Homework

Welcome to the course! I'm so pleased that you will be with us to explore this deep and rich material.

Here in this written group forum, you can write notes to each other and with me, and share anything you like about the course. You can always get here using the following direct link--or scroll down any Alliance page and click the Red Book "Group Forum Access" shortcut icon on the right hand side:
http://www.depthpsychologyalliance.com/group/a-red-book-of-one-s-own?xg_source=msg_wel_group

The Red Book is an enormous undertaking, and it is not our intention to study it here in our 4 weeks together. Unless you personally want to pick up parts and see what Jung had to say.

What I will be offering is themes from the Red Book that each week, you will be invited to journal, dialogue, and make art about. During our 2 hrs together each week we will talk about, share, and look at any art or writing that you want to have witnessed by the group. Please remember, because I won't be lecturing, except for some intro to the Red Book on the first night, it really matters and will be as juicy as all of you are willing to be in your sharings.

One our first night meeting, after I talk about the Red Book and introduce myself and the course, I would like all of you to introduce yourselves and say what brings you to the course now. Then, we will share our homework.

SO, here is the homework for the first night:

Just as Jung started the Red Book with a dialogue to his soul, I'd like you to do the same. There are two voices: me and Soul.

You can make dialogue about whatever it is you feel you need help from, guidance about, or any other questions that you need to ask of your Soul at this point.

My suggestion is that you spend 20 minutes uninterrupted time doing this, but, please, don't stop yourselves, write as long as you want to.

Whatever you're comfortable sharing about, we can have a nice safe container. It is important to note that although the material is psychogical in nature, this will not be a therapy group.

Please let me know if have further questions at this point.

Greetings Dear Soul,

Thank you for bringing the good dreams to me. I've been gathering the gems on my pillow, carnelian, coral, sardonyx, some sapphire and amethyst for good measure.

(Reference Dream 1, which occurred after registering for this workshop. I can't recall but the end snippet of last night's dream, but I was collecting and gathering up gemstones on my pillow. While I can't remember all the gemstones in the assortment of colors, I recall several were various shades of red, perhaps sardonyx, carnelian and various others.)

I thank you for the bird message, when I inquired of you. Two roads diverged in a wood, and I, I took the one less traveled, and that has made all the difference.

(Reference an exercise I did using a technique taught by Ross Heaven in his book, "Walking With the Sin Eater." You go into nature, and find a comfortable place to sit quietly. You ask your question. Then you don't look for, but wait for, your answer from nature. I liken this to dream analysis, working with the yarrow sticks in the I-Ching, and attribute the work to Synchronicity. I had been struggling with whether I only wanted to be a psychotherapist because of my past, was this really me. I had worked on a list from the book, "Will Work for Fun," to try to answer the question. I'd determined that the moments in my life that brought me the most joy were when I was able to work in this certain space, this sacred place, where I could help people who were transitioning into life, and people who were crossing over the rainbow, into death and rebirth, and when people lost and in pain, and helping them along with the process of refinding themselves. I really enjoyed drumming, and I enjoyed journeys, journeying, group work with trauma survivors, it makes my heart happy, stepping in the woods to the drumbeat. So I was like, oh great, why couldn't I just have wanted to be a school teacher, you know, something you can tell everyone about..., no I had to decide I want to be a Shaman when I grow up. Great, because that's so socially acceptable and everything, so, I'd set out to do this nature exercise, and I asked the question about "What should I be when I grow up?" And then I waited. Then a bird flew in and landed on the fence post in the field to the left of me, and then another to the right of me, and then another landed on the fence post in the middle. The left bird flew off to the right. The right bird flew off to the left. The bird in the middle, flew directly to me and landed on the post of the screen porch that was in front of my face. The only thing that came to mind, was the Frost poem about the two roads, and taking the one less traveled. I decided then, okay, so now you know.)

I know the space within which I am supposed to do my work. You have shown me in so many loving ways. I struggle with the form of that work. what shape shall it take?

(Reference Dream 2. While I can only recall the end snippet of last night's dream again, I was gathering our people together for the "Spiral Dance." Dean (my fiance) was there, participating in the work. Though there were very serious preparations involved, and deep work in the process, my ego quickly bustled those away from consciousness on awakening. There is a great deal of gathering going on of late. Elijah (my 5 year old grandson) and I recently had the privilege of taking part in a Spiral Dance, which I felt was like stepping into an ancient rite, and the outer form of the mandala was not lost on me. In fact, Eli walked the perimeter of the outer mandala at one point as guardian with his "literal" guide.)

