🌌 Syzygy – Meaning and Use
The term syzygy comes from the Greek ("syzygia" = connection, pairing) and is used primarily in astronomy, but also in psychology, literature, and symbolism.
🔭 In astronomy:
A syzygy is a position in which three celestial bodies (usually the sun, Earth, and moon, or another planetary constellation) are aligned. This occurs, for example:
during a solar eclipse (the moon is between Earth and the sun),
during a lunar eclipse (the Earth is between the sun and the moon),
or when planets are aligned with the Earth and the sun (conjunction or opposition).
This arrangement is particularly significant because it can, for example, amplify tidal forces or make eclipses possible in the first place.
The term "syzygy" is used to describe the eclipses. 🧠 In psychology (especially in C.G. Jung):
In C.G. Jung, a syzygy refers to a symbolic union of two opposing soul parts, for example:
Anima and animus – the feminine in man and the masculine in woman.
It is therefore about an inner balance between opposites.
✍️ In literature or rhetoric:
Here, syzygy can also simply mean a pairing or connection of two ideas, words, or lines of verse. It often has something harmonious or contradictory at the same time.