The Kronian Ego vs. The Hermetic Path
The Tension Between Order and Authenticity
In the article “The World Upside Down: The True State of Sanity and Madness”, I had written about the Kronian versus the Dionysian. This itself is connected to the tension between the rigid ego-persona and the Self. Yet this Kronian versus Dionysian tension is itself only such for those who deny the Jungian shadow and emotions (the Anima or Animus) within themselves. Leading to a dissociation from the unconscious, emotional reality, true empathy and compassion. The Kronian person hiding behind a fake sense of care, which is control masked as help. You can see this in the most extreme sense with religious fundamentalists, whose desire to save someone’s soul or fix them, is actually a hidden desire to control the person and their lived experience. To comply with their narratives about the person. Mainly to keep their own insecurities and fear at bay. This mirrors an infant's inability to self-soothe, relying on external sources for emotional regulation.
Often operating through a fragile persona-ego, that hides their more vulnerable pre-ego that never had the change to fully develop. Any form of flaw or them not being 100% pure and good, makes them feel so much shame, that they cry and sometimes even feel like they are dying. After which they normally double down, and try to put one down, to reinforce their flawless self-image. This behaviour itself is also reflected in larger societal and thus collective behaviour. Where figures such as Trump and those that follow them, yet also any political radical can fall into.
"When the contents of the collective unconscious become activated, they have an unsettling effect on the conscious mind of everyone. When this psychic dynamic is not consciously metabolized, not just within an individual but collectively, the mental state of the people as a whole might well be compared to a psychosis."
- Paul Levy, Dispelling Wetiko
It is exactly this state of being that I wrote about in the article below. Yet, this state is only such for those who completely deny the unconscious. Which I refer to as the Kronian state. When the ego is rigidly aligned with the super ego, and sees the unconscious, and emotions tied to the shadow, such as anger, assertiveness, grief, resentment, vulnerability, self-hatred and powerlessness.
The Kronian State of Being
Perera wrote in her book on the scapegoat complex; "They, (referring to those who deny the reality of the psyche, put roles), practicalities and imperatives, next to impersonal issues as buffers between others and themselves. Propriety and duty supplant personal feeling and responsibility in relationships. They fear the exposure, the nakedness, of direct emotional contact. Coping competently is a primary value, and emotions expressing pain and fear are belittled or ignored. They seem to have a profound fear of confronting their own essential helplessness before life. They defend against this helplessness by acting as if there were a practical solution to every problem. They are stuck themselves in a form of magical concretistic thought (literal form of processing information). The reality of the psyche, and its symbolic nature is not admitted. It is split off. Thus they tend to read emotional messages as concrete, collective, practical signs, misinterpreting others emotions as a physical fact, or a concrete demand or a globalized statement. These concretizations and globalizations exacerbate feelings of helplessness, which they, with their brittle persona-egos, cannot tolerate. Hence they are thrown into deeper cycles of rejecting the seemingly too potent “Other” with their emotions."
The truth is that the Kronian state fractures the natural self, creating an internal split where the true, feeling, instinctual self is buried, and an artificial, socially acceptable persona emerges. Yet as I had written before, the ego mistakes wholeness for chaos. Whilst calling the Kronian, falsely the Apollonian order and light. Whilst it is actually fragmentation, madness and a force of repression and harm. It does exactly what it claims the Dionysian or Nyxian is. It corrupts and distorts, and lives in a state of dissociation from emotional reality.
Yet the super ego represses this inner victim-child they project onto the marginalised. Even people in power are just as lost in projection and repression as anyone else. Which is why nothing ever truly improves, and we remain in the state of division and suffering. Civilization is structured to keep people from realizing this. To keep them distracted, dissociated, and emotionally numb. Hence bread and games, and also a scapegoat to hate. Those who are tied to the Kronian structures, and rigidly identify with them are the ones truly fragmented. They are those, who perceive themselves as "whole" and "good", and scapegoat the Dionysian for their perceived "brokenness", which are actually normal human responses to the circumstances of life.