I think if I spend more time in the sacred space, within the wheel, dancing the spiral dance, the form will take care of itself. Perhaps, the spiral dance is the form you've just put before me now.

(This realization hit me just as I was writing this letter)

I shall whirl and dance within the circles, dark circles under eyes, radiant circles in the sky. I know the Medicine Man is being birthed, the fjeldgross bearing forth in my instincts, and my ancestors are near to guide me on.

(Reference Dream 3. I heard a commotion in the closet and responded to find a "rattlesnake fjeldfross" (by this, I mean a furry creature the size of a wolverine- or fjeldfross meaning mountain cat in the old Norse, with dark fur, but gold fur triangles on its back like that of a rattlesnake) was in an altercation with my Zoie cat, and she ran from the area when I approached, coming away with a tiny injury, a puncture wound somewhere behind her ear. A veterinarian immediately began to tend to Zoie's injury, and I was glad of that, but concerned the more pressing issue was the escape of the wolverine, that might get away and wreak more havoc on others. My interpretation to the best of my ability: So, the fjeldfross in relation to Zoie cat... a thicker-skinned, more primitive, fierce, less domesticated, instinctual aspect. The rattlesnake markings, rather tribal, thus ancestral, feel as though they lend a chthonic nature to the animal. The caduceus comes to mind, and the idea of dark, hidden knowledge, and I think of snakebite and snake medicine. It feels like a "medicine man" is being birthed into the instinctual realm, or animal repertoire, which is frightening to my more domesticated instinctual self. The ear puncture? Well...listen up lap kitty? Lol. Of course, Zoie was a bitey thing yesterday, so there is that.)

I saw the old woman with her eyes of blue, sparkling through tough, wrinkled skin and bathed in vats of love, collected in each moment, reflecting inward for each shining star. The King Stag came to me in my dream and I've collected that hand, the severed bloody hand, that I will use to paint my heart on my wall of red, in circles, dancing in and out and all around.

(Reference Dream 4. I can't remember a single thing, except the appearance of giant stag.)

(Reference Dream 5. I at first bite a piece of flesh from the elderly woman's hand, then I sever the hand to take home with me. She is not harmed in the process and the hand is a gift. The lady is a woman who lived in the assisted living facility, a great business lady, who I always invited to participate in group interviews for new staff, because she was really good at picking great staff. She taught me some years ago, never select an applicant who rates themselves a "10." I tested the theory a few times, and sure enough, whenever I hired someone who rated themselves a "10," I ended up having to let them go at some point because they just could not be guided to do things the right way, because their way was the only right way. So this hand, belonged to a keen business woman with good insight. )

A apologize for all the dream imagery. That's just the way it happens here.

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Tanya Hurst June 12, 2016 at 7:55pm

Greetings Dear Soul,

Thank you for bringing the good dreams to me. I've been gathering the gems on my pillow, carnelian, coral, sardonyx, some sapphire and amethyst for good measure.

(Reference Dream 1, which occurred after registering for this workshop. I can't recall but the end snippet of last night's dream, but I was collecting and gathering up gemstones on my pillow. While I can't remember all the gemstones in the assortment of colors, I recall several were various shades of red, perhaps sardonyx, carnelian and various others.)

I thank you for the bird message, when I inquired of you. Two roads diverged in a wood, and I, I took the one less traveled, and that has made all the difference.

