Psychology Podcasts Dr Dave of Shrink-Rap Radio, page 8

Images of horror and transformation, page 4

Alchemy and Technology, page 28

Jung & Sufism, page 22

Creative TensionsNew YeAR gReeTINgS to you all! My hope is

that your 2008 will be all the richer for your

connection to the Jung Society of Sydney.

Our Committee is constantly working on

new ways to nourish our community through

publications, website and meetings. I do

hope that you will be joining us this year to

partake of what is on offer.

A Jungian approach demands that we

encompass a multitude of polarities. In

Memories, Dreams and Reflections Jung wrote

of the necessity of experiencing ourselves as

“concurrently limited and eternal, as both one

and the other”. In our upcoming programme

of talks there will be ample opportunity to

reflect on these creative tensions.

Speaking directly to our human experience

of the eternal, Dr. ehsan Azari will explore

Jungian and Sufi approaches to the sacred

dimensions of psyche and imagination, while

Peter Dicker approaches human encounters

with the eternal through his revisioning of

the mythic Dionysus in his talk The Undivided

One. Jon Marshall’s attention also focuses on

myth making realms in Through Alchemy to

Technology, as he considers the psychological

realities of technologies and the hopes and

fears that they arouse. Amanda Dowd’s talk

Backgrounds of Beauty explores memories of

safety and terror to reflect on the effects of

colonisation in Australia, and how we grapple

with the presence of the other mind and

spiritual systems resident here. In Conscious

Femininity Kath McPhillips, through the work

of Marion woodman, contemplates both

the cultural and clinical repercussions of an

unlived spiritual life, and a disconnection

from the archetypal feminine and masculine.

I do hope you can join us for these talks with

their challenging and lively questions.

As well as looking ahead to 2008 in Jung

Downunder we revisit our 2007 Cinema and

Psyche event, A Deep Place Touched Only by

Monsters. So much came out of this evening

with Anne Noonan and Barbara Creed, that

Louise Fanning was inspired to write about

it, expanding on the wealth of themes and

images that this event evoked. Tim Hartridge

gives us a guided tour of online resources of

interest to Jungian folk, and Marc Marusic

reviews Robert Romanyshan’s book Ways of

The Heart, while Jon Marshall reflects on bliss.

My thanks to all these writers for their great

contributions.

I would also like to thank the team who

have worked with me on this edition of Jung

Downunder: Tim Hartridge who is so inspired

and generous with his considerable skills

and talent as a graphic designer, and Jon

Marshall and Lucy Davey who have been

skilled editors.

Sally Gillespie, President.

from the President

2

NewsC.G.Jung Society of Sydney

3

Library reporT

THe SOCIeTY maintains a small library

of books, tapes and journals available

to all current members. All items may

be borrowed for two months at a

time. The holdings consist of books

by Cg Jung, books about his work

and ideas; there are journals such as

Spring and The Journal of Analytical

Psychology; and a collection of audio

tapes of many of the monthly talks

presented at the meetings.

During the past year there have

been discussions about the best way

to preserve the older audio tapes

since they have a limited life. Any

assistance with transferring them

to CD would be gratefully accepted

and much appreciated. One of

our Committee members, Monica

Roman, is listening to older tapes to

check the quality and consider the

comparative value of the contents.

This ensures that talks of most

interest are transferred first.

There have been a few acquisitions

for the Library in 2007, and in 2008

we may be in a position to purchase

new items. All suggestions from

members are welcome.

Lucy Davey

From The CommiTTee

IT HAS BeeN an exciting and creative

time for the executive Committee

as i t has embarked upon new

enterprises. The transformation of our

old newsletter into the sophisticated

Jung Downunder magazine by Tim

Hartridge has delighted our members

and given us the ability to market

ourselves much more effectively to

the general public. watch out for

Tim’s redesign of our website next

with its added links to podcasts of

interest to our members.

Louise Fanning introduced the

very well-received Cinema and

Psyche symposium which this year

featured Pan’s Labyrinth. She is now

hard at work developing her next

Cinema and Psyche event for 2008.

Bo Robertson organised a superb

Christmas Party for 2007 and will

next turn her talents to marketing

and co-ordinating advertising in Jung

Downunder and on our website.

Jon Marshall has added to the

regular secondhand stock of our

bookstall by importing new stock

from Spring Publications and Spring

Journal, stimulating excellent sales

which are inspiring him to make

further imports for 2008. Marcel

Abarca and Monica Roman have

worked hard to streamline our

financial systems and reports, while

Lucy Davey has ref ined l ibrary

systems and databases, as well as

kept tabs on our work through her

minute- taking of our meetings.

As Honorarium Lenore Kulakauskas

manages and co-ordinates all the

organisat ional elements of the

Society, frequently suggesting new

ways to improve systems. when it

comes to technology Peter Mann

advises and supports us in a myriad

of ways, including overseeing the

monthly broadcast email . June

Reynolds continues her long-term

work of promoting the Society

through her excellent networking

abilities. Lesley Hamlyn turns her

hands to whatever tasks are at hand at

our monthly meetings. It’s a privilege

and honour to be the President of

such a talented, passionate and

generous executive Committee. On

behalf of the Jung Society I thank

them all for the terrific work.

Sally Gillespie

In the darkened auditorium of the

cinema, the threshold of consciousness

is lowered, opening the way to an

experience away from the day to day

world. an affect charged psychological

realm is created where images are

encountered and can be emotionally

engaged with, which, under everyday

circumstances, would be rejected.

especially, perhaps, the psychical

factors that are given no place in the

day to day world. In Jung’s words, the

gods that have become diseases - the

phobias, the obsessions, the intense

emotions, the unbearable histories, the

ghosts and evils, the terrible traumas

– these monsters can be given form and

experienced in the cinema.

In august 2007, the C. G. Jung Society

of Sydney hosted a discussion about

images of horror and transformation in

the latest film by the Mexican filmmaker

Guillermo del toro, Pan’s Labyrinth.

the film has captivated critics and

cinemagoers alike for its creative

aesthetics as well as its multi-layered

and complex themes. this discussion

was inspired by a quote from the

filmmaker himself: “I really think the

most creative, most fragile part of the

child that lives within me is a child that

was literally transformed by monsters.

