Jungian Seminars - 2009
Psyche Paints
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Persons engaged in creative arts often express the sense that it is not they, but some transpersonal factor, which moves the paintbrush, molds the clay, generates images and patterns, or spins a story. What Jung called the unconscious can not only exert a pressure to create, but also influences what emerges in ways our egos could not have predicted. Jung envisioned a form of self-reflection which is itself a creative work, in which what emerges from the unconscious reveals to us our own depths, what wants to be lived, and what can be lived in spite of all the obstacles in our path. When Swiss artist, Peter Birkhauser, fell into crisis, he allowed a spontaneous creativity to shatter and transform the skillful and technically correct style developed early in his career. And what emerged were life-renewing images that seem not of this world, coming as they do from the depths of psyche itself. Join us to explore the extraordinary images Birkhauser created, and to invite images of our own to emerge from the unconscious to take shape on paper.
Unrequited Love
Saturday, February 14, 2009
"Happy Valentine's Day," we say. But is it always so happy? One of the most powerful and wrenching experiences that we can have is to love without being loved in return - being stuck with an emotion which seems to exist only to be poured out to another. Where an unrequited love looms large enough in our lives, finding meaning in it can become the focus of the individuation process, with bitterness or a collapse of self-esteem as specters waiting in the wings. Sometimes unrequited love is so charged with a sense of incompleteness that it is difficult to believe that the universe has not, after all, intended a connection to be made. And then we may be captured by fantasies that prevent our "letting go." as common sense dictates. Worse, we may close ourselves off from experiences of love out of fear that it will bring this kind of suffering. "Don't let me go there by myself," Joni Mitchell sang, pleading for a sign from someone she felt herself beginning to fall in love with. No holiday is more awash in shallow sentimentality than Valentine's Day. Nothing re-connects us to the genuine power of an archetype better than exploring its shadow side. Come prepared, yes, to have some fun with "unrequited love."
The Masks We Wear
Saturday, March 14, 2009
You may already be familiar with the metaphor behind Jung's concept of the persona - that of the mask. More specifically, the masks used in the theaters of ancient Greece and Rome to present stereotyped characters so that they could be unequivocally recognized, even by those sitting in the very back rows. It's easy enough to see through others when they march around in full persona, careful to maintain a certain appearance, or insisting on a certain status, a certain role. It may also be easy to feel ourselves burdened with persona when a role we're required to fulfill simply doesn't fit: A galling sense of inauthenticity tells us, "This isn't me!" But reflection on our own personas needn't stop there. Persona is a rich and complex concept, with positive as well as negative facets. And whether persona is useful or detrimental, the realization that "This isn't me" may be the beginning of self-awareness. This seminar will offer the opportunity to construct and wear a mask of your own, as well as an exploration of the "theatrical" nature of our lives.
Finding One’s True, Authentic Swing
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Images of individuation can find expression in all aspects of life, including the sports we play and the films we watch. Our seminar will be couched within both the Masters Golf Tournament being played in Augusta, GA, and the movie “The Legend of Bagger Vance.” This film (fashioned after the Hindu Bhagavad Gita) tells the story of a fictional golfer named Ranndulph Junuh, who struggles to find his “true authentic swing” after returning from World War I, a broken and disillusioned man. But it is not a quest undertaken alone. With the help of a caddie who mysteriously appears, and a young enthusiastic boy, who idolizes the once promising golfer, Junuh begins a journey that holds faith and doubt, fear and courage, hope and despair, regret and acceptance, failure and success in tension. It is our quest as well. What reflects your “true authentic swing”? According to Bagger Vance, it is “Somethin' we was born with,... Somethin' that's ours and ours alone,... Somethin' that can't be taught to ya or learned,... Somethin' that got to be remembered….” Come join us as we enjoy and reflect upon both scenes and dialogue from this film on individuation.
