Jung Society of Colorado

March 5, 2004

TRANSFORMATIVE ARCHETYPES IN THE RETURN OF THE KING – by Jeffrey T. Kiehl and Stephen J. Foster

The Return of the King is the final film in The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Director Peter Jackson portrays Tolkien’s imaginative and rich tale of the final struggle to overcome the evil of Sauron, the Lord of the Rings. Like its predecessors, this film contains many archetypal themes, including: ascendancy of the king, the union of masculine and feminine, the sacrifice and the struggle between good and evil. These films have touched the psyches of millions as seen by their great success and popularity.  Dr. Kiehl and Dr. Foster will explore how the film’s themes relate to the Jungian process of individuation, and will amplify the rich archetypal dimensions of the film in terms of alchemical and mythic symbols. They will also explore what the film has to tell us about the (current) collective situation in our world today.

Jeffrey T. Kiehl is a training candidate in the Inter-Regional Society of Jungian Analysts. He has an M.A. in Psychology from Regis University and a Ph.D. in Atmospheric Sciences. He works in the environmental sciences and has a therapy practice in Boulder, CO.  Stephen J. Foster is also a training candidate in the Inter-Regional Society of Jungian Analysts. He has a Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry. He is an environmental consultant and an intern at the Boulder Counseling Center.

April 2, 2004

APHRODITE AND EROS IN THE MODERN WORLD – by Robert Diehl

This presentation will apply a multidimensional approach to the Aphrodite/Eros archetype. Utilizing the insights from alchemy, Eastern and Western mythology, gnostic spirituality, astrology, philosophy, the early history of psychoanalysis, and mathematics, Mr. Diehl will explore ways to enhance the erotic life and the path of the heart.

Robert A. Diehl, M.A. is a Jungian and transpersonal-oriented psychotherapist who has practiced in the Denver/Boulder area since 1979.  He has taught at the University of Northern Colorado and the Naropa Institute.  His previous presentation for the Jung Society of Colorado was in 1999 with his wife, Elspeth Pryer Diehl, speaking on “Jungian and Astrological Insights into the Millennium Myth.”

April 23, 2004

ARCHETYPAL THIN PLACES: EXPERIENCING THE NUMINOSUM – by Jerry Wright

In his Terry Lectures at Yale University in 1937, Jung spoke at length about the meaning of religion, describing it as “a careful and scrupulous observation of what Rudolph Otto aptly termed the numinosum.”  Jung stated religion “designates the attitude peculiar to a consiousness which has been changed by experience of the numinosum.”  Jung also observed that healing for his patients who were in the second half of life required a recovery of a “religious outlook.”

Dr. Wright’s presentation will approach the meaning of Jung’s perspectives on religion and what it may mean for the modern person to recover such a religious attitude or outlook.  Dr. Wright will draw upon an ancient image called the thin place, which denotes experiences when the curtain between the physical and spiritual (between visible and invisible) is experienced as “thin” or numinous.  The presentation will address the contemporary loss of the sense of the sacred and will examine ways to cultivate its recovery in everyday life, as well as in psychotherapy and analysis.

A secondary theme of this presentation will be Celtic mythology and spirituality.  The ancient Celts believed that the inhabitants of the invisible world were always close at hand.  They believed that this invisible world became apparent in the thin places and thin times when the veil that usually obscured it was lifted.

Jerry Wright, D.Min., holds degrees in psychology and theology, and did his analytic training with the Inter-Regional Society of Jungian Analysts.  He is also trained as a pastoral counselor and is a Licensed Professional Counselor.  He is particularly interested in the convergence of psychology and spirituality and how the two disciplines inform and assist the individuation process.

May 21, 2004

PASS THE SALT! – by Joe McNair

Once upon a time, the study of our human nature relied upon Mother Nature for her animistic and naturalistic metaphors.  To gain related understanding of ourselves as a part of nature, early alchemists observed the “personalities” of the elements.  It was said in the alchemical text The Golden Tract, “He who works without salt will never raise dead bodies.”  When Jung stumbled onto this world of arcane metaphors, it was unclear to what exactly they referred.  Jung went on to devote the second half of his life to this subject matter.

