C.G. Jung Club of Orange County
Basic Jung: The Interpretation of Fairy Tales
4 Sundays at 3:00 pm
May 4th, May 18th, May 25th and June 1st, 2008
"Fairy tales are the purest and simplest expression of collective unconscious psychic
processes. Therefore their value for the scientific investigation of the unconscious
exceeds that of all other material." ~ Marie-Louise von Franz
Sunday, May 4th, 2008, 3:00 ~ 5:00 PM
Introduction to Fairy Tale Interpretation
Presented by Thomas Elsner, JD, MA
Fairy tales are told world-wide and since Freud have been a source of interest psychologically. This is primarily due to the similarity of motifs and processes in the tales with the phenomenology of dreams. This presentation will focus on C.G. Jung and Marie-Louise von Franz's approach to the psychological interpretation of fairy tales. The goal will be to explore the archetypal dimension of psyche, learn to better understand its language, and relate what we learn to the observable phenomena of dreams, symptoms and fantasies. Familiarity with fairy tales deepens our awareness of the archetypal processes of psychological renewal and transformation that are continuously at work in the collective unconscious.
Thomas Elsner, JD, MA, is a certified Jungian Analyst who trained at the Centre for Depth Psychology according to G.G. Jung and Marie-Louise von Franz in Zurich. He is a faculty member of the C.G. Jung Study Center of Southern California, and adjunct faculty member at Pacifica Graduate Institute and is in private practice in Santa Barbara.
Sunday, May 18th, 2008, 3:00 ~ 5:00 PM
The Three Journeymen
Presented by William Grevatt, MEd, EdD
(this program was not recorded)
Like the "three journeymen" in this Grimm's tale, we are all presented at times in life with seemingly insurmountable problems. When this happens, what is our best response? What attitude must we have to face these challenges and overcome them? In the reading and interpretation of this medieval tale, we will explore the archetypical themes of suffering, despair, faith, hope and ultimately wholeness and individuation brought about by the paradoxically "dark" forces within the unconscious. After the lecture we will continue with a group discussion of the tale, its symbols and possible meaning.
William Grevatt, MEd, EdD, is a Jungian-based therapist and educator practicing in Los Angeles and a candidate at the C.G. Jung Study Center of Southern California. He has presented widely both here and abroad on issues related to personal growth, human potential and success. He received his education at Loyola College in Montreal, the University of Cambridge in England, the University of Toronto, and the University of California at Los Angeles. Website: www.JungianTherapy.net
Sunday, May 25th, 2008, 3:00 ~ 5:00 PM
Snow-White and Rose-Red
Presented by Holly Fincher, PhD
audio file available to Club members upon email request
A classic Grimm's tale, Snow-White and Rose-Red is the story of two innocent girls who encounter an angry dwarf that they repeatedly help escape perilous situations despite his ungrateful and demeaning attitude toward them.
Psychologically, this is a story of the development of the inner masculine, that is, the animus in the woman's psyche. This presentation will explore how the negative animus, represented by the angry dwarf, must be encountered, endured and ultimately transformed as we strive toward consciousness and individuation.
Holly Fincher, PhD, is a candidate at the C.G. Jung Study Center of Southern California as well as at the Research and Training Centre for Depth Psychology according to G.G. Jung and Marie-Louise von Franz in Zurich. She is a licensed psychologist in private practice as a Jungian-based therapist in Orange County, and for more than 12 years she has been an active member serving on the board of the C.G. Jung Club of Orange County. She is also an adjunct faculty member at Pacifica Graduate Institute.
Sunday, June 1st, 2008, 3:00 ~ 7:00 PM
The Patient Stone
Presented by Mandana Shashani Chambers, JD
(this program was not recorded)
In this lecture we will consider a Persian fairy tale called the Patient Stone which describes the enigmatic journey of a young woman whose simple and sheltered life is thrown into chaos after she hears a voice announcing that she will die. Trying to escape this seemingly terrifying fate, the protagonist embarks on a long journey that leads her to precisely what she had sought to avoid. Her journey is none other than what C.G. Jung has described as the individuation process. Standing on the shoulders Jung and Marie-Louise von Franz, we will try to explore the timelessness of fairy tales when looked at symbolically and the way they can help us better understand this process in our own lives.
Mandana Shashani Chambers, JD, is a Diploma Candidate at the Research and Training Centre for Depth Psychology according to G.G. Jung and Marie-Louise von Franz in Zurich. She was born in Iran and moved to Paris while still in high school. She lived and studied there until 1972, then came to the United States to live. She graduated from law school in 1985 and started her own law firm. In 1991, her interest in Jungian psychology led her to the C.G. Jung Institute of Los Angeles where she attended lectures for many years and served on the Development Committee for four years. She lives and works in Pacific Palisades.