Wresting the Treasure
Saturday, May 23. 2009
Buried in the psyche of each of us are resources and ways of being – treasures - that can be glimpsed but are not easily lived. Many stories tell of the persistence and ingenuity required for our conscious personalities to lay hold of these treasures. In our own dreams, we may encounter them in personified form: characters who are shy, hostile, or otherwise reluctant to come into relationship with us. Yet their appearance often answers a need, or speaks to an opportunity, in our outer lives at just that moment. Folktales speak of magic words or special techniques that, once learned, can become keys to unlock doors and open ways. Luck, chance, or supernatural helpers may play a part as well. Yet special qualities of character seem to be a necessary pre-condition. Though the situation and the attitude required to meet it are archetypal, the means to success are as various as the individual circumstances. We will explore variations on this theme, developing an intuitive sense of how to wrest our own treasures from the grip of the unconscious
The Archetype of the Father
June 20, 2009
The impact upon us of our fathers, whether biological or adopted, cannot be minimized. We may carry memories that are positive or painful, but the effect of those encounters with our “fathers” have in part made us who we are, for better or for worse. However, in addition to these ripples in our outer life, there are also archetypal ripples moving intrapsychically. The Greek god Zeus is often associated with the archetype of the Father, especially the image of him wielding his thunderbolts. But he also demonstrated support, peacemaking, caring, fairness, and protection. These aspects of the archetypal Father are also moving within us and seeking expression in both men and women. We will revisit those experiences in our lives that have wounded us and encouraged us. But we will also address how those essential and necessary archetypal patterns of the Father might be unlocked or redeemed in such a way that our lives can be lived more fully and authentically.
“Two roads diverged...”
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Robert Frost’s renowned poem “The Road Not Taken” captures well the predicament we so often find ourselves confronting: When faced with a choice between two “roads”, how do we discern which road to take? From where did that new road come, and why did it appear just now? What does this new road represent for us? Is it a temptation to lead us astray, another option to help us better delineate the best course, or an unknown path promising a new and needed direction? How do we know? Is it possible that one must stand motionless at the fork for a time before the needed choice becomes evident? Or do we sometimes find that our truest path involves not choosing at all, but suffering that terrible tension for the sake of our own individuation process? All these questions will be explored from personal and Jungian perspectives.
“Once Upon a Loss:
A New Look at Cinderella”
Saturday, August 22, 2009
This seminar will be built around Carolyn Russell Stonewell’s award-winning documentary by the same name. In it you will experience the Cinderella tale as recorded by the Brothers Grimm, beautifully narrated and illustrated. You will also hear the personal stories of women who, like Cinderella, suffered premature loss of their mothers - all this within an interpretive frame provided by Swiss analyst, Kathrin Asper. For mental health professionals, this film offers greater understanding of the often under-estimated effects of losing a parent in childhood or adolescence. But, more important, Dr. Asper demonstrates how any fairy tale can become a window onto the soul. Time will be allowed for exploration of ways in which this much-loved tale resonates with your own experience, whether or not that involves early mother loss, and the archetypes involved. (See http://www.onceuponaloss.com/ for further details about this film, shown with permission from the producer.)
Day of the Dead
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Reverence for the Ancestors is expressed in observances, if not celebrations, the world over. In certain cultures, this time of the year in particular calls forth religious and folk rituals filled with solemn pageantry, festive singing, beautiful flowers, and heartfelt remembrances. Is our connection with those who have died simply a long-lasting memory of people we held dear and a way to deal with our grief in losing them? Or are we in fact watched over and encouraged by a “great cloud of witnesses”? We will view film clips of the Mexican Day of the Dead celebration and examine some poignant dreams and visions, as well as allowing time to share our own experiences and reflections on those who have gone before us.
The Experience of Gratitude
Saturday, November 21, 2009
The 13th century Christian mystic Meister Eckhart once remarked, “If the only prayer you ever say in your entire life is thank you, it will be enough.” Showing thankfulness or gratitude is a hallmark of every spiritual tradition, both East and West. But is thankfulness more than simply an expression of relief, a reminder of being better off that those less fortunate, or the mindless practice of a long-established ritual? What is happening to us when we feel thankful within or when we express gratitude toward another in a way that seems “heartfelt”? What feelings or emotions often accompany such experiences? Might it be a conscious reflection of the relationship between the ego and the Self? All these questions and more will be explored, within and without.
The Symbol of the Tree
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Trees are wondrous. They are quite necessary for life on this planet, exchanging carbon dioxide for oxygen. They provide shelter, warmth, food and beauty. There are trees to be found today, alive and well, that are over 5,000 years old. Perhaps some of our earliest memories include climbing trees whose branches seemed almost human. The life of the imagination, too, has been enriched by the symbolism of trees —from the tiny acorn which holds the entire blueprint of the towering oak to the root system taking in nourishment from the dark regions below, mirroring a growth taking place above in full sunlight. This seminar will examine the Tree in myth, science, experience and dream. You are free to bring a picture of your favorite tree. Or perhaps a dream.
Return to Jungian Analytic Practice Home Page