Jung Society Melbourne Podcast

Today we’ll be listening to a talk given by recently retired Jungian analyst, speech pathologist and academic Gillian Clezy. Having worked in Australia, Britain, the USA, Hong Kong and mainland China, Gillian grew up in Turkey and Egypt and has a wonderfully rich academic as well as lived experience of the development of language. Exploring parallels between the development of language from infancy and our therapeutic path toward individuation, Gillian delves into the ways we form relationships between images and words. She’s just written the first part of her autobiography Switchback: An Inner and Outer Journey to be published later this year.     

Listen to analyst Patrick Jansen speak about the many overlapping insights and experiences gained from guided Buddhist practice and Jungian psychology on our way to wholeness and compassion.  

Mary Duffy, a Melbourne artist and art therapist takes us on a powerful journey into Jung’s famous Red Book. A collection of encounters with the figures and contents of his inner psyche, and written commentaries and explorations of these, the Red Book, in combination with the context of Jung’s life during its generation from 1913 until 1929, provides us with the foundations of active imagination, the archetypes of the psyche and a roadmap for each individual on their journey to Self. 

An architect and analyst explore the power of symbolism inherent in domestic and public buildings. With a focus on classical Greek architecture, Jung’s house at Bollingen and personal dreams, they describe the ways architecture holds vital information about the personal, cultural and collective unconscious. 

Jungian analyst Margaret Becher takes us on a journey with the fairy tale The Girl with No Hands. Through her lived experience, synchronicities, dreams, poetry and literature, Margaret explores the way her evolving relationship with a negative animus ultimately brought her into an experience of Selfhood. 

Join us as analyst Kevin Toohey dives into the symbolism and knowledge found in the fairy tale of the Frog Princess. Fairy tales can serve as rich guides on how to be with, accept and understand our unconscious. The Russian fairy tale of the Frog Princess provides an insight and instruction for men on how to respect and integrate their Anima or feminine qualities. 

Evelynne Joffe, the Director of the Institute of Esoteric Studies in Melbourne, delves into the feminine face of divinity in Judaism. She highlights the historical significance of Asherah and the duality of goddesses in myth, showcasing figures like Ishtar and their evolving roles. Joffe discusses the transition from matriarchal traditions to a masculine-focused image of God, while emphasizing the importance of integrating the feminine aspects represented by the Shekinah and Lilith for spiritual wholeness.

Join us as we listen to world renowned author and Jungian analyst Robert A. Johnson as he takes us through two myths, the Greek story of Oedipus and the Indian story of Nala and Damayanti (from the Mahabharata) in order to understand what constitutes the feminine in our psyche. He describes how, in our predominantly patriarchal society, we might retrieve our feminine from the unconscious for a better, balanced and happier life. For relevant images, please look at our Facebook page. 

Exploring the spiritual experiences and hopes of colonial white Australians, Dr Veronica Brady talks about our migrant past, initial hopes for a Great Southern Land, the false myth of the noble pioneer and our abuse of Aboriginal people. She describes how in Australia the old all-powerful God is dead, but in his place, we might turn to Spirit, the God who suffers, dies and hopes, and fits well with the real heroes of our Australian culture, the battlers.  

Mary Symes talk on Ariadne and the Bull takes us on an in-depth journey through the myth. She explores the psychological tensions and tasks the myth requires women to attend to if we are to find a fruitful and meaningful union between our feminine and masculine energies. For relevant imagery, please look at our Facebook page.