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    November 28th, 2020   …wings show movement of the unconscious towards the conscious…(Jung, 1934/1954/1968, p. 378 para 693)   The mist above the lake shows the water temperature is warmer than the air. The early morning sunlight against the foliage of the trees set the ambiance as fall. The bird’s wings are stretched open to lift it out of the water and onto the pole. It is a scene of changes from dark to light, from water to steam, from summer to fall, and from swimming to standing. The image shows a variety of activity. The quote from Jung reminded me of how some things from the unconscious are naturally brought into consciousness, then integrated into waking life. It is much like the moment just after the photo when the bird stood on the pole. It is still wet yet clearly above the water. The “stuff” from below is brought up into the world. It is Thanksgiving weekend. It is a time of reflection and gratitude before the traditional meal celebration. This year has been filled with events like no other, or so it seems. For some will remember this year as a year when so many things are different all at once. Everyone is perched on a pole of consciousness. We have regular contact with the unconscious – the water that informs us of our depths as we perch ourselves on our little pole of adaptation; be it as a parent or child, friend or foe, great or humble, in the light or the shadow. But both these coordinates of the unconscious and the present perch of consciousness are a preparation for our flight into higher consciousness. Unfortunately, some individuals never take […]

 November 13, 2020

Heaven and earth belong together, yang and yin give birth to one another and devour one another in a way that accords with the heavenly order of things. (Jung, 1964, p. 498 para 939)

There are invisible forces working the droplet of water: molecular attraction (H2O), gravity, and evaporation. Some water molecules hold together, the force of gravity pulls them down under the branch, while other molecules evaporate. The bead reflects the earth below the branch as well as the light from above. It contains both earth and sky, yet it is neither. It is only H2O and shows me a world much more than it is. It is also a world more than I can see.

This past week, after this election, has been a yang and yin of politics. There are results favorable to some and unfavorable to others. There are forces at work that are apparent and others that are invisible to us.

Just like the droplet there are things weighing me down and holding me up. I reflect the world and am so much more than the eye can see. I pay attention to my attention in these chaotic times. I, like the camera, need to focus and hold the images I want to keep and/or grow into.

The droplet has several options; it may succumb to the forces of gravity and be absorbed in the soil, it may evaporate and become a cloud in the sky, or it may be absorbed by the plant to nurture it. These possibilities are held in the nature of the water as it holds the image of sublimation to the skies, annihilation into the earth or nurture its host. Until one of these teleological trajectories […]

 
   
 October 30, 2020 

 
 There I was concerned with the interplay between conscious and unconscious, with the development of consciousness from the unconscious, and with the impact of the greater personality, the inner man, upon the life of every individual. (Jung, 1961, p. 221)

The work of spring planting and summer tending is done. The results are in. It is harvest time. This pumpkin has been harvested from the field by a person and then by an animal. When I saw it, my imagination began a journey of practical curiosity: What happened? How did that hole get there? What would chew through it? Why are there seeds outside it? Is there some creature still inside? Then I started meandering from a more intellectual perspective. What does it symbolize? What does the discovery of this pumpkin mean to mean right now?
I encourage you, as a reader, to be active with this image. Develop your own story and questions about it before reading further. Explore the journey of your thoughts and feelings. Bring them to harvest.
Jung’s quote at the opening of the blog applies very well to the scene. When the shell has an opening, the seeds from the darkness within are brought out into the light of the world. Something in life chewed a hole in the pumpkin. The wound provides a way for the golden seeds inside to come out. What is inside provides more life.
One of the highest attributes of the human psyche is the capacity to fantasize. The process of imagination helps us fantasize and create an image or project the contents of our unconscious onto an available image. This makes what is latent manifest. This permits the wisdom of the unconscious a vote […]

October 17, 2020 

The center is the goal, and everything is directed toward that center. Through this dream I understood that the self is the principle and archetype of orientation and meaning. Therein lies its healing function. (Jung, 1961, pp. 198-199)

The pandemic continues to spread. The number of cases and deaths increase every day here in the United States. Sadness and grief can be overwhelming at times. Sadness stems from the fact that some of the numbers would be reduced if more people followed CDC guidelines. Grief comes from the loss of connection to normal life and the changed families/friends of lives that ended.

One morning as I wiped away the tears, I noticed how casually I used the tissues and discarded them. I treated them as an inconvenience or annoyance. I stopped to notice the subtleties of what I was doing. I remembered stories I heard as a young adult about how upon the pharaoh’s death, criers were hired to fill little glass vials with tears and buried with them. The practice was done so the gods on the other side would know how much the pharaoh was missed. The morning of that image, I changed discarding my tears (my connection to humanity) as if they had no value.

Each time I become aware of sadness and/or grief I acknowledge my humanity with gratitude. I look towards my center that gives meaning to my values of human life. I add perspective to my experience and look to what I can do to make the situation better: I cherish my tears; I practice CDC guidelines and encourage others to do the same; I protect myself and others from becoming another statistic of this pandemic. I will vote […]

October 3, 2020

Reflection re-enacts the process of excitation and carries the stimulus over into a series of images which, if the impetus is strong enough, are reproduced in some form of expression. This may take place directly, for instance in speech, or may appear in the form of abstract thought, dramatic representation, or ethical conduct; or again, in a scientific achievement or a work of art. (Jung, 1969, pp. 117, para 242)

This environment creates an imposing/darker mood. The stained-glass house looks better as it is reflected in the water. Its colors have better tones. I would describe the upper image as warm or pastel coloration. The image in the water looks more rich or deep. The night ambiance on the tree leaves certainly are autumn and its reflection transform them to a deeper time in the season.

The image exemplifies the importance of presentation. When I impose an environment of friendliness on an interaction, the situation looks quite different than if I create a hostile or unfriendly atmosphere. The “how” I reflect and “what” I reflect are not the entire picture, but only a moment in time.

In today’s world, the extremes are more present as they provide sensational “breaking news”. Both sides of the spectrum create drama as well as conspiracy theories to bring in more possibilities. Our power of discernment is essential to a healthy life. How much to listen to and how much to believe are just as important as what can I do to help the situation.

The news of President Trump testing positive for Covid-19 is ripe for a myriad of reflection. So much of what is said is dependent on what ‘they” want people to believe—which might be the truth or […]