Author:
Jan Scholten
Book:
Secret Lanthanides
Type:
Remedy
Chapter:
2.2
2.2 Autonomy
Autonomy is a big theme for the Lanthanides. It’s handled differently by each of them. The differences are like the different stages in a process.
Shadow
Another big theme for the Lanthanides is that of the shadow. In entering the inner world of their psyche, they encounter their negative sides, so beautifully called “the Shadow” by Jung. The shadow is all that’s seen as negative, dark, bad and repulsive. Lanthanides often perceive it as a dark hole, a black hole that can annihilate the person. It uses images like the witch, the devil and the monster.
The Lanthanides discover the shadow, get more insight and start seeing that the shadow is not negative, but neutral. The shadow is the unknown part of the soul, the part in the darkness instead of in the light of consciousness. That's why people are at the mercy of their shadow: they don't see it. But the shadow also has creative power and life force with both negative and positive sides.
Power
Power is another very important concept for the Lanthanides. This is in common with the rest of the Gold series. The difference is that the Lanthanides direct the power to themselves. It’s more directed inwardly, to their inner world. It’s more self-control, whereas the rest of the Gold series directs the power to the outer world.
The power theme also applies to the technical influence of the Lanthanides on our culture. The Lanthanides are essential and indispensable for the electronic and digital revolution. Strong magnets such as only the Lanthanides can provide, are necessary for miniaturizing electric motors. They are used in all kinds of light equipment like lasers, CD’s and color television.
In philosophy power represents the ideas of the Enlightenment and the universal declaration of human rights. These ideas stand for autonomy and freedom, to think and express oneself. Equality of all people is the consequence of autonomy for everyone. The flowering of arts, sciences and technology can only take place in this kind of spirit.
The name of Promethium, one of the Lanthanides, comes from Prometheus. He stole fire from the Gods and gave it to man. Fire is one of the first forces that humanity could control. Control of fire is symbolic of the understanding of the powers of nature and thus being able to control them.
Pandora’s box is very well known. Pandora’s box is symbolic of the powers of nature. Once you have knowledge of them, you can do immense good with them, but also produce enormous disasters. The knowledge of the atomic bomb cannot be wiped out anymore.