try to fill it in different ways. But the soul in the body is left empty. My answer to that is that the real food of the soul is metaphor. The whole world of dreams is a metaphorical, symbolic one. Religion is based on symbol. Art, music, poetry, the whole creative world, the world of the soul, is based on it.”
—Marion Woodman, Conscious Femininity
Centers of tension that breed repetitive patterns are usually laden with shadow. These are areas of the psyche where we carry blindspots and are resistant to acknowledging or owning something that feels painful, difficult, or egodystonic. Rather than superficially opening our arms with acceptance and welcome (as that is a process that takes considerable time and effort), we can expand deeper into the unconscious bedrock that underlies the situation via the metaphor. This provides an opportunity to develop curiosity, insight, and a relationship of reciprocity with the impulses of the psyche.
As a first step, consider: Where do you seem to struggle most? What patterns of behavior cause the most turbulence in life? How do you react to this behavior, what do you feel urged to do? What emotions, thoughts, sensations accompany it?
For example, when I experience internal strife, I tend to withdraw. It often results in shutting down during conversations, seeking solitude for extended periods of time, a sense of hopelessness or despair, and a downward shift in energy and excitement for life. There is a noticeable lack of images and barely any conscious space to consider the origin of these actions. Once I am alone, I begin to feel at ease. The retreat cuts me off from outside sources and regenerates my disposition. The mood begins to pass, and I feel ready to venture out once more.
As a second step, consider: What may the soul be yearning for at this moment, beyond the reactive behavior? Do you notice what brings a change in emotionality or when a shift occurs? What image or symbol do you imagine that yearning as?
Is it withdrawal my soul is yearning for, time away, isolation? Although withdrawal is the most common and obvious act, I am finding that there is something deeper. The shift happens once I am alone, and there I feel contained, held, peaceful. The image that springs to mind is that of a sanctuary. This is the safe harbor that I am yearning for, a temenos of protection.
As a third step, consider: How might you connect to the core symbol and yearning in a more balanced way? How does the symbol/metaphor re-contextualize your actions?
Rather than hitting the escape button during times of turmoil, sanctuary must be connected to and cultivated in everyday moments of life. For me, that includes weekly journaling, working my dreams consistently, and somatic practices that ease the nervous system. Further, I found that the reframing allowed me to have more grace towards this behavior. Rather than a sense of shame or frustration, I felt acceptance and understanding. Over time, I’m noticing the withdrawal periods are shorter in length, or that I circumvent them by taking deep, grounding breaths or bringing the image of a forested sanctuary to mind in the moment.
Compulsive, habitual behaviors seek closure. When attempted unconsciously, the repetitive enactment rarely reaches completion — a thirst unquenched, a desire unmet. Falling into symbol and metaphor enlivens imagination, activates the psyche, giving us a pathway to understand our seemingly unyielding patterns. A shopping habit links to a need for resource, danger-seeking adventurousness reveals a craving for aliveness, angry outbursts unveil a longing for boundaries.
We meet our soul in the most unexpected of places. How we choose to greet it is where the opportunity lies.
Join the conversation
What do you think of Marion Woodman’s approach to working with addictive and compulsive behaviors? What metaphor or symbol do you find at the root of yours?
For complimentary approaches, see my guides for working with complexes or archetypes.
While I've thought that I have looked at all of my 'stuff' in a space of awareness, I haven't considered any of my repeating behaviors in this way. The questions to consider portion of your post is particularly helpful and will provide a lot to journal about. Thank you!
I know what my yearning is: for connection. What I can't seem to get past is the unconscious repetition of connection-seeking behaviours that never reach completion. Recognizing my soul's need to connect hasn't unlocked any insight regarding how to approach it in a more balanced way.