On-site programs at The Jung Society have been suspended for the semester of Spring 2020 due to coronavirus.
Cathryn will be presenting her program via the Zoom online platform. Details on using Zoom are included on our home page.
Please also note that we are skipping the March 23 program date. The next program date will be on April 06.
A note from Cathryn: "I am looking forward to resuming our class via Zoom on April 6. I hope all of you will be able to join our experiment in learning via this online platform. Please continue your reading through paragraph 182. "
Cathryn has requested active video and audio participation from the audience throughout the program.
Course
Six Alternate Mondays
March 9 | April 6, 20 | May 4, 18 | June 1
This class is designated as a “continuation” class with the first part of the readings and discussions taking place last fall. If you like a “read and discuss” format and are interested in engaging C. G. Jung’s material on a depth level, we welcome you to join us.
Reading:
Psychology and Alchemy, CW 12; Part II “Individual Dream Symbolism in Relation to Alchemy;” Chapter 3 “The Symbolism of the Mandala,”
Section II., “The Mandala in the Dreams”
Section III. The Vision of the World Clock,”
Section IV., “The Symbols of the Self.”
Reading for the first class: Paragraphs 127 - 161
After years of work on his Redbook, what then drew Jung so powerfully to his studies on alchemy? Why is this important to students of Jungian psychology? What do we learn of psyche, our own process, from this essential opus of Jung’s?
The symbols of the process of individuation that appear in dreams are images of an archetypal nature that depict the centralizing process, the production of a new centre of personality. I call this centre the “self,” which should be understood as the totality of the psyche. The self is not only the centre, but also the whole circumference, which embraces both conscious and unconscious; it is the centre of this totality, just as the ego is the centre of consciousness (Psychology and Alchemy, CW 12, part ll, par. 44).
In the second part of Jung’s Psychology and Alchemy, we are provided with powerful images of the dynamic workings of the unconscious via a dream series that illustrates unconscious processes at work. The deliberate unfolding leads the dreamer toward a new center of personality, an essential process that focuses on archetypal symbols of unity that are present in initial dreams and those that come to us throughout our journey toward individuation. Our focus in this class will be on the symbols, dream images, psychic process, and movement toward wholeness in relation to alchemy.
The format of this class is “read and discuss.” The text is “Individual Dream Symbolism in Relation to Alchemy” in Jung’s Psychology and Alchemy, CW 12.
Cathryn Polonchak, L.C.S.W., is a certified Jungian Analyst and a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in the state of West Virginia. She has a private practice in the Shepherdstown and the Charles Town/Harpers Ferry areas of West Virginia. Cathryn is a member of JAWA, the Inter-Regional Society of Jungian Analysts (IRSJA), the International Association of Analytical Psychology (IAAP), and the National Association of Social Workers (NASW). She was the past Director of Seminar for PAJA. She is interested in the interface between body and mind, particularly at the psyche-soma level of trauma.
By agreeing to enroll in an online program offered by the Jung Society of Washington, you are also agreeing to comply with our terms. This means that you cannot record (through internal or external devices) the audio, visuals (photos), or video of the program. The intellectual property belongs to the Jung Society of Washington, and we ask you not to violate this policy. Also, we highly value the anonymity of the content of the program, of the presenters, and of individuals present in the program, and hope that everyone can contribute to a respectful and trust-building online environment. Thank you!