The alchemists used words such as lead, salt, sulfur, and mercury to refer to the elemental natures within us all.  Today’s psychology may use words like depression, feeling, drive, and consciousness.  Dr. McNair has come to prefer the former terms.  For him, the use of alchemical metaphor had been invaluable in gaining a closer relationship to human nature and in empowering therapeutic work with an “earthy” energy that keeps the “work” very personal.  To that end, Dr. McNair will be discussing these four elements and the realms to which they take us.

Joe McNair, Ph.D., is a Jungian analyst in private practice in Woodland Hills, California.  He is a senior training analyst at the Los Angeles Jung Institute, and is an expert in alchemy and Arthurian and Celtic legend.  He trained in Zurich from 1981 to 1987, and in Los Angeles, and co-authored the book Jungian Analysts: Visions and Vulnerablities with Marvin Spiegleman.  He most recently spoke before the Jung Society of Colorado in May, 2002 with his presentation “We All Love Animals.”

The C.G. Jung Society of Colorado Lecture Archive

Fall 2003

Sept 12, 2003

REFLECTIONS ON A WOUNDED WORLD – a Panel Discussion with Five Jungian Analysts

Lara Newton writes: Three years into the new millennium, our world seems more troubled than ever before.  The energy of divisiveness prevails on the political, religious, environmental and social fronts.  It is at times like this that the unconscious is highly activated, and we can observe its manifestations in extreme and opposing forms.

What brings the five of us together around this theme is the desire to explore stories and patterns in the world that appear related to the wounds we are all now experiencing.  The five of us will share our thoughts about images that we see emerging, whether of guideposts or further wounding, and invite you all to reflect with us on the meaning of these times.

Lara Newton, MA is the President of the Jung Society of Colorado. She recently taught a seminar on Jung’s Mysterium Conjunctionis.

Glen Carlson, MA is the President of the Jung Institute of Colorado, and is currently studying mythic motifs in scientific literature.

Jean Carlson, MA is a senior member of the Jung Institute of Colorado, and is currently studying the profound impact of shadow material in the later years.

Galin McGowan, MS, MA, a graduate of the Jung Institute in Zurich, recently presented “Curiosity: A Function of Care” to the Jung Society.

Gary Toub, PhD is the Training Director of the Jung Institute of Colorado. He recently published “A Man’s Journey to Recover his Soul: Psychological Reflections on the Movie ‘The Shipping News’” in Quadrant magazine.

Oct 3, 2003

THE INTUITIVE GARDENER: IMAGINING A PASSIONATE LIFE – Marilyn Raff

Marilyn Raff writes: After five years in Zurich, in the mid 70’s, I thought my path was to be a therapist.  However, over time, I saw that my energy was headed in a different direction and on a whim strolled into the Denver Botanic Gardens. I soon was aware gardening was a powerful calling. By following my heart, my intuition had a place to settle and go wild. By gaining concrete knowledge about the world of plants, which challenged my sensation and thinking functions, I was able to balance my seemingly irrational hunches.

Discussing the material in my books and showing slides of my garden, I will demonstrate how all my functions, but especially intuition, played a role in the creation of my garden and in bringing more passion into my life.

For fifteen years, Marilyn Raff had a garden design, installation and maintenance business in the Denver-metro area. Since 1994 she’s been teaching gardening at Front Range Community College, Denver Botanic Gardens, through garden centers and at various venues both locally and nationally.

Marilyn’s first book was The Intuitive Gardener: Finding Creative Freedom in the Garden.  Her second book: Shrub Roses: Paradise in Bloom, will be out in the spring of 2004. She writes for The Villager and Colorado Gardener, as well as nationally for Gardening How-To magazine.