If It’S true aS JaMeS hIllMan tells us that the essence of psyche is

myth and that psychology is ultimately mythology - the study of the stories

of the soul - then the cinema certainly appears to have been created to open

ourselves to aspects of soul.

w e A V I N g V O I C e S

Images of horror and transformation in Pan’s labyrinth

4

Be they on the screen, or in myth or in

my own imagination.”

the panellists were dr. anne noonan,

a Sydney-based psychiatrist and Jungian

analyst, and Professor Barbara Creed

who lectures in Cinema Studies at the

university of Melbourne. I had the

pleasure of organising and chairing

the event and the following are some of

the interesting thoughts that emerged

on the night of the discussion and

afterwards.

anne noonan started by saying that

originally she thought she would try

to interpret this film in an alchemical

way, that is “that the narrative is a

prima materia, a dark leaden thing

which, through a series of processes,

is eventually transformed into gold.

Jung took this to be a metaphor of

individuation or the way the mind

matures.” this model could be applied

to the making of the film, the narrative of

the film, and the experience of watching

the film in the cinema.

“With the making of films” anne said,

“you start off with a base material, the

basic idea, and it is worked through

with a number of actions: writing the

script, getting the costumes together,

deciding on the setting and time, the

whole transferential thing of the film

director being moved and continually

reworking, reworking. del toro seems

to have a whole theory around how to

do it, including allusions to other films,

myths and art. It is not so much his

religion - he calls himself an ex-Catholic

- but it’s his faith-base or something,

taking the myths and art, using many

bodies of theory, and weaving them all

together.”

Images of horror and transformation in Pan’s labyrinthby Louise Fanning

5

A Deep Place Touched Only by Monstersanne then explained that as she got

more involved in the story she realised

it also had contained a ver y strong

presence of the eros and Psyche

story. “In Pan’s labyrinth Ofelia starts

of f as a human figure and she goes

through various tests. the last scene

in the Psyche myth is where Psyche

is immortalised and she goes up with

eros to Olympus/heaven. In the

Psyche myth she doesn’t really die:

she becomes unconscious when she

opens up the box and that gives eros

the chance to come and be with her.

‘Psyche’ is the Greek word for ‘butterfly’

and Persephone’s potion causes Psyche

to move out of her human guise, from

her physical level, and metamorphose

to a higher level.”

In a discussion later anne spoke of

James hillman’s interesting comments

about Psyche and eros: “he says

Psyche is actually just mind or even

habit, more or less day to day stuff. eros

comes along and that’s the transformer,

he burns, he pierces, he makes people

suffer. there is an ancient coin found

not too long ago which has on one side

eros and Psyche in an embrace. On

the other side poor old Psych is being

absolutely tortured. aphrodite’s pulling

her backwards by the hair, that’s an

archetypal thing - pulling her back, and

eros is underneath burning her genitals

with a torch. that’s a process: it’s only

by going through that kind of alchemical

suf fering, Ofelia’s tests in the film,

that she moves into this Psyche/eros

relationship.”

filmmaking in itself can be thought

of as a monstrously difficult experience.

del toro talks of having a great deal of

difficulty in the making of this film; in

fact he lost a lot of weight. “that’s a

burning off,” said anne. “holding the

complexity of the stories, the history,

various myths and possibilities in all

the details. the transformation of

natural images to technical images and

finally brought back together again as a

symbolic image.”

In terms of an alchemical experience

for the film viewer, anne thought that

a good film could transform or change

mind. She said, “that was Jung’s idea

with the difference between true and

false imagination. the old alchemists

used to say the true imagination is

when the images move and transform

whereas the false imagination is more a

repetitive day dreaming sort of thing.”

anne thought that while certain horror

films can just have a repetitive, kind

of addictive thrill, in del toro’s film 6

Ofelia enters the Labyrinth.

A Deep Place Touched Only by Monstersthe imagery suggests it’s moving you

along to another place. “You’ll hear a lot

of artists say ‘I went to see Gilbert and

Sullivan with my aunt when I was 9 and

from then on I knew’.”

“It’s also interesting to notice,”

anne went on to say, “that Joseph

Campbell, Mircea eliade and Jung

and also del toro, all had moments in

their childhoods, we know not why,

which became extremely significant,

moments in time that sort of held the

tension between the supernatural and

the natural: del toro’s monsters and

ghosts in the cupboard; Jung’s phallus

dream that always stuck in his mind;

eliade thought he was in a green grape.

With Campbell he says in Cowboy and

Indian games he thought he looked

like the Indian, at the image level he

identified a lot with them.”

the key motif for Barbara Creed in

her response to Pan’s Labyrinth relates

to the symbolism of the labyrinth

throughout. and Barbara along with

anne found a strong resonance in

the way that the key motif they each

identified is not just a description of

the story’s narrative structure but also

a template of the way the viewer can

get involved in the film psychologically.

Barbara said: “the labyrinth of ancient

myth or of modern film symbolises

a kind of dreamlike journey in which

the traveller must confront, and by the

traveller I mean not just the protagonist

of the film such as Ofelia but also the

viewer, via the protagonist, the main

character we’re asked to identify with,

must confront the important issues in

life, particularly those of birth, betrayal,

loss and separation, death and rebirth.”

for Barbara the labyrinth is essentially

a place where the body becomes lost

and the mind embarks on a journey of

its own in order to find resolution to a

problem.

Barbara provided an extensive

etymology of the word ‘labyrinth’ and

history of the evolution of the labyrinth

and, of particular interest to storytellers

a description of the four primary types

of labyrinth that she has identified: the

spiral, the maze, the matrix and the

rhizome. “Whereas the maze,” she said,

“offers a comparatively straightforward

journey of entrances and exits, the spiral

offers a more complex journey, spinning

according to it’s own laws. the post-

modern matrix and the rhizome offer

paths ... without entrances and without

exits suggesting perhaps that in the late

20th and early 21st century the journey

into the unconscious to discover the self

Above left & below posters from the movie.

