Can the political shifts of the past 60 years in the United States mirror the transformative journey of the psyche described by Edward Edinger in Anatomy of the Psyche?
Edinger’s work, grounded in Jungian alchemy, maps psychological development through symbolic stages of transformation such as calcinatio, solutio, coagulatio, and mortificatio. Though originally applied to individual psychological processes, these alchemical stages may also offer profound insight into collective and political evolution.
Exploring the trajectories of both the Republican and Democratic parties from the 1960s to the present reveals striking patterns of transformation—reflecting each party’s ongoing struggle with identity, power, and values.
The Republican Party: Descent into Mortificatio
1. Calcinatio (1960s–1970s): The Burning of Moderate Foundations
The calcinatio stage symbolizes the burning away of outdated forms. In the 1960s and 1970s, the Republican Party initiated a purification process—distancing itself from moderate stances and redefining its core identity.
- Southern Strategy: The GOP pivoted toward appealing to white Southern voters by opposing civil rights legislation and emphasizing states’ rights.
- Party Platform Shifts: The 1964 platform criticized federal welfare programs and called for a return to traditional, decentralized governance.
This ideological “burning” marked the beginning of a shift toward a more conservative and reactionary foundation.
2. Solutio (1980s): The Expansion of Conservatism
In the solutio phase, rigid structures dissolve, making room for new configurations. During the Reagan era, the Republican Party dissolved its older fiscal conservatism in favor of a more expansive ideological platform:
- Reaganomics: Emphasis on tax cuts, deregulation, and trickle-down economics redefined economic conservatism.
- Social Conservatism: The GOP embraced the Christian right, embedding religious values into its political identity.
This was a time of ideological liquidity and reinvention.nationinside.org+1In These Times+1
3. Coagulatio (1990s–2000s): The Solidification of Conservative Identity
Coagulatio represents the reformation of solid structures. By the 1990s and 2000s, the Republican Party’s identity had become clearly defined:
- Cultural Conservatism: Party platforms stressed traditional family values and opposition to abortion, LGBTQ+ rights, and secularism.
- Power Consolidation: Strategic redistricting and media alignment further entrenched the conservative base.
The party, now ideologically solidified, had laid the groundwork for polarization.
4. Mortificatio (2010s–2025): Breakdown and Confrontation with the Shadow
The mortificatio stage is marked by decay, death, and confrontation with shadow material. Under the Trump administration and beyond, the GOP appears to have entered this alchemical phase:
- Institutional Disruption: Policies undermining civil institutions, norms, and democratic checks.
- Civil Rights Regression: Rollbacks of protections for marginalized groups, and a rise in authoritarian rhetoric.
- Shadow Integration?: The rise of conspiracy theories, scapegoating, and appeals to fear reflect a projection of the collective shadow.Leadership Conference
In Edinger’s terms, the Republican Party appears locked in a collective mortificatio, a breakdown that could either precipitate transformation or reinforce destructiveness.
The Democratic Party: Toward Integration?
1. Calcinatio (1960s–1970s): Purification Through Justice
The Democratic Party’s calcinatio began with social reform and a reorientation toward civil rights:
- Civil Rights Legislation: Landmark laws under LBJ, including the Civil Rights Act and Voting Rights Act, signaled a commitment to social purification.
- Great Society Programs: These aimed to eliminate poverty and expand educational and healthcare access.
The party burned away the legacy of segregationist ties in favor of a moral realignment.
2. Solutio (1980s–1990s): Dissolution of the New Deal Coalition
This period saw dissolution of traditional structures:
- Centrist Realignment: With Clinton’s “Third Way,” the party moved toward market-friendly policies and distanced itself from labor movements.
- Demographic Reorientation: The base shifted toward suburban professionals and the educated elite.
These changes marked a temporary dilution of foundational working-class alliances.
3. Coagulatio (2000s–2010s): Progressive Reformation
The Democratic Party began to coalesce around a new identity:
- Progressive Momentum: Movements like Occupy Wall Street and the influence of Bernie Sanders pushed progressive ideals into the mainstream.
- Cultural Diversity: An increasingly diverse and liberal base helped solidify a new political identity grounded in inclusion, equity, and reform.
This stage reflects a new ideological cohesion, though one still under strain.
4. Mortificatio (2020s–Present): Fragmentation and Opportunity
Now, the Democratic Party faces its own internal breakdown:
- Factional Conflict: Tensions between progressive activists and establishment centrists create identity crises and strategic confusion.
- Electoral Setbacks: Losses among key demographics (e.g., working-class and minority voters) have exposed disconnects between rhetoric and lived experience.
This mortificatio may be less externally destructive than the Republican version, but it is no less existential. The party must confront its shadow: technocratic elitism, performative progressivism, and a failure to translate ideals into material outcomes.
Toward Coniunctio: A Collective Future
Edinger described coniunctio as the symbolic union of opposites—the final alchemical stage representing psychological wholeness. For either party to reach a higher level of political maturity, a reconciliation of internal contradictions and shadow material is required.
- For Republicans, this might mean confronting authoritarian impulses, xenophobia, and power-for-power’s-sake mentalities.
- For Democrats, it could mean integrating the needs of working-class Americans with progressive ideals, and transforming intra-party conflict into creative synthesis.
In alchemy, mortificatio is not the end. It is the necessary death before rebirth. Whether either party can transcend its current fragmentation depends on its willingness to do the difficult inner work of collective integration.
Final Thought: The Vote as Catalyst
Ultimately, political transformation depends on the collective psyche—on what we choose to focus on and how we act. Voting remains the most direct way to engage in this symbolic process. The outcome of our national psyche’s transformation, like in alchemy, will be determined by the conscious participation of the many, not the will of the few.
Which future will we choose?
