Symbols
The images people log most
Every symbol here comes from real, anonymous entries in Archetype Matrix. For each one you’ll find what Carl Jung wrote about it and how often it is being logged around the world, and with which moods. Counts updated October 8, 2026.
The Forest
The forest is the most logged symbol in Archetype Matrix so far. People find themselves in it, lost in it, or standing at its edge.
The Snake
Few images arrive in a dream with as much force as the snake. It is also one of the figures people log most often in Archetype Matrix.
The Ocean
Open water, deep water, water without a far shore. The ocean is one of the images people log most in Archetype Matrix.
The Boat
A boat is a small, made thing floating on something enormous. People log it often, sometimes on its own and sometimes right next to the ocean.
The Alien
The alien is a modern image, and people log it far more often than you might expect.
The Old Woman
Grandmothers, wise women, witches. The old woman turns up in Archetype Matrix entries from many different countries.
The Shadow
The Shadow is one of the few entries in Archetype Matrix that comes straight out of Jung’s own vocabulary.
The Lion
The lion is power without apology. It appears in Archetype Matrix entries on its own and, now and then, on the attack.
The Dog
The dog is the animal that lives closest to us, and it shows up in Archetype Matrix entries from many countries.
The Wolf
Few animals carry as much story with them as the wolf. In Archetype Matrix it turns up in entries from many different countries.
Water
Rivers, lakes, rain, a glass of it. Water is one of the plainest images people log, and one Jung took very seriously.
The Eagle
The eagle flies higher than anything else people log in Archetype Matrix, and it is usually seen from below.
The Mirror
A mirror shows you yourself, or something that looks like you. People log it in many countries, and now and then it is broken.
The Fish
Fish come up out of deep water, which may be why people so often log them alongside the sea.
The Horse
Horses carry, run and bolt. People log them as wild, as white, or simply as horses.
Gold
Gold is wealth, and it is also the oldest symbol we have for something that does not decay.
The Old Man
The old man appears in dreams as a teacher, a hermit, a grandfather or a stranger on the road.
