Tag Archives: rebirth

The Symbolic Power of Mushrooms

The Symbolic Power of Mushrooms In the collective consciousness since the recent pandemic, two symbols of self-destruction have emerged, both connected to mushrooms. In the HBO series “The Last of Us,” mind-manipulating mushrooms known as ophiocordyceps possess the minds of … Continue reading

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Symbolism of the Cave

A well-known passage from Plato’s Republic describes how a group of people, chained to the wall of a deep cavern, spend their entire lives looking at the shadows dancing on the cave wall in front of them. The captives are oblivious to … Continue reading

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Durga

I. “Salutations to Thee, O giver of blessings! Dark Virgin, observant of the vow of chastity, Whose form is beauteous as that of the rising sun, And Thy face as that of the full moon; … Thy body is like … Continue reading

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The House of the Black Madonna

One of the most important Black Madonna shrines in Europe is The Basilica della Santa Casa (Basilica of the Holy House) in Loreto, Italy. Catholics believe that it enshrines the authentic house, where Mary lived, where she heard the Annunciation … Continue reading

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A Hymn to Plant Life

While listening to a talk of Alan Watts recently, I was struck by one of his observations. He said that in Daoist inspired landscape painting was a statement against anthropocentrism, which sees humans as the crown of creation. In a … Continue reading

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Reading The Red Book (19)

I. “… opening The Red Book seems to be opening the mouth of the dead.” James Hillman in James Hillman and Sonu Shamdasani, “Lament of the Dead: Psychology After Jung’s Red Book” II. “We need the coldness of death to … Continue reading

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Egyptian Pyramids as a Symbol of Rebirth

“Ancient Egypt was an agrarian society, and the Egyptians’ view of the world was determined in part by agricultural life along the Nile. Each year, spring rains in the Ethiopian highlands fed the source of the Nile and eventually raised … Continue reading

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Reading The Red Book (9)

ā€œIn October [1913], while I was alone on a journey, I was suddenly seized by an overpowering vision: I saw a monstrous flood covering all the northern and low-lying lands between the North Sea and the Alps. When it came … Continue reading

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Symbolism of the River

ā€œI do not know much about gods, but I think that the river is a strong brown god,ā€ so begins the third of T.S. Eliotā€™s Four Quartets. The divinity of rivers has been recognized by all mythologies since the beginning … Continue reading

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Inanna at the Ground of Being

ā€œQuiet, Inanna, the ways of the underworld are perfect. They may not be questioned.ā€ ā€œInanna, Queen of Heaven and Earth: Her Stories and Hymns from Sumer,ā€ translated by Diane Wolkstein and Samuel Noah Kramer In the well-known Sumerian myth, Inanna, … Continue reading

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