November 6-7 Vasilisa the Brave: An Encounter with the Archetypal Wild Feminine
Shannon Yockey Rogers, AR
Seminar Description
“When Yaga gives Vasilisa a lighted skull, she is giving her an old woman icon, an ‘ancestral
knower’ to carry with her for life. She is initiating her into a matrilineal legacy of knowing.”
— Clarissa Pinkola Estés, Women Who Run with the Wolves, p. 106
When Vasilisa is cast into the dark forest, she crosses into liminal space—beyond ego
consciousness, beyond the known. Here, she must rely on an ancient wisdom passed down by
her dying mother, contained in a small doll: a symbol of intuition and inner guidance. With the
doll as her only companion, she faces impossible tasks and confronts the fearsome Baba Yaga,
who guards the fire Vasilisa needs for survival and devours those who fail.
To endure, Vasilisa must learn the wild, mysterious language of the earth, embodied by the
archetypal feminine. She is asked to wait, to listen, and to sacrifice without falling into despair.
Through these trials, she is initiated—transformed—by the deep wisdom of the shadow.
Fairy tales carry a sense of wonder, mystery, and magic. They guide us through symbolic stories
that help illuminate inner struggles and point toward healing of our instinctual nature. They
invite connection with intuition and shadow, allowing us to rediscover hidden strengths.
This tale reflects the psychological tasks required for inner initiation. The work of reclaiming
what has been rejected or buried within us is echoed in Vasilisa’s journey. She shows us how to
approach what has been exiled to reconnect with soul, intuition, and the fierce, nourishing
presence of the dark earth mother.
Participants will engage in creative and imaginal processes—including Sandplay, personal
reflection, witness a completed sandplay process, and group dialogue—to nourish their inner
guidance and explore the sacred path of initiation.
Objectives Participants will be able to:
Required Readings
(PDFs will be provided for the Estés & Mitchell readings)
Estés, C. P. (1992). Women Who Run with the Wolves. Ballantine Books. Read Chapter 3,
“Nosing Out the Facts: The Retrieval of Intuition as Initiation,” pp. 74–114.
Jung, C. G. (1969). Archetypes of the collective unconscious. In The archetypes and the
collective unconscious (Vol. 9, Part 1, 2nd ed., pp. 3–41) (R. F. C. Hull, Trans.). Princeton
University Press. (Original work published 1934).
Jung, C. G. (1969). The concept of the collective unconscious. In The archetypes and the
collective unconscious (Vol. 9, Part 1, 2nd ed., pp. 42–53) (R. F. C. Hull, Trans.). Princeton
University Press. (Original work published 1936)
von Franz, M.-L. (1995). Shadow and evil in fairy tales (Revised ed.). C. G. Jung Foundation
Books Series. Shambhala. (Original work published 1974) Read Chapter 1, “The Concept of
Shadow.”
Supplemental Readings
Ugrešić, D. (2007). Baba Yaga laid an egg. Canongate.
Mitchell, M. (2010). Learning about ourselves through fairy tales: Their psychological value.
Psychological Perspectives, 53, 264–279. (article will be provided)
Assignment
Please choose a figure, image or item from nature that represents a shadow aspect of yourself
that will be used in a group sandplay experience. Write a one-two page paper of how you work
with shadow aspects of your psyche and what has come to “light” for you in the process.
Biography
Shannon Yockey, LCSW, is a licensed clinical social worker and Jungian analyst with the Inter-
Regional Society of Jungian Analysts and The C. G. Jung Institute of Santa Fe. She is a teaching
member of the International Society of Sandplay Therapists and the Sandplay Therapists of
America. She has been in private practice for over 30 years, working with children, teens, and
adults in Fort Collins, Colorado. She has presented nationally and internationally on Sandplay
and Nature as pathways for healing and connecting to soul. Shannon is the founder of Colorado
Center for Jung and Nature Studies. She spends her free time in the beauty of Northern
Colorado’s many natural spaces with her husband Rob, biking and hiking, and in her garden.
Shannon Yockey Rogers, AR
Seminar Description
“When Yaga gives Vasilisa a lighted skull, she is giving her an old woman icon, an ‘ancestral
knower’ to carry with her for life. She is initiating her into a matrilineal legacy of knowing.”
— Clarissa Pinkola Estés, Women Who Run with the Wolves, p. 106
When Vasilisa is cast into the dark forest, she crosses into liminal space—beyond ego
consciousness, beyond the known. Here, she must rely on an ancient wisdom passed down by
her dying mother, contained in a small doll: a symbol of intuition and inner guidance. With the
doll as her only companion, she faces impossible tasks and confronts the fearsome Baba Yaga,
who guards the fire Vasilisa needs for survival and devours those who fail.
To endure, Vasilisa must learn the wild, mysterious language of the earth, embodied by the
archetypal feminine. She is asked to wait, to listen, and to sacrifice without falling into despair.
Through these trials, she is initiated—transformed—by the deep wisdom of the shadow.
Fairy tales carry a sense of wonder, mystery, and magic. They guide us through symbolic stories
that help illuminate inner struggles and point toward healing of our instinctual nature. They
invite connection with intuition and shadow, allowing us to rediscover hidden strengths.