7

A Deep Place Touched Only by Monstershas become increasingly complex and

increasingly difficult.” Pan’s Labyrinth,

in Barbara’s opinion, interweaves two

cinematic forms of the labyrinthine

journey. “In the above ground story

the labyrinthine workings are fairly

straightforward and operate around

the labyrinth as a maze where there

are entrances and exits in the stories

surrounding the sadistic captain and

the freedom fighters in the countryside

attacking the forces of franco. the story

of Ofelia is much more complicated and

resembles much more the labyrinth as

a rhizome or a place where there are no

clear entrances or exits at all. But the

two forms of the labyrinthine narrative

and structure in the film intersect

throughout so it becomes an incredibly

complex film in terms of the way the

above ground political story relates to

the underground fantasy story.”

Barbara took us through the story of

the labyrinth and a description of the

monster at its centre. “the classical

labyrinth was built on the order of the

Cretan king Minos, the moon king,

because the king’s wife had mated

with a white bull and given birth to the

human/animal hybrid, the Minotaur

that possessed the body of a man but

the head of a bull. and of course, in

this myth it is the half-animal/human

hybrid that is so monstrous whereas

interestingly, in Pan’s Labyrinth the

faun is the human/animal hybrid, and

although he’s a monster he’s a very

sympathetic monster. In fact all of the

monstrous creatures, except the pale

man, are sympathetic, it’s the human

monster that is truly horrific. So,

every seven years the Minotaur fed

on human flesh, seven young men and

seven maidens sent from athens as a

tribute to the Minotaur. It was the hero

theseus with the help of ariadne, the

king’s daughter, who was able to finally

slay the Monster with the help of her

famous thread.”

Barbara said she feels del toro’s story

draws on a number of motifs from the

ancient legend. “In a sense the mother

has mated with the monster, the captain,

but this time it is Ofelia the daughter

whose task it is to leave the captain, or

father if you like, and journey into the

depths of the labyrinth using his own

son, her brother as a lure, in the hope

of bringing new life to the bloody land.”

Barbara pointed out that the pattern

becomes much more complex than in

the classical story. “the Monster feasts

on the blood of innocents in this film

but it is fully human. the central change 8

The pale man.

A Deep Place Touched Only by Monstersto the myth apar t from the familial

relationships is that the dominant

character is female. the hero theseus

has been replaced by a heroine, Ofelia

and the monster is in a sense the false

king, the patriot and the fascist.”

In the scene where Ofelia encounters

the pale man, Barbara observes that

the labyrinth is not presented as a

comforting place, but “as a place of

terror ruled over by the blind man

who symbolically cannot see anything

literally, morally or psychologically.

he’s the only underground monster

in the film who is not sympathetic.”

Barbara sees him as being linked to

the captain. “Vidal and the pale man are

both monsters that dwell deep within

their own labyrinths and are natural

enemies of the worlds of children and

fantasy. they are particularly linked

where they are holding their hands up.

In Vidal’s hand, his stigmata, his cross

to bear, is his watch, which is cracked

from when his father was shot. that’s

his pain to bear. When the pale man lifts

his hands up what we see here are eyes

which is his way of seeing through the

maze but he cannot see clearly.”

“So, what is it that Ofelia achieves

by the end of the journey?” Barbara

thought that it’s all contained in the line

at the end of the film when the captain

staggers out of the labyrinth holding his

son and walks straight into the arms of

the rebels. he says he wants them to

tell his son the hour of his death, just

as he knew his own father’s. “this,”

said Barbara, “is symbolically a very

important hour, the hour when the

son becomes the new patriarch.” this,

of course, does not happen. “What

Ofelia has done is, she gives the next

generation of children a chance never

to know the fascist, sadistic form of

patriarchy as monster. as with many

horror films the only real monsters are

human ones.”

as I peruse the comments from our

panellists I am amazed by the complex

and enigmatic images that have sprung

forth, further enriching not only our

understanding of Guillermo del toro’s

fascinating film but the ever yday

experience of our lives.

9

Posters from the movie.

guillermo del Toro

unleSS YOu have been living under

a rock you have no doubt heard of the

world’s most popular portable media

player, the Apple iPod. this nifty

device is used with your computer,

although new iPods are now capable

of connecting you wirelessly to the

Internet. Once connected to the net you

can download the mostly free audio and

video broadcasts called podcasts to your

iPod and play at leisure. Of course most

commercial music and movies are still

only available by purchase, but a lot of

great material is free.

So why would you want one of these

devices or to download endless hours

of podcasts to your computer? I had

no idea either until about 18 months

ago I navigated my way to podcast

central, itunes, typed into the search

window “psychology” and up popped a

small selection of psychology-based

programs. thinking back, I was oddly

rather encouraged by this meagre result

and began exploring straight away the

podcast Shrink Rap Radio.

Shrink Rap Radio is a weekly

podcast hosted by the ver y likable

and knowledgeable dr dave (alias, dr

david Van nuys). dr dave interviews

the most interesting collection of expert

guests in the field of psychology, many

iPod Psychology

Self help has long been the domain of book and magazine publishers, but today it’s all just a click away via your computer or iPod

10

Dr David Van Nyse of Shrink Rap Radio

Top: Maureen Murdock Below: Douglas A.Davis

podcastAccording to the web-based,

encyc loped i a wik iped i a :

“A podcast is a collection of

digital media files which is

distributed over the Internet

u s i n g s y n d i c a t i o n f e e d s

for p layback on portab le

media players and personal

computers.”

W E A V I N G V O I C E S

It’s All in Your EarSelf help has long been the domain of book and magazine publishers, but today it’s all just a click away via your computer or iPod

having published on a wide variety of

subjects. recent subjects and people

include: The Authoritarian Personality

with robert altemyer; Psychopathology

in The Workplace with laurence Miller;

Adventure-Based Psychotherapy with

Jason holder; Using Hypnosis and

EMDR to Repair Broken Maternal/

Infant Bonds with tony Madrid; and

The Psychological Impact of Materialism

with tim kasser.

