Mapping the Geography of the Psyche: An Inner Adventure (1)

I’ve created a beginner’s guide to the geography of the psyche, designed for those of us without a formal background in psychology. The full guide is about 48 pages—far too long for a single blog post! So, I’m thinking of publishing it as an ebook eventually, but first, I’ll be serialising it here on the blog. Afterward, I’ll compile the posts into an ebook and make it available on Gumroad.

This series is especially for spiritual explorers who approach depth psychology from a mystical perspective, blending psychological insights with the Tarot. My goal is to show how depth psychology can enrich and deepen our spiritual practices.

This is post No. 1

Series Posts: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4

Setting the Scene: The Psyche as a Landscape

When you stop and reflect on the inner workings of the mind, it becomes clear that the psyche is not a neatly ordered structure. Instead, it’s more like a vast, unmapped terrain—a landscape filled with winding paths, hidden valleys, and towering mountains. Just like the outer world, our inner world is full of places we’ve never explored, some that we visit often and others we instinctively avoid. This metaphor of the psyche as a landscape invites you to imagine your thoughts, emotions, and unconscious impulses as geographical features and your journey of self-discovery as a kind of internal exploration.

One of the most compelling aspects of thinking about the psyche in this way is that it underscores how much of it is unknown to us. We only perceive small portions of our inner world at any given time, while large swathes of the psyche remain hidden from our conscious mind. This is where Carl Jung’s work becomes so important. Jung, who devoted his life to exploring the depths of the human psyche, likened the unconscious to a hidden world. He suggested that much of what shapes our thoughts and behaviours operates beneath the surface, outside of our immediate awareness.

Jung described the unconscious as consisting of two primary layers: the personal unconscious, which is made up of forgotten memories, unresolved conflicts, and repressed feelings, and the collective unconscious, which he believed to be a shared layer of the psyche common to all humanity. The collective unconscious is where archetypes—the universal symbols that represent fundamental human experiences—reside. These archetypes are like structures within the terrain of the psyche, forming the mountains, rivers, and forests of our inner landscape. They influence your dreams, your instincts, and the way you navigate life, even if you aren’t fully conscious of their presence.

So, if you think of the psyche as a landscape, then what are the tools you can use to navigate it? Jung suggested that mythology, archetypes, and symbols act as the signposts, pointing us in the direction of greater self-understanding. Myths from different cultures, for instance, often portray journeys into unknown realms—whether it’s Theseus entering the labyrinth or Persephone descending into the underworld—and these stories serve as metaphors for our own psychological journeys. When you engage with these myths, you aren’t just hearing stories from the past; you’re tapping into the timeless patterns of the human experience.

Consider the archetype of the Hero. This figure appears again and again in myths and legends across cultures, from Hercules in Greek mythology to Arjuna in the Bhagavad Gita. The Hero represents that part of ourselves that is called to adventure, that part that must confront challenges and undergo transformation. But this journey isn’t just about slaying external dragons—it’s about confronting your inner fears, your shadow, the parts of yourself you’d rather not face. Jung believed that by recognising these archetypal patterns in our lives, we could begin to make sense of the seemingly chaotic terrain of the psyche.

Symbols play a similar role. They are the language of the unconscious, helping us to translate the messages from the depths of the psyche into something we can consciously understand. Think of a recurring dream or a symbol that keeps appearing in your life—a river, for example. On one level, it’s just a river, but in the context of the psyche, it might represent the flow of emotions, the passage of time, or even the unconscious itself. By paying attention to these symbols, you start to uncover the map of your inner world.

Jung’s method of active imagination is one way to engage with these symbols directly. This practice involves entering into a kind of dialogue with the figures and symbols that arise from the unconscious, treating them as real and meaningful. In this way, you’re not just passively observing the psyche; you’re actively navigating it, exploring its hidden corners, and mapping out its features.

In many ways, the process of inner exploration mirrors the journeys taken by explorers in the physical world. Just as they relied on maps, compasses, and landmarks to find their way, we rely on myths, archetypes, and symbols to guide us through the psyche’s terrain. And just as explorers had to venture into the unknown with a mixture of courage and curiosity, so too must we. The psyche is a landscape with vast, uncharted regions, and it’s only through exploration—sometimes slow and difficult, but always rich with discovery—that we come to know ourselves more fully.

By seeing the psyche as a landscape, we’re reminded that the journey of self-discovery is not linear or straightforward. It’s a meandering path, filled with moments of clarity as well as periods of confusion. But with the right tools—myth, archetype, and symbol—we can navigate these inner worlds, uncovering new insights about ourselves along the way.

