There is a thinking in primordial images, in symbols which are older than the historical man, which are inborn in him from the earliest times, eternally living, outlasting all generations, still making up the groundwork of the human psyche. It is only possible to live the fullest life when we are in harmony with these symbols; wisdom is a return to them.
– Carl Jung

Dreams as Guides to Self-Discovery


watch jean’s interview with Mindfunda




Newest Book


2013 Wilbur Award Recipient

The Wilbur Award is given by the Religion Communicators Council for excellence in communicating religious faith and values in the public arena and for encouraging understanding among faith groups on a national level.


Top Posts


Archives
- November 2019
- October 2019
- September 2019
- August 2019
- July 2019
- June 2019
- May 2019
- April 2019
- February 2019
- January 2019
- December 2018
- November 2018
- October 2018
- September 2018
- July 2018
- June 2018
- May 2018
- April 2018
- March 2018
- February 2018
- January 2018
- December 2017
- November 2017
- May 2017
- April 2017
- February 2017
- January 2017
- December 2016
- November 2016
- October 2016
- September 2016
- August 2016
- July 2016
- June 2016
- May 2016
- April 2016
- March 2016
- February 2016
- January 2016
- December 2015
- November 2015
- October 2015
- September 2015
- August 2015
- July 2015
- June 2015
- May 2015
- April 2015
- March 2015
- February 2015
- January 2015
- December 2014
- November 2014
- October 2014
- September 2014
- August 2014
- July 2014
- June 2014
- May 2014
- April 2014
- March 2014
- February 2014
- January 2014
- December 2013
- November 2013
- October 2013
- September 2013
- August 2013
- July 2013
- June 2013
- May 2013
- April 2013
- March 2013
- February 2013
- January 2013
- December 2012
- November 2012
- October 2012
- September 2012
- August 2012
- July 2012
- June 2012
- May 2012
- April 2012
- March 2012
- February 2012
- January 2012
- December 2011
- November 2011
- October 2011
- September 2011
- August 2011
- July 2011
- June 2011
- May 2011
- April 2011
- March 2011
- February 2011
- January 2011
- December 2010
- November 2010
- October 2010
- September 2010
- August 2010
- July 2010
- June 2010
- May 2010
- April 2010
- March 2010


Tag Cloud
alchemy
animal medicine
animus
Archetypes
bears
Beloved archetype
blogging
body awareness
books
brain lateralization
Carl Jung
consciousness
Creativity
current events
Divine Feminine
dogs
Dreams
Dream symbol: house
dream symbols
Dreamwork
Earth Mother archetype
Easter
Education
ego
emotions
family
God-images
grandchildren
grandparenting
horses
individuation
inner work
instincts
interconnectedness
introspection
Joseph Campbell
Jungian archetypes
Jungian psychology
King archetype
logos
Love
Mystery
mythology
mythos
Native peoples
nature
parenting
persona
Politics
psychological awareness
psychology
Queen archetype
relationships
religion
Richard Rohr
self-awareness
self-discovery
Self knowledge
Sophia
soul
Spirituality
spiritual meaning
symbolism
synchronicity
the Beloved
the hero's journey
the Sacred Marriage
the Self
the shadow
the unconscious self
uniting opposites
Warrior Archetype
Wisdom
Wisewoman archetype
writing

