Jungian Seminars - 2006
“It’s the End of the World!”
Saturday, January 14, 2006
As the new millennium was ushered in a few years ago, there were many who feared a global catastrophic event, if not the end of the world itself. The day passed with little change. Clearly, something in the human psyche itself is attracted to images of cataclysmic change and destruction. Our dream life reflects this by presenting us with such earth-shattering events as devastating floods, nuclear detonations, world wars, and invasions from outer space - events in which we participate as if they were real. This seminar will examine various images from history and film, as well as dreams, to explore what meaning the psyche sees in “the end of the world.”
"When Mentors Appear in Dreams"
Saturday, February 11, 2005
Every so often we dream of a person who looms large for us personally, whether as a dignitary, a celebrity, or a mentor. Such persons may be dead or alive, historical or fictitious, from a religious or a secular context. Sometimes they convey a word of wisdom or a simple yet profound truth. At other times the message comes through their behavior or attitude. But whoever they are, whether we engage them in conversation or merely stand in their presence, we feel honored by their spontaneous appearance in our imaginal world. This seminar will explore dreams in which such figures appear. Special attention will be given to the night-time visitations of Jung himself.
"The Seven Deadly Sins"
Saturday, March 11, 2006
There is not much talk of the Deadly Sins in serious conversation today. Even in a religious context, the word “sin” may be a red flag, suggestive of primitive moralistic attitudes. Yet, in centuries past, a great deal of psychological reflection went into developing the canon of what is most destructive to one’s relationship with God, distilled into just a few powerful concepts. As Jung worked with his patients, hoping to facilitate their individuation, he liked to ask, ”What are the stones in your path?” Might we have something to learn about the stones in our own paths by examining the qualities and attitudes once labeled ‘deadly sins’ in Christian Europe? And how might we choose to revise the canon to reflect our deepest beliefs today?
"Traveling the Night Sea Journey"
Saturday, April 8, 2005
The story is as old as history itself: An individual is swallowed up by a great fish or monster, then sits silently for three days & nights in its belly before being expelled, a changed person. Variations on this theme are found worldwide, cutting across cultural borders, surfacing in myths, rituals, religious texts, & dreams. The seminar will explore various expressions of this archetypal experience from different times & places, and will go on to ask how we may have lived this story in our own lives. What do we know of sitting in the dark, overwhelmed by forces beyond our control, waiting for a release that brings transformation?
"Thinking Symbolically in Everyday Life"
Saturday, May 6, 2005
Too often our lives are caught up in frenetic activity, blinded to meaning subtly unfolding beneath the seemingly flat surface of events. Yet there are moments when we are touched or surprised by life and suddenly find ourselves asking, “Why?,” compelled to look deeper: We trip and fall in a public place. We say something provocative after suffering a mishap. We stand in awe before a sunset…. This seminar will examine everyday happenings and the opportunities they offer for our symbolic imagination to become fully engaged. Participants are invited to bring their stories.
"Appointment with the Wise Old Dog”
Saturday, June 24, 2006
David Blum was an internationally renowned orchestra conductor and author. Diagnosed with cancer at the age of 52, he discovered that drawing images from his dreams helped him cope with his illness in a profoundly unexpected way. In this moving documentary, Blum gently leads the viewer into his drawings reflecting spiritual guides, including his beloved deceased dachshund; radiant landscapes; and the music of Mozart and Beethoven. Shortly before his death, Blum felt compelled to share his inner journey, in the hope that his personal experience could help others realize their own inner gifts. As Blum explains: “It’s an amazing fact that at a time of dire crisis, people often unexpectedly find themselves supported by a power that makes it possible for them to cope.” In this seminar we will watch this short film and spend the remainder of our time discussing our reflections on how the psyche can welcome the offerings of the unconscious and participate in the dialogue intended to bring, if not healing, then at least peace.