Some of the more unusual inter-

views have included: Artificial Life

and Artificial Intelligence; Two Blokes

in an Aussie Pub Discuss Psychology;

Psychological Survival in Baghdad;

Computer-Assisted Dream Interpretation;

and Shamanic Psychology.

there are so many dif ferent and

fascinating interviews conducted by

dr.dave, but a couple which stood-

out were The Heroine’s Journey with

the articulate Maureen Murdock who

studied with Joseph Campbell, and

the discussion on the relationship

between freud and Jung based on

the investigative work of douglas a.

davis.

the Jung Podcast, with Jungian

analyst John Betts, is one of the most

comprehensive programs on Jung’s

analytical Psychology. It provides

by tim hartridge

11John Betts of the Jung Podcast.

an introduction to the fundamentals

of analytical Psychology through

which the listener is able to develop

a thorough understanding of Jungian

psychological principles.

the Jung Podcast also applies a hands-

on approach to working with dreams.

the early episodes provide the listener

with a detailed understanding of the

terms and application of Jungian

dreamwork and then invites the

listener to do the inner work. there’s a

brilliant workshop in later episodes on

the application of fairy tales to inner

work using the tale of the “Nixie of the

Mill-Pond”.

navigating therapyProgram lengths vary hugely, even with

some well structured podcasts. far from

being a disadvantage, the wonderful

thing about podcast programs is that

they are able take as long as they need

to discuss the topic. Podcasts can run as

short announcements, as information

pieces, or as mini inter views of 10

minutes or less, to more in-depth

interviews and discussions lasting over

an hour.

the texas tech univers i ty ’s

department of Psychology provides

brief episodes of less than 10 minutes

for their Psychology Podcast show

created by student doctors and dr

frank durso. this surprisingly brief

show covers some very useful material

for anyone lost in life’s struggles.

an Introduction to Psychology

lectures with dana C. leighton is at

the other end of the spectrum with in-

depth podcasts running over an hour.

these are a lecture series from classes

run at the Portland Community College

in Oregon uSa. leighton created the

iPod Psychology : PODCAST

aNZap SaTUrDay morNiNG SemiNarSat the Australian Museum, College Street Sydney CUT! FebrUary 9ThThis will be another ‘live’ presentation of a session between a real therapist and an actor/patient. Russell

Meares will lead a panel in commenting on what is occurring in the therapy while it is happening.

A LENS ON EMPATHY apriL 5Thwell-known psychotherapist, Alan Kindler, will be here from America to present a fascinating and

educational seminar on empathy using video.

PSYCHOTHERAPY GOES TO THE MOVIES JUNe 14ThPsychiatrist, psychoanalyst and movie-buff, Professor Carolyn Quadrio, will take us on a journey about

the presentation of therapy and therapists in film.

aNZap: (02) 8399 3787 · iNFo@aNZapweb.Com · www.aNZapweb.Com

Natasha Mitchell of the ABC's All in the Mind

12

podcast as way of making his classroom

lectures available to his students and

has even made available some visual

notes, so that you feel like you are

actually in the class.

I am happy to inform you that Aunty

aBC produces some of the best

programs to be found anywhere on the

internet. their psychology podcast All

in the Mind is recommended by the

astute dr dave. the program presenter

is natasha Mitchell, part of the aBC’s

radio national team, who has a science

background and list of media awards

longer than this article.

All in the Mind freely combines

“unexpected voices, themes and ideas” and

“engages with both leading thinkers and

personal stories” and so the program’s

scope is considerably broader than pure

psychology. It is well worth the listen.

a wonderful thing about itunes is that

it automatically checks for new episodes

on programs I have subscribed to for

free, like the Jung Podcast presented by

John Betts.

today when I searched on itunes

for Psychology there were more than

150 podcasts listed. these programs

become a virtual audio-library on every

conceivable subject. You don’t have to

have an iPod to listen to them, as you

can listen straight off the website, its

just more convenient that way. to

get you started I have put links to all

the podcasts mentioned here on our

website – www.jungdownunder.com

Online there’s a wonderfully rich

source to be found through podcasts,

offering us unparalleled flexibility to

listen and re-listen whenever we want.

dr dave’s catch-phrase “Its All in Your

Mind” might be better said as “It’s All

in Your Ear”.

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data storage devices for playing

audio and video.

iTunes software is used to

transfer music to the iPod or

other MP3 device from stored

audio and video libraries on the

user’s computer.

abC nowABC NOw is a yet another

innovation. It’s a small piece

of software that will help you

navigate the collective stream

of the ABC’s titanic media

collection, particularly their

more recent shows. Currently

the ABC does not have all

programs in an audio or video

format for downloading, but

they do however transcribe

programs and you can read

them online.

Jung Society Members are offered a 10% Discount on all purchases

13

On ‘Following your Bliss’

InItIallY thIS SOundS attractive,

but although Campbell did not intend

it this way, it can become a destructive

demand, and we might wonder what

happens with a life where it is not clear

what your bliss is, or that you can find

it, or that once found you could pursue

it? Perhaps other things are also

demanded; perhaps there are other

imperatives which are just as real, or

obstacles which cannot be crossed? Is,

for example, a life irredeemably lost if

you care for a child or a spouse who is

incapacitated and do not follow bliss

alone? Might you develop just as much

from pain or restriction?

the implied message that if you do

not follow your one path, your one

enjoyment, your one bliss, then your

life will be wasted, is reinforced by

the Christian parable of the monetary

talents, from whence we get the idea

of personal ‘talents’. It is not surprising

that religion and myth lurk beneath an

imperative. In this story the servant

who fails to increase or use his talents,

but merely keeps them safe, displeases

the master and is thrown outside into

the darkness where there is “weeping

and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 25:

14-30 and a similar tale at luke 19:12-

27). those who do not use their talents

correctly are clearly damned. the

message of using talents can thus

become a dictum to oppress and flog

ourselves with. the story also seems

to make a perfectly confused emblem

for life in modern society; if we don’t

make money or increase our selves, by

ourselves, then we have failed.

Campbell also seems to be saying that

if you follow your bliss then problems

will be cleared away. Jung suggests that

we should beware of philosophies that

imply that we can make our life simple,

certain and smooth. Problems, in his

view, rather than success, force us to

greater consciousness and to separation

It is well known that towards the end of his life Joseph Campbell said: “My general formula for my students is ‘Follow your bliss’.