This tale reflects the psychological tasks required for inner initiation. The work of reclaiming
what has been rejected or buried within us is echoed in Vasilisa’s journey. She shows us how to
approach what has been exiled to reconnect with soul, intuition, and the fierce, nourishing
presence of the dark earth mother.
Participants will engage in creative and imaginal processes—including Sandplay, personal
reflection, witness a completed sandplay process, and group dialogue—to nourish their inner
guidance and explore the sacred path of initiation.
Objectives Participants will be able to:
- Understand the symbolic structure of the Vasilisa tale as a psychological initiation process.
- Recognize the necessary attitude when confronted with shadow aspects.
- Explore the archetype of the wild feminine and its relevance to personal transformation and intuitive development.
- Identify and engage with exiled or shadow aspects of the self through active imagination and symbolic play.
- Cultivate wonder and delight through practices that nurture intuition, resilience, and soulful presence in personal and clinical settings.
- Witness a completed sandplay process demonstrating archetypal themes from the fairytale.
Required Readings
(PDFs will be provided for the Estés & Mitchell readings)
Estés, C. P. (1992). Women Who Run with the Wolves. Ballantine Books. Read Chapter 3,
“Nosing Out the Facts: The Retrieval of Intuition as Initiation,” pp. 74–114.
Jung, C. G. (1969). Archetypes of the collective unconscious. In The archetypes and the
collective unconscious (Vol. 9, Part 1, 2nd ed., pp. 3–41) (R. F. C. Hull, Trans.). Princeton
University Press. (Original work published 1934).
Jung, C. G. (1969). The concept of the collective unconscious. In The archetypes and the
collective unconscious (Vol. 9, Part 1, 2nd ed., pp. 42–53) (R. F. C. Hull, Trans.). Princeton
University Press. (Original work published 1936)
von Franz, M.-L. (1995). Shadow and evil in fairy tales (Revised ed.). C. G. Jung Foundation
Books Series. Shambhala. (Original work published 1974) Read Chapter 1, “The Concept of
Shadow.”
Supplemental Readings
Ugrešić, D. (2007). Baba Yaga laid an egg. Canongate.
Mitchell, M. (2010). Learning about ourselves through fairy tales: Their psychological value.
Psychological Perspectives, 53, 264–279. (article will be provided)
Assignment
Please choose a figure, image or item from nature that represents a shadow aspect of yourself
that will be used in a group sandplay experience. Write a one-two page paper of how you work
with shadow aspects of your psyche and what has come to “light” for you in the process.
Biography
Shannon Yockey, LCSW, is a licensed clinical social worker and Jungian analyst with the Inter-
Regional Society of Jungian Analysts and The C. G. Jung Institute of Santa Fe. She is a teaching
member of the International Society of Sandplay Therapists and the Sandplay Therapists of
America. She has been in private practice for over 30 years, working with children, teens, and
adults in Fort Collins, Colorado. She has presented nationally and internationally on Sandplay
and Nature as pathways for healing and connecting to soul. Shannon is the founder of Colorado
Center for Jung and Nature Studies. She spends her free time in the beauty of Northern
Colorado’s many natural spaces with her husband Rob, biking and hiking, and in her garden.
December 4-5 Apollonian and the Dionysian Tension
Virginia Krauft Columbia, IL
Seminar Description
The tension of the opposites has been a theme throughout history and in the lives of individuals in the process of individuating. This Seminar will look through a Jungian lens at the Apollinian nature, inward vision, inner world, rules, limits, subjugation of everything wild and untamed, and Dionysian nature, liberation of unbounded instinct, breaking loose of the unbridled, barbarian nature, robbed of one’s individuality, dissolved into the collective, intoxicated state of being.
Seminar Objectives
Participants will be able to:
Required Readings:
Supplemental Readings:
The Bacchae of Euripides 1915 edition (Greek Tragedy); The Princess in the Tree; The Raven (Grims Fairytales);
Assignment
Pick an image in our culture today that exemplifies the tension of the opposites and write a short essay defending both side (2—4 pages). Bring prepared to discuss.
Biography
Virginia Krauft, Ed.D., Licensed Clinical Psychologist, Master of Pastoral Studies, Diploma in Analytical Psychology, IRSJA and IAAP member, is a Jungian at heart. She was born in Iowa and raised as a child on a dairy farm. Virginia graduated with honors from Coe College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa with a double major of Philosophy and Psychology. She has over 24 formal years of higher education. She has practiced as a Jungian analyst since 2004. Her Thesis topic was: Chronic Fatigue Syndrome—A Portal to the Soul. She is a Case Supervisor on the faculty of C.G. Jung Institute in Zurich and She has served at every level of training in IRSJA and is presently the Coordinator to Diploma Exams on the Training Committee. She served on the founding committee of HAJA and is the Treasurer for HAJA presently. She is an Archetypal Jungian and avid gardener.
Virginia Krauft Columbia, IL
Seminar Description
The tension of the opposites has been a theme throughout history and in the lives of individuals in the process of individuating. This Seminar will look through a Jungian lens at the Apollinian nature, inward vision, inner world, rules, limits, subjugation of everything wild and untamed, and Dionysian nature, liberation of unbounded instinct, breaking loose of the unbridled, barbarian nature, robbed of one’s individuality, dissolved into the collective, intoxicated state of being.
