Pregnancy as a Feminine Initiation

Pregnancy as a feminine initiation becomes conscious to a woman when she engages with her pregnant imagination through dreams, art, emotions, and somatic changes. If the woman acknowledges her emotional and psychological reactions arising from core archetypal patterns, a “conscious pregnancy” occurs. Three stages of the initiation are outlined: Gateway, Attending, and Passage. Focusing on the Attending stage, three key psychological components are explored: shadow, syzygy, and simultaneity. Viewing the prenatal psyche through C.G. Jung’s lens of Analytical Psychology sheds light on how archetypal patterns and symbolic material associated with initiatory tasks supports maternal confidence and enhances mother/infant attachment.