Same-Sex Love: Archetypal Reflections

with Karin Lofthus Carrington, MA, MFT. Caroline Stevens, Jungian analyst and wise woman of our Jungian community, introduces Karin Carrington, psychotherapist, author, and teacher who shares her reflections and understandings about “same sex love” and “women loving women.” This presentation on same sex love was a groundbreaking event in February 23, 1991.  Karen thanked the Jung Institute for its sponsorship of this historical event during these years of struggle to achieve legal and cultural rights for gay and lesbian people. I think it is safe to say that Karin’s presentation raised the consciousness of many in the audience concerning same sex love. Karin situates her comments within the political struggle for lesbian and gay rights at that time.  In her presentation, she calls for a restorative analytic theory based in a deep understanding of what it means to love a member of one’s own gender for our selves and for the collective. Karen quotes an early comment by Jung that homosexuality should not be the concern of legal authority – that persons loving people of their own sex should not be outside of the law.  She also examines the impact of Jung’s theory of contra-sexuality as well as the work of Robert Hopcke on the subject of same sex love and of Christine Downing on women loving women. Finally, Karin opens the discussion to include questions about what is our true erotic nature as well as questions that explore the over-valuation of separation and the symbolic quest of the hero within current cultural values. Karin Lofthus Carrington is a psychotherapist, consultant, writer, and teacher whose work focuses on the interrelationship of psychology, spirituality, and social conscience. She has authored and edited books on this topic including Same-Sex Love and The Path to Wholeness. Related talks include: Views of the Animus The Eroticization of Logos in Modern Times Civilization in Transition: Jung's Challenge to Culture in Crisis Gold in Dark Places: Shadow Work in the Struggle for Self-hood The Adventure of Being Human & Living, Loving in the Human Realm ©  Karin Lofthus Carrington. This podcast is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. You may share it, but please do not change it, sell it, or transcribe it. Episode music is by Michael Chapman Edited by Ben Law