Find where it is, and don’t be afraid to follow it” and “if you do follow your bliss you put yourself on a kind of track that has been there

all the while, waiting for you... doors will open where you didn’t know they were going to be” (The Power of Myth, pp. 120, 149).

14

W E A V I N G V O I C E S

Joseph Campbell

On ‘Following your Bliss’

from childhood. “Ever y problem...

brings the possibility of a widening of

consciousness”. “The serious problems

of life are never fully solved. If ever they

should appear to be so it is a sure sign

that something has been lost” (Jung

“The Stages of Life”, CW 8). neither is

it that clear that there is really only one

potential path through our lives; the Self

is capable of many expressions, and if

one is taken then others may have to be

surrendered. there is at the end of our

lives, only the one path we have taken. If

we have a fantasy of bliss which we did

not fulfil, does that mean our life was

misspent? Or can we use our problems

to get somewhere?

there may be two solutions to this

issue. firstly, the mystical; our bliss is

within us already, and can be brought to

whatever we do and, as a result, we do

not have to follow some path in order to

be satisfied or become whole. Secondly,

our ambition is a symbol of something,

but not necessarily that something

itself. In which case, the ambition can

be explored like a dream, or an active

imagination. What does, say, “being a

professional writer” symbolise to you?

What does it feel like in your body?

We can make associations, we can see

where the unconscious wants to go,

and perhaps face our misconceptions.

We can do the same with our reactions

to our supposedly prosaic realities. In

both cases the depth is already present

in our being, rather than in something

we might have done or might achieve.

Perhaps following either track will help

us act in a new way, perhaps different

from what we thought we wanted.

Perhaps it can help us be. In either case,

through work and facing problems, we

can move beyond a fantasy and social

based imperative towards something

valid for the soul.

It is well known that towards the end of his life Joseph Campbell said: “My general formula for my students is ‘Follow your bliss’.

Find where it is, and don’t be afraid to follow it” and “if you do follow your bliss you put yourself on a kind of track that has been there

all the while, waiting for you... doors will open where you didn’t know they were going to be” (The Power of Myth, pp. 120, 149).

by Jonathan Marshall

Carl gustav Jung

15

rOBer t d. rOManYShYn is a

senior faculty member at Pacifica

Graduate Institute in the uSa, and

founder of its doctoral programme in

depth Psychology. In this collection

of essays, he draws upon philosophy,

history, literature, art and poetry to

reanimate psychology and allow it to

reflect on how soul can live and thrive

in the contemporar y world. Just as

dream is the royal road to the soul,

romanyshyn proposes reverie as the

royal road to the soul of the world.

reverie is a mode of consciousness

completely dif ferent from fantasy.

Whereas fantasy has ego in its centre,

reverie allows us communion with the

depth of our existence, the existence of

the world, and the otherworldly (such

as gods, spirits, angels, the dead) – all

at once. Yet this is not a book about

psychotherapy: rather it describes a

therapeutic way of living. It explores the

imaginal world and invites the reader to

do so too.

Odd as it may seem, technology can

help us rediscover soul in the modern

world. romanyshyn demonstrates

this in essays on television and virtual

reality. the experience of television

(the television body) is an image

consciousness (rather than verbocentric

and literate consciousness, both still

dominant aspects of Western culture).

for the television body, knowing is

emotional, participatory and sensuous,

rather than rational, detached and

logical. Waking and dreaming can blur

each other. although this position may

not be without its problems, the author

affirms that television consciousness

helps us to reconnect with the imaginal

world, and that our situation is not

helped by confining television to the

task of amusement. Similarly, virtual

reality, although reinforcing the

Cartesian separation of body/dream and

mind/reason, is helping to reintroduce

the body of the dream, as the user

par ticipates in an imaginal, vir tual

world. however, romanyshyn does raise

questions about the consequences – to

be a presence without substance is to

be without humanity, and if participation

in electronic communities occurs at

the expense of interaction in organic

communities (ie in communal space)

we risk losing our sense of home.

Ways of the Heart B O O K R e V I e w

16

Ways of the Hear t is steeped in

phenomenology. the author sees Jung

as at times a radical phenomenologist.

One instance of this lies in Jung’s

work with alchemy – a way of knowing

through intimacy and relation rather

than through separation and distance.

a radical phenomenology “is devoted to

those subtle bodies which are neither facts

nor ideas... a work of the heart which is

neither that of mind nor eye, a poetics of

the soul’s landscape where a mind feels

its way into those imaginal presences who

always haunt the margins of the sensible

world”.

as a practising poet myself, I found

the author’s reflections on poetr y

very enriching. Poetry corresponds

with reverie, in that one is a witness

to what has been lost, forgotten, left

behind, or otherwise marginalised and

neglected. One of my poems, pertinent

in this respect, concerns my present

fascination with the display homes that

I visited when I was very young, and the

visions I then had in them of a possible

future life. Indeed, the imaginal world

is poetr y itself. romanyshyn draws

many cor respondences involving

poet, phenomenologist and depth

psychologist. for all three, what

appears, matters first before one

asks what it might mean. the author

encourages a state of being coined by

keats – “negative capability”, in which

one is “capable of being in uncertainties,

mysteries, doubts, without any irritable

reaching after fact and reason.” In other

words, having the patience to linger in

the moment and wait for the presence in

the present to appear.

“The capacity to dream with the world”

forms the heart of what the author is

trying to reawaken in this book. he

outlines some of the developments in

Western culture that have militated

against this capacity, such as the

fifteenth century invention of linear

perspective in art. this has influenced

us to become distant spectators of

the world. the appeal of this work is

enriched by extracts from poets such as

rilke, Blake, keats and tagore – each

helping “to redress the imbalance which

exists in favour of the empirical over the

aesthetic.”

by robert d. romanyshyn

reviewed by Marc Marusic

Essays Toward An Imaginal PsychologyWays of the Heart

17

TALKS

C.G.Jung Society of Sydneythe C.G. Jung Society of Sydney was formed in 1975 to promote discussion of the

ideas of the Swiss analyst and psychiatrist Carl Gustav Jung. each month the Society

arranges Guest Speakers to present a diverse range of Jungian topics in the form

of talks, workshops and special events, which can be found in the following pages.

the Society is open to all members of the general public and offers a rich and varied

monthly programme of speakers both australian and international.