Nov 7, 2003

THE SPIRITUAL WARRIOR: A JUNGIAN PERSPECTIVE ON WEALTH AND MONEY – by Bernice Hill

Bernice Hill writes: At a time when some observers give us a fifty-fifty chance of surviving as a species, it is important that we wrestle with the big questions.  Jung foretold our present dilemma in his classic article “Modern Man in Search of a Soul.”  Based on the growing disparity between the wealthy and the poor — and our inability to come to grips with the strain we are placing on our environment — a profound shift in our psychological perspective becomes daily more important.   How can a Jungian perspective give us a new way of viewing this dilemma?  How can it affect our relationship with our resources? With a slide and music presentation, I will explore this theme using material from my forthcoming book “The Spiritual Warrior: A Jungian Perspective for Troubled Times.”

Bernice Hill, PhD is a diplomate Jungian analyst in private practice in Boulder. She has given workshops for the International Society for Transpersonal Psychology, the International Society for the Study of Subtle Energy and Energy Medicine, and the Monroe Institute.  Her previous book, The Turquoise Horse, explored her interest in the symbolism of the horse and other creatures of nature in the healing journey of women.   Her new book is being published in collaboration with the development of the Wealth and Wisdom Program of The Marpa Center at Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado.

Dec 5, 2003

ACROSS THE THRESHOLD – by Cindy Smock

Cindy Smock writes: “Traditional societies which orient their lives around the sacred have established means for discovering the gate into sacred space and ways of relating to it when it is found. They know how to move into it and out of it; they are at home there. Modern Western man, however, lives mostly in a profane world, cut off from the sacred. Still, his longing for it remains intact, for this is archetypal. If the traditional ways do not work for him, how does he find his gate to the sacred and how does he earn his passage through that gate? Perhaps if we can trust the archetypal process that has led other seekers through that gate, we can find our way as well.

“In my presentation, I will talk about the passage through our own sacred gate: how we find our gate; what guards our gate from premature passage; the individuation process that we must experience before we step over the threshold; and how we relate to the experience once we do.”

Cindy Smock, MA is a Licensed Professional Counselor and a Senior training candidate at the Inter-regional Society of Jungian Analysts training institute in Denver. She has been in private practice for 16 years and has offices in Gunnison and Denver.

The C.G. Jung Society of Colorado Lecture Archive

Spring 2003

March 7, 2003WHEN MARY MET THE GARDENER: A PSYCHO-SYMBOLIC INTERPRETATION OF JOHN 20 – by Bob Neuwoehner

Dr. Neuwoehner will focus on the story of Mary Magdalene’s encounter outside the tomb on Easter morning; her meeting with the “gardener” who is the risen Jesus.  This psycho-symbolic reading of the text will demonstrate the presence of feminine symbolism associated both with Christ and with early Christianity.  This reading, in fact, will promote the view that John’s text presents a mythic model of feminine individuation.  Dr. Neuwoehner’s work with this material has appeared in the journal Psychological Perspectives.

Bob Neuwoehner, Ph.D. has been an active member of the C. G. Jung Society of Colorado since 1991, and is an independent scholar and “Jungian religiologist” whose expertise includes analytical psychology, biblical studies, and the history of religion.  He graduated in 2000 from the University of Denver and Iliff School of Theology Joint Ph.D. Program in Religious and Theological Studies, where his dissertation was nominated for DU’s distinguished dissertation award in 2001.  He has presented his work on various biblical texts and myth on film at meetings of the American Academy of Religion and the Society of Biblical Literature.

April 4, 2003

FILMS AND THE LANGUAGE OF THE UNCONSCIOUS – by Linda Leonard

Like dreams, myths and fairytales, films are an expressive medium that reveal the deep archetypal patterns of the unconscious.  When we go to the movies, we sit together in the dark and engage with the emotions and psyches of the imaginary characters before us.  We laugh together, cry together, and come to discover a lot about ourselves.

In this lecture, Dr. Leonard will use film clips to take us on a journey in which she will show us how to feel the moods, explore the images, and listen to the language of the unconscious.

Linda Leonard, Ph.D., a Jungian analyst trained in Zurich, has been in practice for thirty years.  She is the author of the best-selling books: The Wounded Woman, On the Way to the Wedding, Witness to the Fire, Meeting the Madwoman, Creation’s Heartbeat, and The Call to Create.  Her books have been published in twelve languages. Dr. Leonard is a founding member and training analyst of the Inter-Regional Society of Jungian Analysts, a member of the San Francisco Jung Institute, and a founder of the Jung Society of Colorado. She currently lives and practices in Aspen, Colorado, and is working on a new book on archetypal psychology and film.  She has a home in Colorado and in addition to presenting lectures and workshops internationally, she consults by telephone and in person on issues related to her books and to creativity.

May 2, 2003

CURIOUSITY: A FUNCTION OF CARE – by Galin McGowan

Why do some people seem to be more curious about the world than do others? How does curiosity develop in each individual? How do fear and trauma impact curiosity? Can our own curiosity be dangerous? How does our “original state of curiosity” serve the psyche in times of illness? What is the role of curiosity in relationship to living a symbolic life? What is the role of curiosity in the analytic process?

Ms. McGowan, a diplomate Jungian Analyst recently returned to Denver from Zurich, will take an in depth look at the essential role of curiosity in analytic treatment and its fundamental importance to the development of a symbolic life. Curiosity takes its name from the Latin root Curio -meaning, “To Care” and Curatus – meaning “One charged with a care for the soul.” Developing a conscious relationship to curiosity within one’s own inner and outer world is to have care for one’s deeper Self.

This lecture will explore the role of curiosity in the psyche and in the analytic transferential relationship. Curiosity is often alive and active in the analytic atmosphere both consciously and unconsciously; other times it is distant and drained of energy. Ms. McGowan will draw on her research of various psychological theories that attempt to explain curiosity and compare them with the Jungian perspective. She will also discuss through the use of case material the importance of understanding the dynamic and contagious energy of curiosity, including its difficult shadow qualities. She will examine curiosity in times of depression, bipolarity, and other psychic disorders, and its relationship to mythology and the evolution of consciousness. Further, she will discuss the importance of curiosity to imagination, fantasy, states of wonder, and the symbolic life.

Galin McGowan, M.S., M.A. is a diplomate Jungian Analyst, graduate of the C. G. Jung Institut, Zurich. She holds a Master’s degree in Counseling Psychology and Marriage and Family Therapy, a Master’s degree in Environmental Science and Engineering, and a Bachelor’s degree in Geology.

June 6, 2003

TRANSFORMATIONS IN THE WILDERNESS: THE MEANING OF MENOPAUSE IN WOMEN’S LIVES – by Christine Chao

This question comes from a Negro spiritual, created by enslaved Africans in North America.

Tell me how did you feel when you

came out de’ wilderness?

How did you feel when you came out

de’ wilderness?

How did you feel when you came out

de’ wilderness,

A leanin’ on de’ Lawd?

Apropos to many struggles and journeys of the soul, this song also speaks to women entering their peri-menopausal, menopausal and post-menopausal years.

Women often feel they are lost in a wilderness and truly bewildered about how to handle this time and what it means. Do we take or not take estrogen, imbibe herbs, slather on creams? Do we change careers? Do we head for the gym and/or the plastic surgeon’s office? Is this a time to take anti-depressants or a time to raise hell? Are we experiencing “power surges” or are our hot flashes just power drainages leaving us miserable and exhausted?

Dr. Chao’s talk will explore these issues, interweaving the insights of various writers on the topic of menopause, including the singers of the above song, with the results of interviews with a cross-section of women about their own experiences, insights and dreams regarding menopause.

Christine M. Chao, Ph.D. is a clinical psychologist in private practice in Denver. A former clinical director of the Asian Pacific Center for Human Development, she has published extensively on Asian mental health. She has been a trustee of the C.G. Jung Society of Colorado since 1991, making her the “senior member” of the current board!  Dr. Chao’s dedicated work for organizations like ours has promoted a variety of speakers and events in Denver, and brought new perspectives to our community. Dr. Chao is also an accomplished researcher and public speaker in her own right, and her most recent talk for the Jung Society was the well-received “On Ancestors and Ancestor Altars.”