Seminar Objectives
Participants will be able to:
- Experience the energy in the tension of the opposites through sharing a movie, myth, fairytale which exemplify Apollonian and Dionysian Tensions
- Each participant will have an opportunity to share an example of their own experience with an inner conflict of Apollonian and the Dionysian Tension.
- Participants will have a better understanding of the origin of the tension and the value of it for society and for the individual.
Required Readings:
- C. G. Jung, CW, Vol.6. III The Apollonian and the Dionysian (223—242) (Will provided via email)
- C.G. Jung, CW, Vol. 9i, IV. Theriomorphic Spirit Symbolism in Fairytales 419—455) (Will provide via email)
Supplemental Readings:
The Bacchae of Euripides 1915 edition (Greek Tragedy); The Princess in the Tree; The Raven (Grims Fairytales);
Assignment
Pick an image in our culture today that exemplifies the tension of the opposites and write a short essay defending both side (2—4 pages). Bring prepared to discuss.
Biography
Virginia Krauft, Ed.D., Licensed Clinical Psychologist, Master of Pastoral Studies, Diploma in Analytical Psychology, IRSJA and IAAP member, is a Jungian at heart. She was born in Iowa and raised as a child on a dairy farm. Virginia graduated with honors from Coe College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa with a double major of Philosophy and Psychology. She has over 24 formal years of higher education. She has practiced as a Jungian analyst since 2004. Her Thesis topic was: Chronic Fatigue Syndrome—A Portal to the Soul. She is a Case Supervisor on the faculty of C.G. Jung Institute in Zurich and She has served at every level of training in IRSJA and is presently the Coordinator to Diploma Exams on the Training Committee. She served on the founding committee of HAJA and is the Treasurer for HAJA presently. She is an Archetypal Jungian and avid gardener.
January 8-9, 2027 Fairy Tales: Treasure-Holders of Psyche’s Secrets
Ken James VIRTUAL
Seminar Description
Fairy tales have long served as symbolic maps of the psyche, condensing archetypal patterns, complexes, and developmental tasks into imaginal narratives. In this seminar, we will treat fairy tales as “treasure‑holders of psyche’s secrets,” focusing on how their motifs and narrative structures can deepen case formulation, clarify diagnostic ambiguity, and open new perspectives on stuck analytic processes. Building on participants’ prior exposure to Jungian fairy‑tale work, we will refine methods of symbolic and structural analysis, examine the clinical use of specific motifs and figures, and explore the ethical and cultural dimensions of working with tales drawn from diverse traditions.
Objectives Participants will be able to:
Required Readings
Supplemental Readings
TBA
Biography
Kenneth James, Ph.D., is a Jungian analyst in private practice in Chicago, Illinois. He is a member of the Chicago Society of Jungian Analysts and the International Association for Analytical Psychology.
Along the way, he studied vocal music at the American Conservatory of Music. He also learned a modality of music therapy known as The Bonny Method of Guided Imagery and Music at the Institute for Consciousness and Music in Baltimore, Maryland. He completed four years of post-doctoral study in theology and scripture at the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago.
Dr. James holds the rank of professor emeritus after a 33-year career as a university professor. He has served on the faculty at Roosevelt University, Northeastern Illinois University, and Northwestern University.
He worked for many years as the Director of Student Services at the University of Chicago’s Laboratory School, where he coordinated services for students with learning, emotional, and behavioral needs. He now devotes time to his private practice at The Soulwork Center in downtown Chicago.
Ken has led workshops around the world on the relationship between divination and synchronicity and on using the Tarot to explore the unconscious. The relationship between Jungian thought, clinical practice, and esoterica has been a strong motif of his work throughout his career.
Ken James VIRTUAL
Seminar Description
Fairy tales have long served as symbolic maps of the psyche, condensing archetypal patterns, complexes, and developmental tasks into imaginal narratives. In this seminar, we will treat fairy tales as “treasure‑holders of psyche’s secrets,” focusing on how their motifs and narrative structures can deepen case formulation, clarify diagnostic ambiguity, and open new perspectives on stuck analytic processes. Building on participants’ prior exposure to Jungian fairy‑tale work, we will refine methods of symbolic and structural analysis, examine the clinical use of specific motifs and figures, and explore the ethical and cultural dimensions of working with tales drawn from diverse traditions.
Objectives Participants will be able to:
- Articulate a nuanced Jungian rationale for working with fairy tales that integrates archetypal theory, complex theory, and the individuation process with contemporary clinical concerns.
- Compare at least two approaches to fairy‑tale interpretation (e.g., von Franz’s structural analysis, archetypal/imaginal perspectives, cultural‑historical readings) and evaluate their usefulness in specific clinical situations.
- Conduct a detailed analysis of at least two fairy tales, identifying central archetypal constellations, narrative stages of transformation, and symbolic “knots” where development is blocked or diverted.
- Link specific fairy‑tale motifs (e.g., dismemberment and re‑membering, the impossible task, the helper figure, the trickster/“fool,” the animal bride or bridegroom) to recurring themes in clinical work and propose at least two ways such motifs can inform interventions.
- Differentiate personal, cultural, and archetypal layers of meaning in fairy‑tale material as it appears in dreams, fantasies, and transference/countertransference dynamics.