Annual General Meeting7pm SaTUrDay, marCh 8 2008, BeFORe THe TALk By DR eHSAn AzARi “JUnG & SUFiSM”

the Jung Society’s annual General Meeting is held each March before our

scheduled talk begins. the proceedings are always very brief and your attendance

as a member of the Society is very much appreciated in order to achieve our

necessary quorum. the main item on the agenda is to elect office bearers. We are

always delighted to welcome any member who wishes to contribute to our Society

by joining our Committee.

Should you be interested please contact Sally Gillespie on (02) 9552 3252 or email

to: cgjung@jungdownunder.com

18

2008 ProgrammeFebruary through June

SaTUrDay, FebrUary 9

Conscious femininityExploring the work of Marion Woodmankathleen McPhillips Page 20–21

SaTUrDay, marCh 8

brieF aNNUaL GeNeraL meeTiNG beFore TaLk

Jung & SufismThe Influence of Eastern Philosophydr ehsan azari Page 22–23

SaTUrDay, apriL 12

the undivided OneDionysian Consciousness in the ClinicPeter dicker Page 24–25

SaTUrDay, may 10

Background of BeautyMemories of Safety and/or Terroramanda dowd Page 26–27

SaTUrDay, JUNe 14

through alchemy to technologyWestern Dreaming & Myth MakingJonathan Marshall Page 28–29

19

SaturdaY, 9 feBruarY

6.30PM fOr 7.00PM

TaLk

blavatsky Lodge,

Level 2, 484 kent Street, Sydney

the COntrIButIOnS of Canadian

Jungian analyst and writer Marion

Woodman towards an understanding of

the repressed feminine in contemporary

Western cultures is explored in this talk.

In particular, Woodman cites addiction

and its behaviours as the outcome of an

unlived spiritual life, and disconnection

from the archetypal feminine and

masculine. this disconnection can

result in a ‘split’ feminine which is

clinically and culturally observable.

Conscious femininity is the process

of bringing this split to consciousness

and returning to the body. as well her

clinical and writing work, Woodman has

established a foundation which runs an

international training program BodySoul

rhythms, where in a supportive space

women participate in processes which

encourage the emergence of their

authentic voice. Processes include

dream work, dance, voice and art work.

I will introduce Woodman’s central

concepts, give a brief account of her life

and how she came to do this work, and

explain the split feminine via examples

in popular australian culture, including

the tV series kath and kim, and a

number of films.

Conscious femininityExploring the work of Marion WoodmanGuest Speaker Kathleen McPhillips

Marion woodman

20

kathleen MCPhIllIPS is a senior lecturer in humanities at the university

of Western Sydney. She has been reading the work of Marion Woodman for

25 years, and recently attended a Body/Soul rhythms workshop in Italy.

kathleen’s field of research is in gender, culture and religion. She has

published extensively in this area.

Conscious femininityExploring the work of Marion Woodman

members $5, Non-members $20, Non-members Concession $15

eVeNTS PROgRAMMe

Kathleen McPhillips21

Jung

In SufISM, human beings are likened

to thousands of different plants having

their roots imbedded in one and the

same soil. Sufism sees in the psychic

inheritance of ever y speaking and

thinking being, a primeval desire to

identify her/himself with that One. this

desire is both a personal and a supra-

personal psychic force that allows for

the experience of divinity to occur within

oneself. this desire, in other words, is an

instrument of cognition and behaviour

within the life of a Sufi. Similarly,

a spiritual motivation is of primal

importance in the Jungian unconscious,

and every human motivation is directed

by this spirituality — as a force.

Sufis believe that within every human

hear t a primordial image or what

Jung calls an archetype is present to

manifest the beauty and existence of

matter, the universe, and the divine.

thus a Sufi understands the mysteries

between the spirit and its embodiments

in the everyday life. Jung offers us a

prodigious insight into this complex

interaction by his notion of codification

in the universal set of archetypes. the

great Sufi poet, rumi, saw divinity in its

earthly manifestations:

In the early morning hour, just before

dawn, lover and beloved wake and take

a drink of water. She asks, “Do you love

me or yourself more?

Really, tell the absolute truth.”

He says, “There’s nothing left of me. I’m

like a ruby held up to the sunrise. Is it

still a stone, or a world made of redness?

It has no resistance to sunlight”.

for Sufis, as for Jung, the experience

J unG’S theOretICal development was influenced by his intensive

reading of eastern philosophy, in particular that of Sufism. dr ehsan azari

reflects on the foundation of Jung’s universal unconscious in the mirror of the

quest of Sufism.

Guest Speaker Dr. Ehsan Azari

Dr ehsan Azari

22

Sufis of Cairo

Sat. 8 MarCh

7.00PM Start

brieF aGm

10 MInuteS

TaLk FoLLowS

blavatsky Lodge

Level 2,

484 kent St, Sydney

of God was a possibility. Jung defines

the core of his depth psychology as

a “self confession”, which can only be

materialised after experience. Jung

postulates this in his own way: “I could

not say I believe, I know! I have had the

experience of being gripped by something

that is stronger than myself, something

that people call God”.

the Sufi doctrine of love necessitates

a reciprocal attraction between man and

God, the first call to love comes from

God and a Sufi’s heart is the mirror of

the light of God. for rumi the heart was

an interpreter between God and Sufi.

another Sufi philosopher said that the

light of the Sun of God illuminates the

heart. Jung also says the same thing, “I

had to wrench myself free of God, so to

speak, in order to find the unity in myself

which God seeks through man. It is rather

like the vision of Symeon, the Theologian,

who sought God in vain everywhere in the

world, until God rose like a little sun in

his own heart”.

Such a universal psychic predisposition

makes the foundation of Jung’s universal

unconscious mirror the Sufi quest for

oneness. Jung’s analytical psychology,

especially his analytical method of

synchronicity, explores an alignment of

universal forces in the life experiences

of an individual human being.

