Summer
Alchemical
Workshop

        

Sunday, July 28, 2002 at 4:00 pm

 

Centuries ago alchemists sealed mundane materials into vessels, that they repeatedly heated, cooled and reheated.  As they checked the progress of their work they watched the contents of their vessels change.  In their manuscripts, they comment upon the progress of the Work in esoteric passages and dreamlike, enigmatic images of people, animals, two-headed hermaphrodites, chimeric monstrosities and others.

 

We know now that their quest to turn lead into gold was a deluded physical impossibility.  However, Carl Jung noticed these same fantastic images spontaneously appearing in the dreams and fantasies of his analysands.  While these modern people were naïve of alchemy, they were intently focused on obtaining solutions to their enduring life problems.  Jung went on to research and write extensively about alchemical imagery as archetypal symbolism for the process of personal transformation and individuation.

 

This summer we invite you to a workshop that will explore recurrent alchemical imagery in view of the work of Jung, von Frans, Edinger and others.  Then we will create personal individuation montages by containing evocative objects into special vessels.  These vessels may suggest past, present or imminent stages in our work.

 

We have some small, round-bottomed, Pyrex, chemical flasks for use as containers, as well as sundry other supplies—sand, rice, beans.  Feel free to bring your own vessels for containment.  Embark on the reflective process of collection your objects, dreams, and compelling alchemical images for the workshop.  If you are a club member you should receive a flyer in the mail announcing the location and other details of this event.