Required Readings
- Marie‑Louise von Franz, The Interpretation of Fairy Tales (selected chapters, focusing on method and one or two exemplar tales).
- C. G. Jung, selections from The Archetypes and the Collective Unconscious (e.g., “The Phenomenology of the Spirit in Fairytales” and/or “On the Psychology of the Trickster‑Figure”).
- Two core tales to be read by all participants in advance, to be announced
Supplemental Readings
- Tatar, M. (Ed.). (2002). The annotated classic fairy tales. W. W. Norton & Company.
- Grimm, J., & Grimm, W., with Tatar, M. (Ed. & Trans.). (2004). The annotated Brothers Grimm. W. W. Norton & Company.
TBA
Biography
Kenneth James, Ph.D., is a Jungian analyst in private practice in Chicago, Illinois. He is a member of the Chicago Society of Jungian Analysts and the International Association for Analytical Psychology.
Along the way, he studied vocal music at the American Conservatory of Music. He also learned a modality of music therapy known as The Bonny Method of Guided Imagery and Music at the Institute for Consciousness and Music in Baltimore, Maryland. He completed four years of post-doctoral study in theology and scripture at the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago.
Dr. James holds the rank of professor emeritus after a 33-year career as a university professor. He has served on the faculty at Roosevelt University, Northeastern Illinois University, and Northwestern University.
He worked for many years as the Director of Student Services at the University of Chicago’s Laboratory School, where he coordinated services for students with learning, emotional, and behavioral needs. He now devotes time to his private practice at The Soulwork Center in downtown Chicago.
Ken has led workshops around the world on the relationship between divination and synchronicity and on using the Tarot to explore the unconscious. The relationship between Jungian thought, clinical practice, and esoterica has been a strong motif of his work throughout his career.
February 5-6 After the Catastrophe
Pam Behnen Columbia, IL
Description
We and the individuals with whom we work watch the world we knew change drastically on a daily basis. We wonder if and how ourselves, our families, the human race will be able to survive this time. Jung himself grew up in a time of tremendous conflict and change: World War I and then the rise of Fascism; WWII and the holocaust, and, as his vision on the train foretold, Europe flowing with blood. In a departure from his usual ouvre, Jung’s “Essays on Contemporary Events” attempt a psychological exploration of what was at work in the German psyche leading up to the holocaust and WWII. We recognize in his description of “contemporary events” many resonances to the present moment.
How do contemporary events influence the work in our small consulting rooms? How are the suffering journeys of our clients/analysands exacerbated by the current moment? Is it possible that we can remain somewhat balanced, and avoid the projection of otherness and even evil upon those who may see these moments differently than we do?
I do not expect we will find answers to any of the questions I’ve posed, but that we will have a rich exploration of these themes, including the attempt to examine our Jungian shadows to which contemporary events may blind us.
Objectives Participants will be able to:
Jung, C.G. Collected Works 10, selections below
“Mind and Earth” para 71, para 92-103
“Archaic Man” para 104-147
Part III pages 175-243: ‘Preface to ‘Essays on Contemporary Events”
“Wotan”
“After the Catastrophe”
“The Fight with the Shadow”
“Epilogue to ‘Essays on Contemporary Events’”
Singer, T. (2020) Cultural Complexes and the Soul of America: Myth, Psyche, and Politics. Routledge. Selections below:
Singer, T. “Introduction”xx--xxxii
Bernstein, J. “Cultural Complexes and Addiction to Dominion” pp44-52
(read the footnotes as well).
Kalsched, D. “Wrestling with our Angels: Inner and Outer Democracy in America Under the Shadow of Donald Trump” pp 53-88.
Brewster, F. “The Racial Complex” Pp145-151
Supplemental Readings
Lopez-Pedraza, R. (1996) Anselm Kiefer: ‘After the Catastrophe.” Thames and Hudson. (There are used copies on Amazon from $40-$50, and you may be able to get this through interlibrary loan if you request it a month or more in advance.)
Assignment
Choose one or more of the following on which to reflect in two or three pages*:
At the St. Louis Art Museum, observe the gigantic paintings in the entry hall, by Anselm Keiffer and if you are able to see these, jot down a few of your reactions and emotions. Or if you were able to catch the entire exhibit last year, do the same.
Explore in a couple of pages: Jung’s words and ideas in “Mind and Earth” and “Archaic Man” are some of the most problematic and even painful in all of his work. Read the sections that offended you most once more (and I expect you will be offended!) and try to leave out the word “primitive” or similar words each time they are encountered. Does this rereading seem different? How? Is there anything from these two essays that does seem truthful, beneath the offensive racism?
Of the readings beyond Jung, reflect on one particular selection in writing.
*We will not read these papers aloud during the seminar, but they are to enrich your engagement with the ideas, and to contribute to your ability to discuss the material in depth. If possible, I’d like you to mail these to me two days before the seminar, which will help me to make room for your thoughts during the discussion.
If you would like some feedback on your reflection paper, please ask. We may not have time over the weekend, but I can give written feedback later, as my time permits.
