Intense, cosmic thinking — probing the underlying structures. What is happening at the core level? The probing mind needs to be guided by intuition, and we should also keep in mind what J.B.S. Haldane pointed out (paraphrased): "Reality is not only stranger than you think, it is stranger than you can think."

Some people glorify the thinking function and have an inflated over-valuation of superficial rationality. Others, particularly people on Eastern paths or identifying with the New Age, villianize the mind and ego and say you must get rid of these crucial psychic functions. Both points of view consider a degraded type of thinking. The mind and the ego are invaluable allies when they are correctly oriented in the hierarchy of psychic functions. The Self, which Jung defined as the totality of all the layers of the psyche, and the guidance of its global intuition and visionary insight, needs to be in the ruling position. The mind and the ego should be in the position of ministers or cabinet members working for the Self. The mind and ego can work together, for example, to figure out how to mediate between the inner and outer world, how to take the visions and intuitions of the Self and bring them out into the world, how to turn them into words or other cultural products or how to act on them interpersonally or politically, etc.

Where thinking becomes visionary and powerful is when it is a melding of higher intuition and thought. When these two psychic functions work as close allies, it is like you have a torch hovering before you, guiding you to the mysteries at the back of the cave. Consider this a propitious time for visionary thinking.