Thank you Jeanie. I am currently working on a section about the archetype of the Divine Feminine in my book…How she appears in our personal and collective dreams, visions, and synchronicities (like this post, for instance!). Thank you for so eloquently stating your ideas while providing an intriguing review of what sounds like my ‘kinda’ book; one that I’ve now added to my reading list.
Hugs,
Jenna
LikeLike
My pleasure, Jenna. You know how much I love this inner adventure into the depths. It’s so wonderful sharing the journey with you. I can’t wait to glean more wisdom from your book. More hugs, Jeanie
LikeLike
Thanks a lot for sharing !!!
Στάλθηκε από το iPhone μου
28 Απρ 2015, 7:01 π.μ., ο/η Matrignosis: A Blog About Inner Wisdom έγραψε:
>
>
LikeLike
You’re welcome, Anastasia. Thanks for stopping by.
LikeLike
Jean, If I understand you correctly, but “thinking symbolically” is what I try to do to understand the message of biblical stories. To me moving away from the literal is vital to that task. Thank you for this enlightening essay!.
LikeLike
Hi Rabbi Stephen. Yes, you pass on that wiser and fuller way of thinking in your symbolic interpretations of sacred stories. We’re so hungry for spiritual meaning. Unfortunately, head knowledge, reason, words, and literalism can’t change us because they don’t touch the heart, the storehouse of our deepest feelings and emotions and the source of compassion and love. The underlying symbolism in stories and dreams, however, has the power to change us by helping us feel our own fear, grief and pain. In so doing, we tap into that wellspring of living water, the key to our transformation. To re-quote Jung: “It is only possible to live the fullest life when we are in harmony with these symbols; wisdom is a return to them.” Thank you for writing.
LikeLike
Thank you Jeanie, this is an important addition to the wisdom of the archetypes, the Death Mother in this instance. A great loss to lose our connection to the world of symbolism as well as the ability to experience the divine within. Will we ever move away from literalness and rationality? I think so … there’s a zeitgeist about I think from one to the other, none too soon.
LikeLike
Hi, Susan. I see a movement toward more symbolic thinking as well. Films, television, feminism, computers and the internet all contribute to this resurgence. Of course, these all have negative aspects as well, but hopefully our increased communication and expanding collective consciousness can help us counteract them. By the way, I’m loving your daily blog posts about dreams and hate to see them end! Thank you for your contributions to our awareness of the value of symbolic thinking. Jeanie
LikeLike
The literalism of logos, I suppose, gives an inevitable hardening or simplification to our understandings, much the way that we see matter in our everyday lives as solids, liquids or gases, and forget or ignore the mystery of existence at the sub-atomic level, which is indeed where the heart is.
And so to my baby, poetry. Which opens the door to the heart through reminding us of the sub-atomic meanings and feelings attached to the word.
Always a pleasure to read you, Jeanie. Always a thrill where you take me.
LikeLike
Hey, Brian! Yaaay! Your comment came through without being blocked!! Thank goodness that’s fixed!
I love your way of expressing this issue of our obsession with literalism. It does, indeed, harden and simplify, leaving no room for complexity, feeling, or personal valuing: all the coolest and best stuff about our species with its profoundly felt yearnings toward all the things that make up a soul, like purpose, joy, creativity, intimacy, mystery and spiritual meaning! How could we as a species have thought we were functioning so well for so long with this serious oversight about the truth of our own makeup?
And yes, your baby, poetry, the highest and best manifestation of the sacred gift of words. For me, that place of creativity and imagination, that nous which molds words into poetry, is our portal to the Holy: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” I don’t know about you, but my heart quickens at the depth of meaning in these timeless words about the sub-atomic realm.
Yes, indeed, always a pleasure, my friend.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Jeannie, I just read this “lesson” and found another piece of myself! Can’t wait to see you, soon I hope. Wish you could be here for Love Letters. We’re excited! Love, Vangie >
LikeLike
Hi Vangie, You found another piece of yourself! I love it when that happens!! I’m dying to know which piece. 🙂 Will you tell me when I see you this summer? Does it have anything to do with acting and the the symbolism found in good theater? I so wish I could see your play, but it’s not to be. I can’t wait to hear all about it. Love, Jeanie
LikeLike
Certainly made me want the book. I could use it for my essay looking at gender construction and symbolic implications in,The Odyssey, and Metamorphoses. I will look around town for it tomorrow. Your book looks good too. 😉
LikeLike
I think you’ll like it. Actually, mine should be of help too. It’s about the need to awaken and empower feminine values in ourselves and our culture and partner them with the masculine.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I would need them both today. hindsight is 20/20 lol They would sure be of use. I may cite the book anyways and you.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m grateful for your interest, whether or not you cite me! Thank you.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I just may. I will have to get both books in my library. 😀
LikeLike
[…] friends: last week’s post about the new book, Into the Heart of the Feminine, by Jungian analysts Drs. Bud and Massimilla […]
LikeLike
Thank you, Jeanie. Sounds like a book I’ll love.
Recently, my mythology class studied an article by Toni Wolff on the four-fold feminine. We wove in the goddesses which Toni Wolff didn’t do with depth. Recently we made a collage of each of the four archetypes–mother, hetaira, amazon, and crone in positive and negative aspects. Two of our group members led this exercise, an art teacher and an art therapist, and created a great way to process the work. Negative Mother scared a few of the women, but we created the Negative Mother card in a circle of protection. The cards are remarkable. Lots of Medusa and Durga energy. Lots of blood red for life-giving and taking. Teeth, snakes, and tears.
LikeLike
What an amazing form of active imagination your group has found! This is bound to bring healing new insights into the lives of many of you. I think the Negative, or Death Mother’s time has come to be consciously dealt with, and you’ve provided a wonderful example of one way to do it. I’d love to hear about other ways people have found. Thank you, Elaine.
