Uploaded May 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 hour ago
Every archetype has a dual aspect: light and dark, and ‘mother’ as devouring and destructive is the dark side of this ever-present, over-arching archetype. The mother’s life-giving, bright aspect is counterbalanced by her engulfing, attacking aspect. The devouring mother is present across cultures in myth, fairy tale, religion, and literature, and most of us have at least had glimpses of her in our experiences as children or later, as parents.
In this episode Jungian analysts Lisa Marchiano and Deborah Stewart explore Erich Neumann’s The Great Mother and his and Jung’s concept of the unconscious as devouring mother.
Drawing on myths of the Aztec goddess Tlaltecuhtli, the Hindu goddess Kali, the tale of Snow White, and the film Black Swan, we examine the archetypal image of the mother who nourishes and devours, protects and possesses.
We also look at how the devouring mother shows up in ourselves and in our own parents. This dynamic can present as enmeshment, helicopter parenting, fear-based control, or an inability to allow our children to separate and become fully themselves.
Read the dream we analyze in full on our website: thisjungianlife.com/devouringmotherarchetype
GO DIRECTLY TO THE DREAM: 53:53
Connect With This Jungian Life
We’re analyzing your short dreams or dream fragments to celebrate the publication of the paperback of our book, Dream Wise: Unlocking the Meaning of Your Dreams - send them here: tinyurl.com/shortdreams
Pre-order the paperback edition of Dream Wise: Unlocking the Meaning of Your Dreams: tinyurl.com/DreamWisePaperback
Take a look at This Jungian Life Dream School, our online course in Jungian dream analysis: tinyurl.com/TJLdreamschool
Follow This Jungian Life on Instagram: instagram.com/thisjungianlifepodcast
Every archetype has a dual aspect: light and dark, and ‘mother’ as devouring and destructive is the dark side of this ever-present, over-arching archetype. The mother’s life-giving, bright aspect is counterbalanced by her engulfing, attacking aspect. The devouring mother is present across cultures in myth, fairy tale, religion, and literature, and most of us have at least had glimpses of her in our experiences as children or later, as parents.
In this episode Jungian analysts Lisa Marchiano and Deborah Stewart explore Erich Neumann’s The Great Mother and his and Jung’s concept of the unconscious as devouring mother.
Drawing on myths of the Aztec goddess Tlaltecuhtli, the Hindu goddess Kali, the tale of Snow White, and the film Black Swan, we examine the archetypal image of the mother who nourishes and devours, protects and possesses.
We also look at how the devouring mother shows up in ourselves and in our own parents. This dynamic can present as enmeshment, helicopter parenting, fear-based control, or an inability to allow our children to separate and become fully themselves.
Read the dream we analyze in full on our website: thisjungianlife.com/devouringmotherarchetype
GO DIRECTLY TO THE DREAM: 53:53
Connect With This Jungian Life
We’re analyzing your short dreams or dream fragments to celebrate the publication of the paperback of our book, Dream Wise: Unlocking the Meaning of Your Dreams - send them here: tinyurl.com/shortdreams
Pre-order the paperback edition of Dream Wise: Unlocking the Meaning of Your Dreams: tinyurl.com/DreamWisePaperback
Take a look at This Jungian Life Dream School, our online course in Jungian dream analysis: tinyurl.com/TJLdreamschool
Follow This Jungian Life on Instagram: instagram.com/thisjungianlifepodcast
![[SUBSCRIBER BONUS] How Do We Know When to Trust Dreams?](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/JIggJXQOL_w/mqdefault.jpg "[SUBSCRIBER BONUS] How Do We Know When to Trust Dreams?
In this free edition of Jung Love, our subscriber bonus content, a Patron asks:
Has there ever been a time in your life when a dream or series of dreams seemed to be telling you one thing, but you decided to go against it regardless? If so, what was the result?
Is it always safe to assume that dreams are acting in your best interest or is there a possibility that, like an autoimmune disease causes a persons body to attack itself, your psyche can be self-destructive and deceitful? How do we know when to trust dreams?
Support This Jungian Life on Patreon and ask Lisa, Deb, and Joseph your questions for a chance to have them answered on Jung Love: https://tinyurl.com/TJLPatreon
LOOK & GROW
*Join This Jungian Life Dream School: https://tinyurl.com/TJLdreamschool
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*We’d like to take a crack interpreting your dream: https://tinyurl.com/senddream
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*If you’ve been struggling in the dark, trying to find the keys to unlock your dreams, help has arrived. Order your copy of Dream Wise: Unlocking the Meaning of Your Dreams from the hosts of This Jungian Life podcast and open the secret door: https://a.co/d/go0ucNv
*Learn more about the Philadelphia Jung Seminar: https://cgjungphiladelphia.org/seminar.shtml")