Biography
Pamela Behnen is a Jungian Analyst and LPC practicing in the city of St. Louis, where she works with individuals of diverse backgrounds and life experiences. Particularly enjoying her work with writers and creative artists, she emphasizes the use of the creative instinct as part of the individuation process. She also works frequently with medical and mental health professionals. As a retired RN, she gives additional attention to the body in analysis. She possesses degrees in nursing (a retired R.N.), a BA and an MA in English Literature with a focus on Shakespeare, an MAPC in counseling, and is a diplomate of the Inter-Regional Society of Jungian Analysts. Before she began her studies of psychology, she taught writing and literature at the University of Minnesota and Linn Benton Community College in Oregon. She currently serves as a senior training analyst in the IRSJA, as faculty and admissions coordinator of the Memphis-Atlanta Jungian Seminar and is a founding member of the Heartland Association of Jungian Analysts. She has presented on and is published in the Journal of Analytical Psychology on Cultural Complex theory through the examination of Harper Lee’s novels To Kill a Mockingbird and Go Set a Watchman. She currently working on an extended piece on bullfighting and a female bullfighter through a Jungian lens.
March 5-6, 2027 The Fearless Prince: The Passive Path to Heroism
INVITATIONAL David Schoen Rogers, AR
Seminar Description
The Seminar will explore the Hero Archetype from the point of view of passive heroism; of redemption, and overcoming, and transforming through waiting, wounding, and suffering, using “ The Fearless Prince “ fairy tale as the prime example of passive heroism. The concept will also be explored in relation to the Wounded Healer Archetype, Shamanism, and historical figures. We will look for passive heroism in myth, fairytales, religion, literature, history, and our clients.
Objectives
Required Reading
“The Fearless Prince“ fairytale in Grimm’s (also listed under the title “The Prince Who Feared Nothing “)
The myth of Chiron - the wounded healer
Campbell, Joseph, “The Hero with a Thousand Faces “
Eliade, Mircea, “Shamanism”
Jung, C.G., “Man and His Symbols “ ( pages 72-73, 78-79 , 110- 11 , 128 , 131-132)
Jung, C.G., CW 5 ( paragraphs 251- 99 , 477 , 511 , 516 , 551 )
Assignment
Think about heroism in broader terms. Jesus as passive hero. (His suffering and death on the cross redeems the world), Chiron the archetypal wounded healer, the Grail King, Shamans, Martin Luther King ( MLK ), Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, etc. Where do we see passive heroism in myth, fairytales, religion, literature, history and your clients?
Pick one example of passive heroism that resonates for you. Research it and come prepared to present and discuss your example at the Seminar . Each seminarian will have 30-40 minutes to present .
Biography
David Schoen, LCSW, MSSW, is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and an IAAP Certified Jungian Analyst, Practicing in Covington, Louisiana, near New Orleans. He has a background as an alcoholism chemical dependency counselor. He is a Senior Analyst with the Inter-Regional Society of Jungian Analysts, co-founder and coordinator of the New Orleans Jungian Training Seminar, and advisor to the C.G. Jung Society of Baton Rouge.
David lectures and teaches nationally and internationally. He has published internationally and is a Louisiana poet. His books include: Divine Tempest: The Hurricane as a Psychic Phenomenon (1998), The War of the Gods in Addiction: C.G. Jung, Alcoholics Anonymous and Archetypal Evil (2009), Always a Fighting Tiger: Memoirs of an Ordinary LSU Football Fan (2014)
April 2-3, 2027
Puella Fathers’ Daughters: Relational Trauma, the Narcissistic Wound and the Reclamation of Authentic Voice
Suzan Franck Columbia, IL
Description
In this seminar we will look at the puella complex and the more negative manifestation of this complex that often expresses in Western patriarchal cultures, resulting in a loss of authentic voice. To examine this in depth we will look at the loss of authentic voice, using the myth of Echo and Narcissus to explore the archetypal roots of this loss and what is needed for vocal reclamation. We will also explore the restoration of the triple goddess archetypal pattern of maiden, mother, and crone inherent to feminine development and transformation over the course of a woman’s life and its relationship with authentic voice.
Seminar Objectives
Participants will be able to:
Required Readings
Ovid. (1999). Metamorphoses: Book III (A. S. Kline, Trans.). University of Virginia e-text. https://ovid.lib.virginia.edu/trans/Metamorph3.htm (paragraphs 316-510)
Edinger, E. (1994). Anatomy of the psyche: Alchemical symbolism in psychotherapy (6th ed.). Open Court Publishing. Chapter on Coagualtio (chapter to be provided)
Kalsched, D. (2017, September). Trauma, innocence and the core complex of dissociation. Journal of Analytical Psychology, 2(4), 474–500. (article to be provided)
Schwartz, S. E. (2009). Puella’s shadow. International Journal of Jungian Studies, 1(2), 111–122. (article to be provided)
Griessel, L., Kotze, M. (2022, March). The psychological pattern and types of the puella aeterna in post-modern women. Psychological Studies, 67(1), 1–10. (article to be provided)
Supplemental Readings
Dougherty, N. J., & West, J. J. (2007). The matrix and meaning of character: An archetypal and developmental approach. Routledge. Chapters on Counter-dependent, Dependent, and Alpha Narcissistic Character Structure
Kalsched, D. (2013). Trauma and the soul: A psycho-spiritual approach to human development and its interruption. Routledge.
Leonard, L. (1982). The wounded woman. Shambhala. (chapters to be provided)
Schwartz, S. E. (2025). A Jungian exploration of the puella archetype: Girl unfolding. Routledge.
