The following article by Michael Vannoy Adams is a presentation delivered at the congress of the International
Association for Analytical Psychology in Cape Town, August 15, 2007.
Among all archetypes, the journey is perhaps the most universal. Of
course, there are always variations on themes. There is the external
journey, and there is the internal journey. There are personal journeys,
and there are collective journeys. There is the journey as quest, but
there is also the journey as conquest. There are journeys of heroes,
journeys of villains, journeys of victims, and journeys of survivors.
There are journeys of exploration and journeys of exploitation. Not
every journey is a journey of individuation.
There is the journey to Africa — for example, the journeys of Jung to
North Africa in 1920 and to East Africa in 1925-26, as well as the
journey of Jungians to South Africa in 2007. There is also the journey
from Africa. Of journeys from Africa, the most universal is the journey
of all humanity from Africa, as the evidence of mitochondrial DNA has
conclusively proved, but there is also another journey from Africa, not
of all humanity, but the journey of Africans in the transatlantic slave
trade — the "night sea journey" of the Middle Passage to the Americas.
The Sable Venus on the Middle Passage: Images of the Transatlantic Slave Trade
There is the journey to Africa — for example, the journeys of Jung to North Africa in 1920 and to East Africa in 1925-26, as well as the journey of Jungians to South Africa in 2007. There is also the journey from Africa. Of journeys from Africa, the most universal is the journey of all humanity from Africa, as the evidence of mitochondrial DNA has conclusively proved, but there is also another journey from Africa, not of all humanity, but the journey of Africans in the transatlantic slave trade — the "night sea journey" of the Middle Passage to the Americas.