The Hermetic Ego
Hermes instead represents the intellect of the ego when it turns inward to engage with the unconscious, particularly in its collaboration with the Anima (divine feminine). While the Animus often manifests as logos (rational thought), Hermes’ nature is not rigid or overly structured; he embodies a fluid, trickster-like intelligence that is also adaptable and intuitive. This unique quality allows him to assist the ego in exploring the deep, instinctual wisdom of the Anima without falling into the traps of domination or control. Hermes represents a refined and intuitive form of logos. A creative, fluid, and adaptive intellect that guides the soul inward toward integration and finally also transcendence. Unlike the rigid, analytical, and externalized logos that characterizes the Kronian ego, Hermes embodies a dynamic, mediating force that harmonizes opposites and fosters thus also self-discovery.
The intuitive aspect of Hermes aligns with his role as the psychopomp, the guide between the conscious and unconscious. Hermes does not seek to dominate the unknown but rather to bridge the gaps, connecting the fragmented aspects of the psyche. His intellect is playful and curious, finding pathways that elude the rigid, linear thinking of the Kronian ego. Hermes thus teaches the ego how to interact with the Anima not as an adversary to be conquered but as an ally to be understood. When working with the Anima, Hermes encourages the ego to embrace creativity and intuition rather than relying solely on linear reasoning. This approach is essential for building a healthy relationship with the Anima, as it requires openness to paradox, mystery, and the non-rational aspects of the psyche. The Hermetic Logos (intuitive, inward), guides the soul toward wholeness, embracing the unknown and integrating it into the self.
Hermes himself is also connected to the bringing together of the scattered pieces of Dionysus in the Orphic mysteries. Which is the bringing together of the fragmented pieces of the Self. This process itself is not emotionally easy, and further requires a confrontation with the personal shadow. Which is a process that I have personally undergone the past years. Though my path lead me further than the Dionysian path within the framework of Orphism. Which is the name given to a set of religious beliefs and practices originating in the ancient Greek and Hellenistic world, connected to the mythical poet Orpheus, who descended into the Greek underworld and returned.
The Path of Hermes versus Nyx
Yet my path took me into the depths of Nyx, where ego dissolution occurs. Which is tied to the deeper mysteries of Orphism, tied to Nyx and Phanes. Normally it is only undergone by the hierophant within the Orphic tradition. As the general facing of the personal shadow is sufficient, and leads to personal enlightenment, instead of what I coined nocturnement. Which would require the integration of the collective shadow and unconscious. A process much more challenging, that goes beyond the process I even outlined within the books Rebirth of Nyx, and Dawn of the Sacred Age. Both of which go into the process of personal shadow integration, which is the Dionysian path.
This process still takes place in a shared communal setting, with mutual space holding for the emotions of the others on the path of individuation. Which allows for the integration of the Accepting Self. This process itself doesn’t lead to the complete dissolution of the entire ego structure, including the super ego. Instead the Kronian ego slowly becomes Hermetic, which is tied to the Zeusian cosmic order. This heroes and heroine’s journey, is one of integration, instead of conquest. Where the shadow becomes integrated, whilst still being between the tension of Zeus, representing order, structure and justice, and the Sovereignty Goddess, representing emotions, the unconscious, next to death and rebirth. Which balances the masculine and feminine, rational and emotional, next to dualities such as society and what is marginalised.
This itself allows for the dynamic tension that also the Jungians strive for. Symbolised by the marriage of Jupiter and the Sovereignty Goddess (think Juno-Feronia). Which then also eliminates the need for an “other”, to function as a scapegoat. Thus taking away the cycle of dysfunction and division that plagues modern society. Yet such a process is not something modern humans, often tend to undertake. Mainly as the comfort of the ego-persona, and its many illusions, allows for most to deny the elephant in the room. However, it is most often those marginalised in some way that end up undergoing the journey to the Self, and the true Self-awareness that arises from this entire journey itself.
Yet, if there is anything I have learned from my own journey into the depths of the psyche and the unconscious, it would be that any such journey comes with sacrifice. The sacrifice of the conditioned self, for authenticity and self-wisdom.