Schwartz-Salant, N. (1982). Narcissism and character transformation. Inner City Books.
Shinoda Bolen, J. (2014). Artemis: The indomitable spirit in everywoman. Conari Press.
Woodman, M. (1982). Addiction to perfection: The still unravished bride. Inner City Books.
Woodman, M. (1985). The pregnant virgin: A process of psychological transformation. Inner City Books.
Woodman, M. (1992). Leaving my father’s house: A journey to conscious femininity. Shambhala.
Woodman, M., & Dickson, E. (1996). Dancing in the flames. Shambhala.
Assignment
Write 2-3 pages on where you see the puella complex in yourself, in your clients, or in the culture. What does it mean to be a puella father’s daughter and how is this related to loss of voice? Personal reflections are welcomed!
Biography
Suzan Franck is a licensed clinical social worker and recent graduate of the Interregional Society of Jungian Analysts. Her interests include exploring the archetypal feminine and archetypal masculine and how they have manifested in cultures and individuals across time and into the present.
April 3 (afternoon) Remedios Varo: Her Spiral Journey
Mary Wells Barron Columbia, IL
Description
This presentation includes the major paintings created by Remedios Varo during the last decade of her life and are considered her greatest work. They are archetypal images of Feminine individuation, completed just shortly before her sudden death in 1963.
Biography
Mary Wells Barron , MA, MBA, MIM, diplomate of the C.G. Jung Institute Zürich is a Jungian Analyst in private practice in St. Louis , Missouri . In 1994, she founded the C.G. Jung Society of St. Louis. Mary is a Senior Training Analyst in the Inter Regional - Society of Jungian Analysts. She has served on IRSJA Admissions, Training, and Review Committees.
For over 30 years Mary has lectured in the U.S and Europe on the interface between art and psyche. She was a member of the Board of Directors of the Archive for Research in Archetypal Symbolism (ARAS ). Her work has been published in ANIMA, ARAS Connections, Proceedings of the International Congress for Analytical Psychology, QUADRANT, SPRING : A Journal of Archetype and Culture, and JUNG JOURNAL: Culture & Psyche .
May 1-2, 2026 Archetypal Weekend: Alchemical Image
Faculty Rogers, AR
Assignment
Participants will write a 10 - 15-page paper exploring a fairy tale that speaks to you psychologically and “imaginally”. Papers will be shared in small groups.
A detailed guide for this paper will be distributed at the September Seminar.
Papers are due to Analysts and Participants by April 15, 2027
Pam Behnen Columbia, IL
Description
We and the individuals with whom we work watch the world we knew change drastically on a daily basis. We wonder if and how ourselves, our families, the human race will be able to survive this time. Jung himself grew up in a time of tremendous conflict and change: World War I and then the rise of Fascism; WWII and the holocaust, and, as his vision on the train foretold, Europe flowing with blood. In a departure from his usual ouvre, Jung’s “Essays on Contemporary Events” attempt a psychological exploration of what was at work in the German psyche leading up to the holocaust and WWII. We recognize in his description of “contemporary events” many resonances to the present moment.
- In this seminar we will engage with Jung’s writings on the aftermath of WWII, as well as some contemporary Jungian analysts writing about the current world situation from a Jungian psychological point of view. We will also explore a small portion of the work of German-expressionist artist, Anselm Kiefer, and a Jungian exploration of his work by Rafael Lopez-Pedraza, a Jungian analyst born in Cuba. Explain the concept of a cultural complex and give an example of early developments of that idea in Jung’s writings.
- Give one example of how a current event or cultural movement serves to raise our consciousness of something that had heretofore remained somewhat unconscious in our culture.
- Refer to Anselm Kiefer’s work in explaining how a culture might engage its own shadow after an era of high conflict and destruction.
How do contemporary events influence the work in our small consulting rooms? How are the suffering journeys of our clients/analysands exacerbated by the current moment? Is it possible that we can remain somewhat balanced, and avoid the projection of otherness and even evil upon those who may see these moments differently than we do?
I do not expect we will find answers to any of the questions I’ve posed, but that we will have a rich exploration of these themes, including the attempt to examine our Jungian shadows to which contemporary events may blind us.
Objectives Participants will be able to:
- Explain the concept of a cultural complex and give an example of early developments of that idea in Jung’s writings.
- Give one example of how a current event or cultural movement serves to raise our consciousness of something that had heretofore remained somewhat unconscious in our culture.
- Refer to Anselm Kiefer’s work in explaining how a culture might engage its own shadow after an era of high conflict and destruction.
Jung, C.G. Collected Works 10, selections below
“Mind and Earth” para 71, para 92-103
“Archaic Man” para 104-147
Part III pages 175-243: ‘Preface to ‘Essays on Contemporary Events”
“Wotan”
“After the Catastrophe”
“The Fight with the Shadow”
“Epilogue to ‘Essays on Contemporary Events’”
Singer, T. (2020) Cultural Complexes and the Soul of America: Myth, Psyche, and Politics. Routledge. Selections below:
Singer, T. “Introduction”xx--xxxii
Bernstein, J. “Cultural Complexes and Addiction to Dominion” pp44-52
(read the footnotes as well).
Kalsched, D. “Wrestling with our Angels: Inner and Outer Democracy in America Under the Shadow of Donald Trump” pp 53-88.