In an interdisciplinary approach, I

will examine Jung’s reading of eastern

philosophy and religion, especially

Sufism. I will analyse Sufism and its

relevance to Jungian psychology and

provide examples of Sufi psychology

from various Sufi texts.

dr ehSan azarI is an afghan writer

based in Sydney. his Phd thesis is

Lacan and the Destiny of Literature:

Shakespeare, Donne, Joyce, and Ashbery,

from Macquarie university, soon to be

published by an international academic

publisher. his writings appear in both

the australian and international press.

members $5

Non-members $20

Concession $15

eVeNTS PROgRAMMe

23

Undivided

there are many obstacles to a true

and sympathetic understanding of

the figure of dionysus. Culturally, our

representations have tended towards

the caricature: from the truly mad and

dangerous to the perpetually drunk

old man, over weight and riding an

unsteady unicorn, as in the buffoon of

disney films like Fantasia. even Jung

sometimes slips in to the “Germanic

bias” of conflating dionysus with the

figure of Wotan, primarily a god of

hunting and battle.

all these portrayals have in common a

perception of the dionysian experience

as in some way “inferior” and therefore

either dangerous or ridiculous. however,

this defensive reaction is more a

commentary on the dominant structures

that rule both our cultural/political

SaturdaY, 12 aPrIl

6.30PM fOr 7.00PM

TaLk

blavatsky Lodge

Level 2, 484 kent St, Sydney

I n thIS PreSentatIOn Peter will contend that the subversive madness

of dionysian consciousness can, now more than ever, nourish our sanity in a

modern world. along the way it will be necessary to loosen our grip, permit

the ambiguous in all things and encounter the radical bisexual nature at the

heart of the God.

Dionysian Consciousness in the Clinic

The

Guest Speaker Peter Dicker

24

Undivided One

members $5, Non-members $20, Non-members Concession $15

and psychic worlds (ie. the ego). It is

therefore with good reason that many

of the tales and myths show dionysus as

being rejected and persecuted by male

patriarchal figures and by all forms of

worldly establishment.

eVeNTS PROgRAMMe

Peter dICker is a former President

of the Illawarra Jung Society. he works

as a psychologist in a public health

clinic, south of Wollongong. he has

been a frequent presenter at the Sydney

Jung Society where he has also been a

member for 25 years.

Over the past two decades Peter has

been exploring his interest in Jungian

and archetypal Psychology through

various creative projects – lectures,

essays, poetry and musical compositions

– and he continues to maintain an

ongoing passion for ideas, particularly in

relation to clinical and cultural matters.

Dionysian Consciousness in the Clinic

Peter Dicker

25

Reflections from an Australian consulting room on the interrelations between experiences of space, place, identity and God

IndIGenOuS WrIter and activist

alexis Wright, in her recent paper On

Writing Carpentaria, said this:

“The great force of history comes from

the fact that we carry it within us, are

unconsciously controlled by it in many

ways, and history is literally present

in all that we do. It could scarcely be

otherwise, since it is to history that

we owe our frames of reference, our

identities, and our aspirations.”

Wright also speaks of australia as

“the land of disappearing memory” just

as W.e.h.Stanner before her spoke of a

“cult of forgetfulness”. In a paper delivered

to the Jung Society in februar y of

last year I laid out something of the

psychological terrain of trauma that

collapses imaginative space and hence

contributes to this experience of ‘loss

of history’ and loss of psychohistorical

memory and hence mind.

In this talk the themes of displacement,

unsettledness, alienation, belonging,

emplacement, the uncanny, identity,

fear of the unknown and the unknown

Other, are deepened into an exploration

of the Backgrounds of Beauty – both

awesome and terrible - that underpin

our individual and hence collective

capacities to love and to dwell both in

body and in place. I would argue that

Guest Speaker Amanda Dowd

Alexis wright

Backgroundsof

26

memories of safety and/or terror

Reflections from an Australian consulting room on the interrelations between experiences of space, place, identity and God

SaturdaY, 10 MaY

6.30PM fOr 7.00PM

TaLk

blavatsky Lodge

Level 2, 484 kent St,

Sydney

members $5, Non-members $20, Non-members Concession $15

eVeNTS PROgRAMMe

such subtle geography informs our

relationships with this place in which

we live.

d r a w i n g o n t h e s t o r i e s a n d

experiences of individual patients and

the writings of Wright (especially her

novel Carpentaria), the american

philosopher of place edward Casey,

david abrams, Craig San roque,

deborah Bird-rose, donald Meltzer,

Winnicott, Bion and Jung we will follow

a line of thinking that asks “Where do

thoughts come from? Can we think of

country as mind?” and how does this

help us to come to terms with the

presence of the Other mind and spiritual

system resident here and the realities of

what colonisation has done.

aManda dOWd is a Jungian analyst and psychoanalytic psychotherapist in

private practice in Sydney. She trained with the australian new zealand Society of

Jungian analysts and has been practising for 15 years. She has a special interest

in the mythopoetics of relationship, and the formation of self, mind, identity and

cultural identity.

Carpenteria

BackgroundsofBeauty

27

memories of safety and/or terror

In the WeSt, technology is never

seen neutrally, but becomes a matter

for collective dreaming and myth

making. this can be seen in the potent

images which gather around electricity,

nuclear power and computers; images

which give the technologies a deep

psychological life which cannot be

simply separated from their supposed

‘reality’.

through this process, technology

becomes a living force we both fear for

alienating us from the ‘natural world’,

and something that we can hope will

solve all our problems.

In this talk I extend the ways that Jung

analysed alchemy, as both a projection

of, and working through, the dynamics

of psychic forces, to technology in

general. I fur ther suggest that our

projections then lead us to talk about

ourselves in terms of technology, and

manifest our collective waking dreams

and nightmares through technology.

Guest Speaker Jonathan Marshall

Western dreaming & myth making

SaturdaY, 14 June

6.30PM fOr 7.00PM

TaLk

blavatsky Lodge

Level 2, 484 kent St,

Sydney

ThroughAlchemy

28

members $5, Non-members $20, Non-members Concession $15

eVeNTS PROgRAMMe

JOnathan MarShall Phd is an

anthropologist and a QeII research

fellow at the university of technology

Sydney, studying the ways that

Information technology increases

disorder and disruption. he has also

investigated the ways that people live

online, and written about the history

of alchemy in the united kingdom. he

is the author of Living on Cybermind:

Categories, Communication and Control,

and Jung, Alchemy and History, and has

published numerous articles.

