Two Webinars by ffiona von Westhoven Perigrinor

ABOUT THE WEBINARS

Webinar I: Monther Archetype, Mother Complex and Mother

Jung wrote of the Mother as “one of the most moving and unforgettable memories of our lives, the mysterious root of all growth and change; the love that means homecoming, shelter and the long silence from which everything begins and everything ends.” Later he wrote of her as a “frail and fallible human being, so deserving of our love, understanding and forgiveness.” (C. G. Jung, Collected Works, vol. 9i §192) This is a challenging statement.

In this webinar we will explore the dynamics of the archetypal energy of Mother, reflect on the developmental aspect of mothering, and share our memories, dreams and reflections of our own mother. We will consider how the tension between the archetypal and personal images manifests in our psyches and those of our patients, and speaker will suggest that in Chinese culture Mother may be experienced a little differently to the West.

Speaker will present a power-point with many images of this fundamental archetype and then invite you to join into a discussion. Hopefully there will be time to do some group work in break-out rooms to deepen our understanding. Please have a couple of photographs of your mother available – perhaps as an adolescent, a young mother or an older woman – to share in your smaller groups.

Suggested Readings:

CG Jung, CW 9i, Psychological Aspects of the Mother Archetype
CG Jung, CW 5, Symbols of Transformation esp. part 2, pp. 121-44 Erich Neumann, The Great Mother
Esther Harding, Women’s Mysteries, Ancient and Modern
Sibylle Birkhauser-Oeri, The Mother, Archetypal Image in Fairy Tales Tao te Ching

Webinar II: Exploring Jung’s Concept of the Archetype of the Child – Daimon and Demon?

The symbol of the ‘divine’ child is a powerful and potentially creative image when appearing in dreams, visions or active imagination. But in common with all archetypes, it has a duality – a shadow side which can be very destructive and demonstrates how the spirit of the times is at odds with the spirit of the depths. In this webinar with an accompanying power-point, speaker will explore this dichotomy as she weave in and out between the empirical and symbolic child, and consider how to heal the split between the childlike and childishness.

Jung’s essay on the Child Archetype relates it to a link with the past, a continual presence, a potential future, as both singular and plural, a god and a hero. He comments on the child’s miraculous birth, perils and abandonment, its invincibility and its hermaphroditism. (Jung, CG. Collected Works, Vol. 9i The Psychology of the Child Archetype §259 – 305)

In this webinar participants will have the opportunity to explore the numinosity of the child archetype with its power and shadow, reflect on aspects of developmental psychology and work with the symbol of the child as it may appear in dreams.

Please have a photograph of yourself as a child available.

Suggested Readings:

Jung, CG. Collected Works, Vol. 9i, The Psychology of the Child Archetype §259 – 305
Hillman, J. Mythic Figures, Abandoning the Child, pp. 80 -124
Neumann, E. The Child: structure and dynamics of the nascent personality

Harding, M.E. The Parental Images: its injury and reconstruction
Jacoby, M.A. Longing for Paradise: psychological perspectives on an archetype Miller, A. The Drama of Being a Child