THE WISE WOMAN

The Wise Woman is an archetype in the theory of analytical psychology. Carl Jung wrote about such archetypes when discussing his theory of the Collective Unconscious. The wise woman ( and the wise man ) is found a s a symbol in many myths and fairy tales. From some research, it is the wisdom of the eternal female nature. However with all archetypes there are good and bad; light and dark features. Archetypes according to Jung help us to organize our own personal experiences. From the unconscious to the conscious experience, our own personal definition can emerge. Sometimes concepts and theories studied in psychology many years ago do emerge.They are a reminder of areas studied throughout my lifetime. Therapists who wish to be Jungian must be older and experienced. One can not train in their 20s, for example, as it is felt that there are too many life experiences that have not occurred. I used to disagree with this notion. However, living a longer life and having many more experiences than in my 20s and 30s, I now understand the rationale. I did not want to become a Jungian therapist but do appreciate some of the concepts and ideas. Along with pieces of other theories, they have become part of my practice. I love the imagery and symbolism found with Jung. The view that we all universally have a collective unconscious often manifests itself in art and literature. For example, mother and child artifacts and paintings can be found in most cultures. As with modern psychologists and practioners,  psychology benefits from all theorists. No one person can write about it all but collectively we can have a greater understanding of our motivations, perceptions and behaviours. Of course, some scientists would need empirical findings! Have you read Jung? Do you understand his concepts? Would you use his ideas in practive or life?

ARE YOU A NEMESIS?

The Goddess of divine punishment according to Greek mythology! Or simply defined as retributive justice in the Oxford dictionary. Or an agent of such a downfall! Sometimes words or ideas pop into our consciousness and by pursuing the meaning it can bring some insight to current events in our lives. So the word nemesis greeted me this morning. Nemesis pursued Zeus! I think Sherlock Holmes had his nemesis- Moriarty? Do we all have one? Are we one to others? Why was I thinking this word this morning? Does it have some significance? Or not? Carl Jung believed in the Collective Unconscious. Was something coming from a deeper level? By paying attention to the world around us, do we get ideas, clues or warnings about our lives? Do you ever have a thought and wonder, where did that come from? Why was I thinking that? By listening to our thoughts and observing our own actions, great insight can be gained.

THE SHADOWS WE CAST

If we stand in the light, we all cast a shadow. Light can be seen as good and our shadow side as bad according to some folklore or myths. Carl Jung saw the shadow as the primitive or instinctive side of the individual. Sometimes I see interesting pictures that have shadows. My simple fence at the side of the house reflected these shapes in shadow form. Some people can be fearful of life- afraid of his own shadow!

What do you see when you view the picture? Does the shadow create interesting images for you? When light makes a shadow does it change the perspective? If we face the light, can we try and see the shadow that is made? Does it have any meaning or is it just a shadow?