LikeLike
Thank you for your wise post, and for recommending the book; it’s now on my wish list. 🙂 I have to say that I’m struggling to understand the Death Mother, and hoping she will become clearer at some point. I recently listened to Marion Woodman talk about Death Mother via Marlene Schiwy’s interview (a DVD collection) and had trouble getting it straight. I’ll take it in small portions and let it simmer a bit each time. 🙂 As for Medusa, a few years ago, I read of a group that created a ritual for “reconnecting Medusa’s head to her body” with the conscious intention of healing … they made, if I recall correctly, a cloth body and a cloth head that they then stitched back together. It sounded quite powerful!
LikeLike
You’re welcome Darla. I know what you mean about not quite understanding the Death Mother. I think we’re only just beginning to see what she really is. We’ve lived in a society that scorns people who “blame” their parents for their unhappiness without accepting the fact that sometimes the parents are, indeed to blame. Because children who aren’t loved grow up to be adults who don’t love. We’re told to toughen up, get over it, act like an adult, stop feeling sorry for ourselves, be a warrior…..all that obsessive masculine stoicism that’s so killing to the tender soul. So we tell ourselves we’re fine because we don’t want to be ridiculed or judged by the harsh critics who wouldn’t know love if they saw it, but would see it as weakness. And parents go on being tough because they’re afraid not to be tough, afraid they’ll be accused of being “soft”, of “spoiling” their child, etc.
The authors say that the Death Mother is active in the parent who doesn’t know how to nurture her child, either outer or inner; who isn’t interested, doesn’t listen, doesn’t have time to give, won’t go out of her way, resents having to spend time, or is impatient or overly critical or judgmental. S/he doesn’t know how to cherish the child, give it warmth and understanding, etc. All this, because s/he was treated the same way as a child.
So all the best of the feminine qualities: the tender feeling, the trust and vulnerability, the patience and sweet receptivity, the gentle forgiveness, all this is frozen and replaced with indifference, perfectionism, demanding, controlling, or manipulating to get what I as a parent want from my child, instead of taking it upon myself to learn how to love and nourish my child. The authors give examples of people who have grown up with Death Mothers but have never really faced this fact. Because it’s a terrible thing to realize your parent didn’t know how to love you. So you keep trying to please and earn their love, and you’ll never be healed until you stop trying and accept your true hurt, do your grieving, etc.
Well, I didn’t know I was going to go on like that…….I guess my Shadow Orphan is showing up!!! I’ve seen and heard a lot of this in my life, although very little of it was aimed directly at me and my parents were definitely “good enough”. But that hard and tough attitude was very much a part of the Midwestern and Calvinistic “original sin” ethos in my parents generation and they couldn’t help but pass some of it on.
Anyway, I hope this helps a bit! Very cool about the Medusa reconnection ritual! I love the creative rituals people come up with when they finally get it that their soul is wounded and needs some serious attention!
LikeLike
Yes, this helps – thank you. Even uncomfortable as it may be at times, I do love this journey into greater consciousness. As it happens, after reading your posts, I read a post recommended by “Dreamwork with Toko-pa”: http://womboflight.com/2014/01/18/why-its-crucial-for-women-to-heal-the-mother-wound/ Would you see “Death Mother” as another aspect of, or the same as, the “Mother Wound”?
LikeLike
Hi Darla. You’re welcome. Yes, they’re both part of the same “syndrome.” It is a wounding that comes from growing up female in a culture that doesn’t fully support or value women or femininity. Thanks so much for providing this link. It’s a fabulous article that I highly recommend to anyone interested in this subject!
LikeLike
In Egyptian mythology, the Sky Goddess Nut swallows all living beings at their death and rebirths them into new life. This happens to the Sun, planets, and stars daily. To humans in a lifetime. To pharaohs, dogs, and ants. She’s one of the most interesting Death Mothers I’ve studied. The image of her elongated body arched across the sky is often painted on the ceiling of crypts or on the top of a casket. The Milky Way? All the souls in her body waiting to be reborn.
LikeLike
Thank you for mentioning this aspect of the Death Mother, Elaine. Like all archetypes, she too, is “bi-polar” by which Jung meant she contains opposite potentials: i.e. good and bad, dark and light, etc.
In Lunar Mythology, the Death Mother is respected as part of the natural cycle of life and her presence, like death in dreams, always symbolizes our hope for new life. As light is necessary for ongoing life, so is dark; as birth is a natural process, so is death, and so is rebirth. So our ability to respect her in this aspect represents our ability to live our lives fully and joyfully in the knowledge that it is a natural phase in the cycle of life.
However in Solar Mythology, (our present mindset), she is feared and repressed; hence we don’t know how to be grateful for the gift of life and tend to waste it in useless pursuits based on twisted values based on the obsession to escape Death, or at least, our awareness of it.
LikeLike
All so true. One of the things I love about Egyptian mythology is the mix of lunar and solar attributes of the ancient goddesses and gods. So you’d say the Egyptians had a Lunar Mythology? I agree. Do you know of a Jungian writer who has a book about Egyptian mythology? They certainly did honor Death. I love the unusual mix of gender relationships compared to European myth. There is a Solar Goddess as well as a Solar God and the power of the throne, the uroboros, is feminine. The Moon is associated with a God rather than a Goddess, and the Earth is masculine.
LikeLike
Thanks for this, Elaine. Yes, I would assume that Egyptian mythology was a blend of both, especially since, as you say, that they have both a Solar Goddess and God and a Lunar God. As Jung said, every archetype is bipolar (he meant that in terms of masculine/feminine too), which is why cultures tend to differ in their depictions of Deity. Ultimately it doesn’t matter which gender you assign because the point is not about the gender of our deities but about their wholeness and oneness! But until contemporary cultures realize this, we need to keep addressing this issue. I’m sorry but I don’t know of a Jungian who has written about Lunar Mythology. It would be fascinating, wouldn’t it?
LikeLike