Archai (Greek, noun, plural)
Universal principles, original forms; the fundamental essences and primordial forces that animate the cosmos.
Archai derives from the Greek word, arkhe, meaning beginning. In archetypal psychology, archai refers to what James Hillman describes as the deepest patterns or root metaphors of psychological function.
The archai have emerged as a significant theme in New School conversations. We have grouped these conversations together as explorations of ARCHAI—The Archetypal Research Convivium. Convivium derives from the Latin meaning to live together. The Convivium is open to any New School partner. What participation means will emerge over time. ARCHAI conversations include conversations on Carl Jung and on the field of archetypal psychology, a post-Jungian psychology founded by James Hillman. Hillman drew on Jung, the Islamic scholar Henry Corbin, Plotinus, and other classical sources. Archetypal psychology was popularized by Thomas Moore. We have also included conversations on the Sufi teacher Ibn ‘Arabi, the subject of Henry Corbin’s work, and on Corbin himself.
