Plot Planning: Alexander's Shadow

Let me break it down for you: I love Jungian Psychology. I really do. In fact, one of the most interesting things about it are all the different archetypes. I'm not sure why, but the idea that while we are all diverse we still fit into basic psychological templates is very relaxing to me. 

To break it down: Jungian Psychology is also called Analytical Psychology. It originated from the ideas of Carl Jung, a young compatriot to Sigmund Freud. The whole idea of it focuses on creating productive people who can make contributions to society in the later parts of life, and does this through a consistent cycle of Self-Awareness, Transformation, and Self-Actualization. This occurs due to constructive re-conceptualization of a person's conscious thoughts and behaviors, being balanced with a similar constructive attitude towards a person's unconscious mind. Together, these two opposites-- what you are, and what you are not, yield valuable personal growth.

I want this plot to focus on what Alexander is not. Let me explain further.

There are in general three parts to a person's personality. The ego, which is basically what you see with that person. How they dress, act, what they like, their opinions-- the entire surface of that person comes from their ego. Above that, is the super ego, which acts as a person's Jiminey Cricket. It causes you to analyze and check yourself, adjust your behavior, and throw away or otherwise repress what doesn't work or is not acceptable socially or in the terms of the society you dwell within.

The Shadow is everything that is thrown away, pushed down, repressed, denied, and rejected in a person's life. If the mind was an Iceburg, the ego would just be the tip. The sunlight would be the Super Ego. The Shadow would be everything else. That doesn't mean that a shadow is inherently bad. A bad person may have a good shadow, or a decent person may have a shadow comprised of the good things they haven't done. A shadow can have both destructive and constructive parts. More than that, there can actually be multiple shadows to a single ego. In essence, the shadow is everything that a person hides from even themselves. It is the reality they do not face. It might be acknowledged in passing, but beyond that no light is cast upon it.

That is what I want to focus on in this plot. Alexander has a lot of issues buried that he has choked down. He is polite, genuinely kind, but quick to anger and fiercely protective. He stuffs down what he deems terrible: his fears and guilt, his aggressive tendencies, and maybe even the smallest part of him that enjoyed being 'the monster of Armageddon' that Jericho told him he should have been. He pushed and strains against a significantly larger and more damaged portion of himself, and I think that it would be interesting for him to have to finally confront that.

So, here is my question: who wants to help, and does anybody else want to get involved? I would make a character who makes shadows come to life but I have a ton of characters already, and mainly reserve making new ones for writing with others in worlds that I'm not in yet. Any thoughts or input?

I would love to help; and it gives me an excuse for writing Black Rabbit the way i want to. However; I do have a few questions, and maybe statements that i'll try not to rehash.

1. I get that we are trying to uncover Alexander's Shadow; but how much of Jungian Psychology will be showing? I know next to nothing about it; besides a wikipedia article; and we all know how helpful those can be.

2. Im not necessarily sure that Black Rabbit will become a key part in Alexander's Little 'Shadows' plot here; as she'll have a place in some of mine as well, although i doubt that is a problem.

3. This place will be focusing around Radix, correct? are there going to be plans of anywhere else as well? if there is; i'll happily introduce some of my other characters to assist.

...and...thats it for questions right now; unless another pops up later on. >.>

In order:

Not a lot. I want to focus mainly on the shadow aspect, though I think it would be interesting to expand upon at a later date. For this particular plot thread, that's all that needs to be worked with.

Well, there would only really be one shadow plot per say. And it's not limited to just Alexander, because I had hoped that whosoever made the person who created these shadows would move onto other people and characters. It would be nice to have it as a consistent thing, I think.

Alexander's focuses around Radix, but another person may have it occur in another area, if that makes sense. In truth, location is basically irrelevant.

So I was thinking of the character that could create shadows could be an aspect of Fate or Eternity on accident.

Since from what I can tell Eternity gives birth to all sparks or does the whole reincarnation of them back into the world, in a sense , so with this the character could be specialized with giving life on the physical level of a dimension to the shadow of individuals. At least I think my thinking is right in that.

In the other case of Fate, who sees all of the futures, perhaps this person could instead of all the futures, the things that character have buried within them aka their shadows and as such could also summon forth these beings forcing people to accept their shadows or at least deal with them. however on this route I would debate if they could only merely see the shadow or they are actually brought into physical. Another thing that might be different is whether perhaps instead only the person that holds the shadow can actually see and interact with it.

Anyone else thing that either of these routes are viable and good enough for the plot that is needed. I'm willing to make them, but I would be more than willing to let someone else do so if they want.

Also I say a penalty to any character that says "Your not me" to their shadow lol.

I would favor it being an aspect of Fate, and I would like to explain why.

Eternity, also called "The Mother of Mothers" has an interest in seeing her children born. Death is the one that ferries them back. However, beyond those two points there is hardly much interaction that they can have with their children. What they know of the mortal world comes from information from the beginning and the ends of the journey. 

Fate, however, always watches, and generally always pulls certain strings. She navigates possibilities, sees the infinite outcomes, and generally is more aware of the mortal world than any of the three are.

Now, this entity of Fate though would have to be different than the whole "Seer of Possibility" that you'd expect. Like you suggested, she'd have to see something that might be specific to this aspect, or potentially group of aspects. She would be able to see Psyches, and depending on how that works she could even see the "Shadows" of a mind graced with Freedom (which I hope for, because of Alexander's plot) though I'm not sure how that would work.

Potentially the aspect(s) is benevolent and presents beings with their darker urges in order to help them grow, malevolent in that it wants to see a person come to ruination through self-destruction, or neutral in that this is all relevant to the evolution of the mortal spark.

I would favor both routes being executed, depending on the specific situation in terms of who can see it. It might just be the specific strength of the shadow that determines visibility.

If a person were to have this ability, what would be their motive for doing this? Personally, I'd prefer a rather complex, human reason, opposed to something tossed aside such as a sadistic personality.

I'd really like to explore the mind of someone who does this, whether or not they can do it to themselves, and etc.

It might stem from them having dealt with themselves and could be looking for justification of what he denies, by subduing others to what he unknowingly tortured himself with in his youth or something.

It's really vague cliche idea, at this point, but I'd like to just toss it out there in terms of addressing how growing up with this power might affect someone and how it might play into their motivations as they grew older.

Well, depending how the character existed and the conditions surrounding them, it could be anything from the fact that the act is a mental exercise to the idea that revealing a person's secrets to the world and exposing their darkest parts could either be helpful or compromising.