Today is the death anniversary of C.G.Jung. In some traditions, this is his feast day, a time to recall his accomplishments and venerate the many ways he has shaped our lives. I can, of course, best speak to his influence in my life and allow others, should they chose, to express their own thoughts about this great man. In many ways, I believe I was "born Jungian," but perhaps it is more accurate to say that I was born in the same stream that caught him in its currents and swept him away. It took awhile for me to open my eyes - with no small thanks to Robert Johnson - and see the beauties and the beasts that inhabit the collective unconscious. More remarkable was gaining some ability to bring these archetypes to the surface of my life; there to inspect them and see how they play in the dance of reality. Jung's opus gave my life meaning. It defined my profession as a therapist, author and public speaker. Somewhere he said that once you discover the unconscious, you are never alone. How true! No matter how lost I may be at times, I know that the rivers of the collective unconscious are brimming with gods and goddesses who can help. And, there's more... Since discovering ancient Egypt and its views of death, I now realize that individuation doesn't stop with physical death. In fact, I believe that a spiritual individuation will continue on after my body dies and various souls are set free to continue the work. If there weren't a Jung to thank for these discoveries, I suppose I would have had to invent him, just as he did himself in his journals, his play, his active imaginations. While I am well aware of Jung's dark sides - his shadow - I accept his archetypal presence as an inner healer who doesn't necessarily offer good advice but I am comforted in knowing that he is still around.
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