The collective unconscious…appears to consist of mythological motifs or primordial images, for which reason the myths of all nations are its real exponents. In fact, the whole of mythology could be taken as a sort of projection of the collective unconscious. 

- C.G. Jung, CW8, para 325

And the essential thing, psychologically, is that in dreams, fantasies, and other exceptional states of mind the most far-fetched mythological motifs and symbols can appear autochthonously at any time, often, apparently, as the result of particular influences, traditions, and excitations working on the individual, but more often without any sign of them. These “primordial images,” or “archetypes,” as I have called them, belong to the basic stock of the unconscious psyche and cannot be explained as personal acquisitions. Together they make up that psychic stratum which I have called the collective unconscious.

- C.G. Jung, CW8, para 229

In The Silmarillion, J.R.R. Tolkien tells a story called the Lay of Lúthien, where the love between a human (Beren) and an Earth Spirit (Lúthien) may be seen as the metaphorical setting for a relationship between humans and nature. The Lay of Lúthien is a modern fairy tale.  In this workshop, we will analyze this tale, using classical Jungian methods, including alchemical interpretation, to uncover its archetypal themes and images.

The Silmarillion tells the story of the Silmarils, three gems that contain the light of the Trees of Valinor,that is, the Light of Nature (lumen naturae). The jewels are stolen and rest in the crown of Morgoth, who represents the evil of their time.  To marry Lúthien, Beren must retrieve a jewel from Morgoth’s crown and deliver it to Lúthien’s father.  It is a compelling love story with a seemingly insoluble relational paradox. The Lay of Lúthien may also be seen as a metaphorical fairy tale about rescuing the lumen naturae in our time. Symbolically, in our immediate future, we will need the power from lumen naturae(nature’s light—sunlight) to replace fossil fuels and restore global temperatures to pre-industrial levels. 

Preparation for nature activities:

Please have a notebook or paper available, along with pens and art-making materials of your choice.  Throughout the process, we will pause to reflect on various questions and feelings related to the story. 

This workshop will assume that individuals attended the previous evening’s lecture.

Stephen Foster, Ph.D., LPC, NCPsyA, is Senior Training Analyst with the Inter-Regional Society of Jungian Analyst (IRSJA), teaching with their Memphis-Atlanta Seminar. He is a Licensed Professional Counselor and a member of the National Association for the Advancement of Psychoanalysis, with a private practice in Boulder, Colorado.

Stephen has taught a wide range of subjects, including nature and the environment, alchemy, Norse mythology, fairy tales, and the Tarot.  Before becoming a Jungian analyst, Stephen worked as an environmental scientist, studying the risks and impacts associated with hazardous chemicals in the environment. The combination of these experiences resulted in his book, Risky Business: A Jungian View of Environmental Disasters and the Nature Archetype. His most recent publication is Our Climate Crisis: The Need for an Active Analyst When Working with the Nature Archetype in Jungian Analysis, chapter 1 in Jungian Analysis in a World on Fire: At the Nexus of Individual and Collective Trauma, Routledge Mental Health, Taylor & Francis Group. (For more information, visit www.boulderjungiananalyst.com)