Crucifixion

1. Etymology

Crucifixion names an archetypal motif associated with conflict and the problem of the opposites. Related: suspension; crossing; wholeness; shadow.

2. Plain summary

Nobody on the road to wholeness escapes the characteristic suspension that is the meaning of crucifixion. One infallibly runs into what thwarts and “crosses”: first, the thing one has no wish to be (the shadow); second, the thing one is not (the “other,” the individual reality of the “You”); and third, one’s psychic non-ego (the collective-unconscious).

It is not pious decoration in the Index sense—it is the archetypal image of being held between irreconcilables until a new stance becomes possible.

Examples (exhaustive house list for this Index lemma — common crucifixion motifs named across Jung’s essays and standard Jungian lexica; not a claim that Jung’s CW contains only these):
archetypal motif of conflict; problem of opposites; suspension on the road to wholeness; thwarted / “crossed”; shadow (what one has no wish to be); the “You” / other; psychic non-ego / collective-unconscious; transference essay neighborhood.

3. Academic elucidation

In analytical psychology crucifixion is opposites-suspension motif—Transference essay territory. Descent Press keeps Sharp in §4; Samuels has no dedicated head. §5 holds sample CW stamps at CW 16 ¶470.

4. Lexicon

Sharp (1991)

Crucifixion. An archetypal motif associated with conflict and the problem of the opposites. Nobody who finds himself on the road to wholeness can escape that characteristic suspension which is the meaning of crucifixion. For he will infallibly run into things that thwart and “cross” him: first, the thing he has no wish to be (the shadow); second, the thing he is not (the “other,” the individual reality of the “You”); and third, his psychic non-ego (the collective unconscious).

(Sharp, 1991) — cites CW 16 ¶470 (The Psychology of the Transference).

Samuels, Shorter & Plaut (1986) — no dedicated crucifixion head (list):

(No dedicated Samuels head.) Related under opposites / shadow / christ / sacrifice.

5. CW concordance — sample, not exhaustive

Nobody who finds himself on the road to wholeness can escape that characteristic suspension which is the meaning of crucifixion. For he will infallibly run into things that thwart and "cross" him: first, the thing he has no wish to be (the shadow); second, the thing he is not (the "other," the individual reality of the "You"); and third, his psychic non-ego (the collective unconscious).
(Jung, 1946/1966, CW 16, p. 262, ¶470)

See also: opposites; shadow; wholeness; transference; collective-unconscious; individuation; self.

References

Jung, C. G. (1966). The psychology of the transference. In H. Read, M. Fordham, G. Adler, & W. McGuire (Eds.), The collected works of C. G. Jung (R. F. C. Hull, Trans.) (2nd ed., Vol. 16, p. 262, ¶470). Princeton University Press. (Original work published 1946)

Samuels, A., Shorter, B., & Plaut, F. (1986). A critical dictionary of Jungian analysis. Routledge.

Sharp, D. (1991). Jung lexicon: A primer of terms & concepts. Inner City Books.