Why Geography?

There’s a reason why metaphors of geography resonate so deeply when we talk about inner exploration. Just as explorers once set out to map the uncharted corners of the physical world, we each have an innate desire to understand the unknown territories within ourselves. Geography, with its mountains, rivers, valleys, and plains, provides a powerful metaphor for the terrain of the psyche, because like the external world, our inner world is made up of different landscapes—some familiar and others hidden or wild.

We are drawn to the idea of mapping the psyche because it offers a way to make sense of the complexity of our inner lives. When you think about emotions, memories, and unconscious forces as geographical features, you start to see your mind as a kind of vast terrain that needs to be explored, understood, and integrated. The physical act of mapping, of drawing boundaries and naming places, mirrors what you do psychologically when you seek to know yourself better. It’s as if every insight, every piece of self-awareness, becomes a marker on this internal map.

The Connection Between Mapping the World and Mapping the Mind

Historically, maps have served as tools for navigation. They helped explorers orient themselves in relation to the world around them. In a similar way, the psychological process of self-discovery involves orienting ourselves within the inner world of thoughts, feelings, and subconscious drives. Just as early maps were incomplete or inaccurate, our initial understanding of the psyche is often fragmented, with whole regions left unexplored or misunderstood. Over time, as we gather more insight through self-reflection, therapy, or life experiences, we begin to fill in the blanks. The act of mapping the psyche allows you to trace patterns, identify recurring themes, and discover connections between different parts of your mental landscape.

Take the example of the ocean in both physical and psychological mapping. In the external world, oceans represent vast, mysterious spaces, teeming with life but largely unexplored. In the psyche, the ocean often symbolises the unconscious, where deep emotions, fears, and desires dwell. When you experience a dream about being lost at sea, it may reflect a feeling of being overwhelmed by unconscious forces or emotions too vast to control. Mapping these dream symbols helps you understand where you are in relation to your inner life. The ocean becomes more than just a frightening unknown; it becomes a part of the landscape that can be understood and navigated.

Similarly, mountains often represent the high points of our journey—moments of spiritual insight or personal achievement. In the physical world, climbing a mountain requires effort, perseverance, and the ability to overcome obstacles. Psychologically, ascending to a “mountain” within the psyche often symbolises the hard-won clarity we gain after periods of struggle. The effort to reach this peak, to climb above the everyday noise of life, mirrors the spiritual work needed to achieve a higher understanding of ourselves.

Personal Mythic Adventure for Self-Discovery

But this metaphor of geography isn’t just a practical tool for organising our inner lives—it can also serve as the framework for a deeply personal, mythic adventure. Just as the great explorers ventured into the unknown seeking new lands, we venture into the unknown parts of ourselves in search of meaning. In many ways, this inner journey is akin to the mythic journeys found in stories and legends.

Consider the journey of Odysseus in The Odyssey. His voyage across the seas, filled with encounters with strange lands and mythical creatures, is not only a literal adventure but also a metaphor for his internal journey. He confronts his own limitations, his fears, and ultimately his need for home and belonging. Each island he lands on represents a different psychological challenge, much like the landscapes we encounter within our own minds. Odysseus’ journey can serve as a guidepost for us, showing that self-discovery requires both courage and the willingness to confront what lies hidden in our personal underworlds.

The same holds true when we consider the Hero’s Journey, a concept popularised by Joseph Campbell. This archetypal path represents the personal myth that unfolds as we navigate through life’s challenges and transformations. The stages of the journey—departure, initiation, and return—parallel the way we confront the unknown aspects of our psyche, face trials and growth, and ultimately return to ourselves more integrated and whole. Viewing the psyche as a landscape helps us see our inner exploration as an adventure, one filled with both danger and discovery but ultimately leading to personal transformation.

Engaging in this personal mythic adventure through the geography of the psyche can offer you a deeper understanding of your own life stories. Just as cartographers once drew maps to give shape to the unknown, you, too, can map your own psychological landscapes. This exploration involves recognising the peaks of your triumphs, the dark forests of your fears, and the rivers that represent the flow of time and emotion through your life. By charting these inner terrains, you become better equipped to navigate your emotions, understand your behaviour, and recognise the patterns that shape your life.

In this way, the metaphor of geography serves not just as a way to understand the mind but also as an invitation to embark on a mythic adventure within ourselves—one that promises both challenge and growth, leading us ever closer to a deeper sense of self-awareness and fulfilment.

Next up: The Outer World as a Mirror: Mapping the Psyche through Nature