“Mothers and Daughters, Fathers and Sons”
Saturday, July 22, 2006
No relationship is as primal as that between parent and child. For most of us it is the very first meaningful relationship we experience in life. With it comes a promise of fulfillment as well as an occasion for frustration. In addition to the day-to-day challenges and opportunities such relationships bring, there also exists an archetypal patterning which unconsciously drives our expectations and reactions. Much has been made of the attraction between mother and son, father and daughter - the so-called Oedipal and Electra complexes. This seminar, however, will seek to examine the “mirror image” that exists between a mother and her daughter, a father and his son. What hopes and disappointments permeate such relationships? What do parent and child see in each other? What of the mother who never had a daughter, the father who never had a son? With the help of myth, fairy tale, dream, personal story, and the insights of Jungian psychology, we hope to gain a fuller understanding.
“Ah, Wilderness!”
Saturday, August 19, 2006
The deep, dark forests of European fairy tales … the trackless deserts of early Church Fathers … frozen wastes at the North and South Poles, first viewed by intrepid explorers not so long ago …. Since the very first organization of human life around fixed settlements, wilderness has captured the human imagination, inspiring fear and curiosity, catching projections and provoking deep reflection. Wilderness offers us a standpoint apart from the culture of the day, both challenging our arrogance and healing our wounds. In the 21st century, as true wilderness is more and more in danger of extinction, we are haunted by the words of the late David Brower, first executive director of the Sierra Club: “In wilderness is the preservation of the world.” Join us to share pictures, stories, thoughts, and feelings about the place of Wilderness in our imaginal world.
“The Quest”
Saturday, September 30, 2006
History is replete with well-known quests of the human soul: the Crusaders’ quest for the Holy Grail, the alchemists’ quest to turn lead into gold, the theologians’ quest to uncover the historical Jesus, the Native American vision quest, the popular quest for the American dream, or the physicists’ quest for a Unified Theory of Everything. In addition to these quests which have at times captured our collective attention, there are also quests which appear to be individual in nature and where something very personal is sought. Underlying all our quests is an archetypal energy, made manifest in myths, dreams, and fairy tales, that sets our hearts on “the treasure hard to attain.” Although the content may change, the form remains the same: the search for something that will bring to life an ultimate meaning and purpose. This seminar will examine quests known to us from history, as well as personal quests that only we can reveal. Then we will set about exploring the inward motivations and the outward characteristics involved in being on a quest that will not let us rest until the treasure is attained.
“Losing It”
Saturday, October 28, 2006
Most of us like to think of ourselves as maintaining a modicum of control over our own emotions and behavior. Not to do so would be irresponsible, as well as foolhardy. Though we are never really free from the influence of complexes in the background, we learn to tolerate these subtle voices, and even to benefit from their input at times. But the dramatic phenomenon we call “losing it” is usually experienced as a disaster, whether merely embarrassing or downright destructive. We rightly fear “losing it,” because that so often means being taken over by a shadow aspect of our personalities that we are determined to keep locked away - especially anger. Understanding what is happening in our psyche’s when we “lose it” can be the first step towards coming to terms with ourselves - and perhaps towards being more consistently the person we want to be. This seminar will draw on examples found in myths, fairy tales, dreams and our personal experiences where someone “lost it.” Then we will see what can be done to recover and transform what has been lost.
“The Archetype of the Savior”
Saturday, December 9, 2006
In troubled times, when we do not know how to help themselves, the archetype of the Savior readily constellates and is often projected. The persons who catch those projections may be found in almost any context: military, spiritual, therapeutic, or political. These are the warrior-heroes, brilliant statesman or ruthless “Strong Men,” healers, teachers, & guru’s. Even in the erotic sphere, we may look to “the great love” to save our lives from meaninglessness. As with any archetype, that of the Savior has both positive and negative potentials: There are always unscrupulous persons waiting to take advantage of the hopes that arise out of desperation. But there are also gifted individuals who are both willing and able to connect us with resources seemingly beyond ordinary human grasp. Have saviors played a part in your own life story? Have you ever been called on to act as a savior yourself? Did you find that role seductive? Join us to reflect on images of the Savior in dream and story, as well as in religious tradition.