Tag Archives: symbolism

Gentleman Overboard: Existential Loneliness

“‘Where is it,’ thought Raskolnikov. ‘Where is it I’ve read that someone condemned to death says or thinks, an hour before his death, that if he had to live on some high rock, on such a narrow ledge that he’d … Continue reading

Posted in Gentleman Overboard | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Christiana Morgan: Her Invisible Life

This is a beautifully written biography of an extraordinary woman, who, as the author puts it, “remains at most a footnote in other people’s history.” She was a prominent patient of Jung’s, who used her paintings and visions as material … Continue reading

Posted in Christiana Morgan | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Prague: A Threshold

You may have heard of two magical triangles, one of black, the other of white magic. The origins of that legend are impossible to fathom. The white magic triangle is said to include Lyon, Prague and Turin, while the black … Continue reading

Posted in Prague | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

His Dark Materials

Philip Pullman finished his trilogy of fantasy novels His Dark Materials in 2000. But I feel his epic has a lot to say about the symbolic portents of our times and the near future. I tremendously enjoyed the HBO/BBC adaptation … Continue reading

Posted in His Dark Materials | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

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

Posted in cave | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Reading The Red Book (45)

“The one God, to whom worship is due, is in the middle.” C.G. Jung, Black Book 5 “I knew how frightfully inadequate this undertaking was, but despite much work and many distractions I remained true to it, even if another … Continue reading

Posted in The Red Book by C.G. Jung | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Shiva and Parvati: the Birth of Kali

I have across a fascinating version of the birth of goddess Kali. In this myth she came to the world as a result of Parvati’s anger, which she shed and transformed during her spiritual practice. Lake Manasarovar at the foot … Continue reading

Posted in Kali | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Number Three and Its Mysteries

Three is intimately connected with the myth of the goddess and with the three main phases of the moon – waxing, full and waning, corresponding to the three phases of a woman’s life – maiden, mother and hag. Pythia sitting … Continue reading

Posted in three, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Reading The Red Book (44)

“Don’t be afraid to suffer – take your heaviness and give it back to the earth’s own weight.” R.M.Rilke, “Sonnets to Orpheus” We have almost reached the end of our journey through The Red Book. This post summarizes the final … Continue reading

Posted in The Red Book by C.G. Jung | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Lyon

​You may have heard of two magical triangles, one of black, the other of white magic. The origins of that legend are impossible to fathom. The white magic triangle is said to include Lyon, Prague and Turin, while the black … Continue reading

Posted in Lyon | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment