Psychoanalysis Spread

This is an 8-card introspective spread based on the principles of psychoanalysis developed by Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung. Cards 2-4 are based on Freudian psychology, and cards 5-7 are based on Jung; cards 1, 2, and 8 together represent a simple past-present-future spread.

**4**
1*2*8
**3**
5*6*7

1: the past
2: the present, conscious self (ego)
3: the animalistic, pleasure-seeking self (id)
4: socially derived moral principles (superego)
5: the "masculine" parts of the psyche for a female querent, or the "feminine" parts for a male querent (animus/anima)
6: unrealized potential in the psyche, good or bad (shadow)
7: social affect (persona)
8: a goal to strive for in the future

Oh I like that one!

I think it would add to the reading if you compare anima/animus with id and persona with superego as well as checking if the shadow relates more to superego, ego ore id.

I'll be sure to try this one out!

Let me know how it goes! The connection of the persona to the superego is definitely valid, as is the shadow/ego dichotomy. I do struggle a little with the anima/id, though--to me, those seem like unrelated concepts. Can you explain why you would link them?

Superb idea! I'll note this down and try, hopefully, soon. I'm so into those concepts

Thanks for posting this spread Jack! I am going through a really Jungian period of my life and this fits perfectly. Going to try this out

edited to add: I think I am going to do the spread with animus and anima different positions. This is because I am pretty on the border line of gender and in my psyche too, it would be interesting to represent each for me.

danieljuk said:

I think I am going to do the spread with animus and anima different positions. This is because I am pretty on the border line of gender and in my psyche too, it would be interesting to represent each for me.

Click to expand...

Glad you like my spread. The anima/us card is definitely cisnormative, which is unfortunately a big flaw with Jung. For the period of time during which he was writing, he was actually quite progressive in suggesting that all psyches have elements that fit with both the social conception of masculinity and that of femininity, but his ideas are still very much bounded by a binary understanding of gender. I like the idea of drawing two cards to resolve the problem. Let me know how it goes!

I love this. My boyfriend is a therapist and uses a lot of psychodynamic principles, so he might like it, too! I haven't read for him in a while. I also love the way you laid out the cards. Very elegant. Great spread!

Tried the spread, worked very well!
This is going to be one of my favorites for sure!
I'd link Anima/Animus to Id because both principles work from the subconscious. They are different concepts, but a far as I know about Freud and Jung, both need to be integrated in your personality in order to heal a neurotic.
With that link you can see, if your subconscious wishes come from not facing your Anima/us. There doesn't have to be a relation of course.

This is a nice spread! Loved the analysis

Glad you liked the spread so much! And Farzon, thanks for clearing up your point of view.