Brewster, F. “The Racial Complex” Pp145-151
Supplemental Readings
Lopez-Pedraza, R. (1996) Anselm Kiefer: ‘After the Catastrophe.” Thames and Hudson. (There are used copies on Amazon from $40-$50, and you may be able to get this through interlibrary loan if you request it a month or more in advance.)
Assignment
Choose one or more of the following on which to reflect in two or three pages*:
At the St. Louis Art Museum, observe the gigantic paintings in the entry hall, by Anselm Keiffer and if you are able to see these, jot down a few of your reactions and emotions. Or if you were able to catch the entire exhibit last year, do the same.
Explore in a couple of pages: Jung’s words and ideas in “Mind and Earth” and “Archaic Man” are some of the most problematic and even painful in all of his work. Read the sections that offended you most once more (and I expect you will be offended!) and try to leave out the word “primitive” or similar words each time they are encountered. Does this rereading seem different? How? Is there anything from these two essays that does seem truthful, beneath the offensive racism?
Of the readings beyond Jung, reflect on one particular selection in writing.
*We will not read these papers aloud during the seminar, but they are to enrich your engagement with the ideas, and to contribute to your ability to discuss the material in depth. If possible, I’d like you to mail these to me two days before the seminar, which will help me to make room for your thoughts during the discussion.
If you would like some feedback on your reflection paper, please ask. We may not have time over the weekend, but I can give written feedback later, as my time permits.
Biography
Pamela Behnen is a Jungian Analyst and LPC practicing in the city of St. Louis, where she works with individuals of diverse backgrounds and life experiences. Particularly enjoying her work with writers and creative artists, she emphasizes the use of the creative instinct as part of the individuation process. She also works frequently with medical and mental health professionals. As a retired RN, she gives additional attention to the body in analysis. She possesses degrees in nursing (a retired R.N.), a BA and an MA in English Literature with a focus on Shakespeare, an MAPC in counseling, and is a diplomate of the Inter-Regional Society of Jungian Analysts. Before she began her studies of psychology, she taught writing and literature at the University of Minnesota and Linn Benton Community College in Oregon. She currently serves as a senior training analyst in the IRSJA, as faculty and admissions coordinator of the Memphis-Atlanta Jungian Seminar and is a founding member of the Heartland Association of Jungian Analysts. She has presented on and is published in the Journal of Analytical Psychology on Cultural Complex theory through the examination of Harper Lee’s novels To Kill a Mockingbird and Go Set a Watchman. She currently working on an extended piece on bullfighting and a female bullfighter through a Jungian lens.
March 5-6, 2027 The Fearless Prince: The Passive Path to Heroism
INVITATIONAL David Schoen Rogers, AR
Seminar Description
The Seminar will explore the Hero Archetype from the point of view of passive heroism; of redemption, and overcoming, and transforming through waiting, wounding, and suffering, using “ The Fearless Prince “ fairy tale as the prime example of passive heroism. The concept will also be explored in relation to the Wounded Healer Archetype, Shamanism, and historical figures. We will look for passive heroism in myth, fairytales, religion, literature, history, and our clients.
Objectives
- The participants will be able to articulate the differences between active heroism and passive heroism.
- The participants will gain insight into passive heroism as a psychological process empowering their clients.
- The participants will be able to talk about how passive heroism accomplished wholeness in the fairytale “ The Fearless Prince “ and contributed to his Individuation process.
Required Reading
“The Fearless Prince“ fairytale in Grimm’s (also listed under the title “The Prince Who Feared Nothing “)
The myth of Chiron - the wounded healer
Campbell, Joseph, “The Hero with a Thousand Faces “
Eliade, Mircea, “Shamanism”
Jung, C.G., “Man and His Symbols “ ( pages 72-73, 78-79 , 110- 11 , 128 , 131-132)
Jung, C.G., CW 5 ( paragraphs 251- 99 , 477 , 511 , 516 , 551 )
Assignment
Think about heroism in broader terms. Jesus as passive hero. (His suffering and death on the cross redeems the world), Chiron the archetypal wounded healer, the Grail King, Shamans, Martin Luther King ( MLK ), Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, etc. Where do we see passive heroism in myth, fairytales, religion, literature, history and your clients?
Pick one example of passive heroism that resonates for you. Research it and come prepared to present and discuss your example at the Seminar . Each seminarian will have 30-40 minutes to present .
Biography
David Schoen, LCSW, MSSW, is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and an IAAP Certified Jungian Analyst, Practicing in Covington, Louisiana, near New Orleans. He has a background as an alcoholism chemical dependency counselor. He is a Senior Analyst with the Inter-Regional Society of Jungian Analysts, co-founder and coordinator of the New Orleans Jungian Training Seminar, and advisor to the C.G. Jung Society of Baton Rouge.
