Lakshmi:

The Archetype of Wealth, Well-Being and Wholeness

Presented by
Mala Setty, PhD 

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link to audio file

Link to similar YouTube talk by Mala Setty, including the slides used in this lecture

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Sunday, January 12, 2020, 4:00 - 6:00 pm

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The East teaches us another, broader, more profound, and higher understanding, that is, understanding through life. 

      C. G. Jung, “Commentary” on The Secret of the Golden Flower (82)

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Goddess-centered images and myths are a rich source for understanding how psyche sanctifies mundane life. In the Hindu tradition it is goddess Lakshmi who bridges the secular with the sacred. As such, she occupies a key position in archetypal psyche. She advocates for both the ego and the Self even as she encompasses both anima and animus functions. In reality Lakshmi’s archetypal energies play out in a variety of symbiotic relationships. She assures us that each of us is a cell of wholeness in her cosmic body. Of any activity, Lakshmi asks, “How mutually beneficent will this be? How does it reflect my differentiative yet integrative ethos?” More than Kali, it is Lakshmi who is central to the lived Hindu tradition. This lecture will use images, stories, and rituals centered on Lakshmi to understand how psyche sanctifies all of life.

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Course objectives:
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• Explore Lakshmi's image-network to learn how the secular and the sacred are bridged in the Hindu tradition.

• Understand how Lakshmi's mythos reflects the psycho-dynamics between ego, Self, anima, and animus

• Learn and appreciate how symbiotic, mutually beneficial relationships energize Psyche, both at the personal and collective levels

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Mala Setty, PhD, is a maverick who went from engineering to mythology. Both have contributed to her ability to decode symbols, extract meaning, and tell stories. She focuses a well-considered depth psychological lens on Hindu mythology. Her analysis of Hindu myths in turn informs depth psychological principles. Her dissertation, Creating Consciousness, Building Relationships, Making Whole: Insights into Integrating Psyche from the Hindu Tradition, is available on ProQuest and at Pacifica Graduate Institute.