C.G. Jung, on the Archetype of the Spirit
The figure of the wise old man can appear so plastically, not only in dreams but also in visionary meditation (or what we call “active imagination”), that, as is sometimes apparently the case in India, it takes over the role of a guru.
The wise old man appears in dreams in the guise of a magician, doctor, priest, teacher, professor, grandfather, or any other person possessing authority.
The archetype of spirit in the shape of a man, hobgoblin, or animal always appears in a situation where insight, understanding, good advice, determination, planning, etc., are needed but cannot be mustered on one’s own resources.
The archetype compensates this state of spiritual deficiency by contents designed to fill the gap.
Archetypes of the Collective Unconscious
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Spirit and the Arctic
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Do you think dogs fill this role sometimes?
Gabe:
Well what kind of dog?
just kidding..
It is my understanding that dogs can be psychopomps ]Psychopomps (from the Greek word ψυχοπομπός, psychopompós, literally meaning the ‘guide of souls’)[1] are creatures, spirits, angels, demons, or deities in many religions whose responsibility is to escort newly deceased souls from Earth to the afterlife.
and dogs certainly can be guides..
Your question reminds me of “Appointment with the Wise Old Dog.
Clearly, Jung didn’t give dogs enough credit, and didnt even write about the two dogs he had.
https://jungiantimes.com/blum-david-appointment-dog-jung/