David lectures and teaches nationally and internationally. He has published internationally and is a Louisiana poet. His books include: Divine Tempest: The Hurricane as a Psychic Phenomenon (1998), The War of the Gods in Addiction: C.G. Jung, Alcoholics Anonymous and Archetypal Evil (2009), Always a Fighting Tiger: Memoirs of an Ordinary LSU Football Fan (2014)
April 2-3, 2027
Puella Fathers’ Daughters: Relational Trauma, the Narcissistic Wound and the Reclamation of Authentic Voice
Suzan Franck Columbia, IL
Description
In this seminar we will look at the puella complex and the more negative manifestation of this complex that often expresses in Western patriarchal cultures, resulting in a loss of authentic voice. To examine this in depth we will look at the loss of authentic voice, using the myth of Echo and Narcissus to explore the archetypal roots of this loss and what is needed for vocal reclamation. We will also explore the restoration of the triple goddess archetypal pattern of maiden, mother, and crone inherent to feminine development and transformation over the course of a woman’s life and its relationship with authentic voice.
Seminar Objectives
Participants will be able to:
- Be able to feel into and name qualities associated with the Puella archetype and identify the characteristics of a puella father’s daughter
- Understand the more negative form of the puella complex that often manifests in puella father’s daughters in western patriarchal cultures
- Understand the connection between authentic voice, embodiment, ego development and the alchemical process of coagualtion
- Understand the way that relational trauma interferes with the authentic suffering needed to birth authentic voice
- Understand the narcissistic stage of development and the narcissistic wound, through depth psychological understandings as well as the myth of Echo and Narcissus
- Using the maiden, mother, crone archetypal pattern of women’s development, name the steps that take place in the recovery of authentic voice.
- Speak to the way that Jungian analytic work can aid in recovery of authentic voice for puella father’s daughters.
Required Readings
Ovid. (1999). Metamorphoses: Book III (A. S. Kline, Trans.). University of Virginia e-text. https://ovid.lib.virginia.edu/trans/Metamorph3.htm (paragraphs 316-510)
Edinger, E. (1994). Anatomy of the psyche: Alchemical symbolism in psychotherapy (6th ed.). Open Court Publishing. Chapter on Coagualtio (chapter to be provided)
Kalsched, D. (2017, September). Trauma, innocence and the core complex of dissociation. Journal of Analytical Psychology, 2(4), 474–500. (article to be provided)
Schwartz, S. E. (2009). Puella’s shadow. International Journal of Jungian Studies, 1(2), 111–122. (article to be provided)
Griessel, L., Kotze, M. (2022, March). The psychological pattern and types of the puella aeterna in post-modern women. Psychological Studies, 67(1), 1–10. (article to be provided)
Supplemental Readings
Dougherty, N. J., & West, J. J. (2007). The matrix and meaning of character: An archetypal and developmental approach. Routledge. Chapters on Counter-dependent, Dependent, and Alpha Narcissistic Character Structure
Kalsched, D. (2013). Trauma and the soul: A psycho-spiritual approach to human development and its interruption. Routledge.
Leonard, L. (1982). The wounded woman. Shambhala. (chapters to be provided)
Schwartz, S. E. (2025). A Jungian exploration of the puella archetype: Girl unfolding. Routledge.
Schwartz-Salant, N. (1982). Narcissism and character transformation. Inner City Books.
Shinoda Bolen, J. (2014). Artemis: The indomitable spirit in everywoman. Conari Press.
Woodman, M. (1982). Addiction to perfection: The still unravished bride. Inner City Books.
Woodman, M. (1985). The pregnant virgin: A process of psychological transformation. Inner City Books.
Woodman, M. (1992). Leaving my father’s house: A journey to conscious femininity. Shambhala.
Woodman, M., & Dickson, E. (1996). Dancing in the flames. Shambhala.
Assignment
Write 2-3 pages on where you see the puella complex in yourself, in your clients, or in the culture. What does it mean to be a puella father’s daughter and how is this related to loss of voice? Personal reflections are welcomed!
Biography
Suzan Franck is a licensed clinical social worker and recent graduate of the Interregional Society of Jungian Analysts. Her interests include exploring the archetypal feminine and archetypal masculine and how they have manifested in cultures and individuals across time and into the present.
April 3 (afternoon) Remedios Varo: Her Spiral Journey
Mary Wells Barron Columbia, IL
Description
This presentation includes the major paintings created by Remedios Varo during the last decade of her life and are considered her greatest work. They are archetypal images of Feminine individuation, completed just shortly before her sudden death in 1963.
Biography
Mary Wells Barron , MA, MBA, MIM, diplomate of the C.G. Jung Institute Zürich is a Jungian Analyst in private practice in St. Louis , Missouri . In 1994, she founded the C.G. Jung Society of St. Louis. Mary is a Senior Training Analyst in the Inter Regional - Society of Jungian Analysts. She has served on IRSJA Admissions, Training, and Review Committees.
For over 30 years Mary has lectured in the U.S and Europe on the interface between art and psyche. She was a member of the Board of Directors of the Archive for Research in Archetypal Symbolism (ARAS ). Her work has been published in ANIMA, ARAS Connections, Proceedings of the International Congress for Analytical Psychology, QUADRANT, SPRING : A Journal of Archetype and Culture, and JUNG JOURNAL: Culture & Psyche .
May 1-2, 2026 Archetypal Weekend: Alchemical Image
Faculty Rogers, AR
Assignment
Participants will write a 10 - 15-page paper exploring a fairy tale that speaks to you psychologically and “imaginally”. Papers will be shared in small groups.
A detailed guide for this paper will be distributed at the September Seminar.
Papers are due to Analysts and Participants by April 15, 2027