AlchemyToTECHNOLOGY

29

DiSCLaimerThe C.g.Jung Society of Sydney does not take responsibility f o r s e r v i c e s o f f e r ed by individual advertisers on the Noticeboard. we receive advertising in good faith. Caution and discrimination in responding is advised and is your responsibility. CopyriGhT © 2008Transmission or reproduction of protected items beyond that allowed by fair use as defined in the copyright laws requires the written permission of the copyright owners. aDVerTiSiNG Deadline for the next newsletter will be on 21 april 2008.

NewSLeTTeR:1 page $280, Half page $160, Noticeboard $10/line

BROADCAST eMAIL: $50 non member$30 member

weBSITe COLuMN AD: $80 non member$50 member

CONTACT: Bo Robertsonlofty.scott@australiaonline.net.au

webSiTe: www.jungdownunder.com

Thank You the Jung Society of Sydney wishes to express its gratitude to:

Alison Clark, a long term member, who made a very generous donation of books

to our book stall and library in 2007.

Toxteth Hotel in Glebe who donates the use of its functions room for our Committee meetings.

McMillan Print for their expertise and generosity.

NoTiCeboarDChaNGe oF aDDreSS: JaCiNTa FrawLeyJacinta Frawley has moved her practice to: Suite 6, 334 President Ave, gymea

Reach on 0414 532 690 for Jungian Analysis, group & individual supervision.

JUNGiaN aNaLyST: pSyChoTherapiSTMarcelle Lawrence, B.ec. Ll.B (Hons.) AnzSJA, iAAP

Trained at the C.g.Jung Institute of Zurich, her professional career in Australia

includes 20 years working in the therapeutic community. Her interests encompass

mythology, art, poetry and creativity, and the role that culture plays in shaping

the bodymind of the individual. She works with sandplay, dreams and images in

exploring unconscious processes.

Her private practice is in Paddington. Phone (02) 9361 3283.

SaNDpLay proFeSSioNaL DeVeLopmeNT Sarah gibson, Jungian Analyst, & Sally gillespie, Jungian Psychotherapist, offer small

professional development groups and supervision for sandplay therapy practitioners

from beginner to advanced levels, in the tradition of Dora Kalff and C.g. Jung.

groups commence February in Balmain.

For further information phone Sarah (02) 9810 1898 or Sally (02) 9552 3252.

emoTioNaL iNTeLLiGeNCe wriTiNG GroUpThe healing power of stories – Talking about painful events from the past can be

healing. writing a book about how an emotional wound occurred cleanses the

wound, supporting closure and healing. It also helps you to understand the

circumstances of past events and develop the emotional skills needed for coping

and change. Books about suffering and the ways in which disastrous events result

in survival or destruction are highly popular. every person has at least one story in

them. Have you written your story yet? For help join a monthly wRITINg gROuP.

Contact Bo Robertson M.Lib.Sc.,Dip.Cl.Hyp.,JP, emotional Intelligence

Trainer & Coach on 0404 565 388

30

C.G.JUNG SoCieTy oF SyDNeyNew members and visitors are alway welcome. If attending a lecture for the first time please feel

free to make yourself known to the Committee members, they will be happy to explain how

the Society works and to answer any questions. You are also welcome to register your email

address with us for our monthly broadcast of upcoming events.

hiSTory & aimSThe C.g.Jung Society of Sydney was formed in 1975 to promote the ideas of the Swiss analyst

and psychiatrist Carl gustav Jung (1875–1961). The Society is open to all members of the

general public and offers a rich and varied programme of monthly talks and seminars from

Australian and international guest speakers. In addition the Society provides a dedicated

research and reference library.

memberShipAnnual Membership entitles you to:

• DiscountsatallourmonthlyTalksandLectures

• AccesstoborrowfromourextensiveLibrary,whichincludesbooks,journals,audiotapes,cds,

dvds and videos

• Generousdiscountedpricesatourbookshop

• Specialmemberdiscountsforworkshopsandotheractivities

• 10%discountonJungianbooksfromPheonixRisingBooksellers,Glebe

• Youwillalsoreceiveamailedcopyofourbi-annualnewletterJung Downunder and any monthly

updates via email.

appLiCaTioNS Membership applications are available from our website – see under 'membership' for the local

Sydney society. You can either pay online via PayPal or print out a PDF copy of the membership

form and post to: the Cg Jung Society, gPO Box 2796 Sydney NSw 2001

Full annual membership is $50.

Concession, country members or organisation membership is $25.

eNqUirieS Membership enquiries directed to: Lenore Kulakauskas on tel.(02) 9365 7750

webSiTe Membership application and event information – www.jungdownunder.com

OUROBOROSThe symbol of C.g.Jung Society of Sydney is an ancient gnostic glyph which the Alchemists later used to depict the nature of their transforming work. The script in the centre of the images means self-digester or self-digesting one. The self-digesting Ouroboros slays itself and brings itself back to life. It illustrates the principle of human creativity and the development of personality as it devours itself and generates itself.

C.G.Jung Societyof SydneyTM

exeCUTiVe CommiTTee 2007 president: Sally GillespieTreasurer: Monica Romanassistant Treasurer: Marcel Abarcaminutes Secretary & Librarian: Lucy DaveyLiaison officer: June Reynoldsmembership officer: Bo Roberston

member: Lesley HamlynSpecial projects officer: Louise Fanningbookshop officer: Jon MarshallTechnical officer: Peter Mannhonorarium: Lenore kulakauskasCommunications officer & Graphic Design: Tim Hartridge

31

Saturday, February 9

Conscious Femininityexploring the work of marion woodman

kathleen mcphillips page 20–21

Saturday, march 8

brief annual General meeting before talk

Jung & SufismThe influence of eastern philosophy

Dr ehsan azari page 22–23

Saturday, april 12

The Undivided OneDionysian Consciousness in the Clinic

peter Dicker page 24–25

www.jungdownunder.com

Saturday, may 10

Background of Beautymemories of Safety and/or Terror

amanda Dowd page 26–27

Saturday, June 14

Through Alchemy to Technologywestern Dreaming & myth making

Jonathan marshall page 28–29