(Reference an exercise I did using a technique taught by Ross Heaven in his book, "Walking With the Sin Eater." You go into nature, and find a comfortable place to sit quietly. You ask your question. Then you don't look for, but wait for, your answer from nature. I liken this to dream analysis, working with the yarrow sticks in the I-Ching, and attribute the work to Synchronicity. I had been struggling with whether I only wanted to be a psychotherapist because of my past, was this really me. I had worked on a list from the book, "Will Work for Fun," to try to answer the question. I'd determined that the moments in my life that brought me the most joy were when I was able to work in this certain space, this sacred place, where I could help people who were transitioning into life, and people who were crossing over the rainbow, into death and rebirth, and when people lost and in pain, and helping them along with the process of refinding themselves. I really enjoyed drumming, and I enjoyed journeys, journeying, group work with trauma survivors, it makes my heart happy, stepping in the woods to the drumbeat. So I was like, oh great, why couldn't I just have wanted to be a school teacher, you know, something you can tell everyone about..., no I had to decide I want to be a Shaman when I grow up. Great, because that's so socially acceptable and everything, so, I'd set out to do this nature exercise, and I asked the question about "What should I be when I grow up?" And then I waited. Then a bird flew in and landed on the fence post in the field to the left of me, and then another to the right of me, and then another landed on the fence post in the middle. The left bird flew off to the right. The right bird flew off to the left. The bird in the middle, flew directly to me and landed on the post of the screen porch that was in front of my face. The only thing that came to mind, was the Frost poem about the two roads, and taking the one less traveled. I decided then, okay, so now you know.)

I know the space within which I am supposed to do my work. You have shown me in so many loving ways. I struggle with the form of that work. what shape shall it take?

(Reference Dream 2. While I can only recall the end snippet of last night's dream again, I was gathering our people together for the "Spiral Dance." Dean (my fiance) was there, participating in the work. Though there were very serious preparations involved, and deep work in the process, my ego quickly bustled those away from consciousness on awakening. There is a great deal of gathering going on of late. Elijah (my 5 year old grandson) and I recently had the privilege of taking part in a Spiral Dance, which I felt was like stepping into an ancient rite, and the outer form of the mandala was not lost on me. In fact, Eli walked the perimeter of the outer mandala at one point as guardian with his "literal" guide.)

I think if I spend more time in the sacred space, within the wheel, dancing the spiral dance, the form will take care of itself. Perhaps, the spiral dance is the form you've just put before me now.

(This realization hit me just as I was writing this letter)

I shall whirl and dance within the circles, dark circles under eyes, radiant circles in the sky. I know the Medicine Man is being birthed, the fjeldgross bearing forth in my instincts, and my ancestors are near to guide me on.

(Reference Dream 3. I heard a commotion in the closet and responded to find a "rattlesnake fjeldfross" (by this, I mean a furry creature the size of a wolverine- or fjeldfross meaning mountain cat in the old Norse, with dark fur, but gold fur triangles on its back like that of a rattlesnake) was in an altercation with my Zoie cat, and she ran from the area when I approached, coming away with a tiny injury, a puncture wound somewhere behind her ear. A veterinarian immediately began to tend to Zoie's injury, and I was glad of that, but concerned the more pressing issue was the escape of the wolverine, that might get away and wreak more havoc on others. My interpretation to the best of my ability: So, the fjeldfross in relation to Zoie cat... a thicker-skinned, more primitive, fierce, less domesticated, instinctual aspect. The rattlesnake markings, rather tribal, thus ancestral, feel as though they lend a chthonic nature to the animal. The caduceus comes to mind, and the idea of dark, hidden knowledge, and I think of snakebite and snake medicine. It feels like a "medicine man" is being birthed into the instinctual realm, or animal repertoire, which is frightening to my more domesticated instinctual self. The ear puncture? Well...listen up lap kitty? Lol. Of course, Zoie was a bitey thing yesterday, so there is that.)

I saw the old woman with her eyes of blue, sparkling through tough, wrinkled skin and bathed in vats of love, collected in each moment, reflecting inward for each shining star. The King Stag came to me in my dream and I've collected that hand, the severed bloody hand, that I will use to paint my heart on my wall of red, in circles, dancing in and out and all around.

(Reference Dream 4. I can't remember a single thing, except the appearance of giant stag.)

(Reference Dream 5. I at first bite a piece of flesh from the elderly woman's hand, then I sever the hand to take home with me. She is not harmed in the process and the hand is a gift. The lady is a woman who lived in the assisted living facility, a great business lady, who I always invited to participate in group interviews for new staff, because she was really good at picking great staff. She taught me some years ago, never select an applicant who rates themselves a "10." I tested the theory a few times, and sure enough, whenever I hired someone who rated themselves a "10," I ended up having to let them go at some point because they just could not be guided to do things the right way, because their way was the only right way. So this hand, belonged to a keen business woman with good insight. )

A apologize for all the dream imagery. That's just the way it happens here.
Carla Paton June 8, 2016 at 6:13pm

I think it was too large. If someone would like it, please email me at:

cmpaton@gmail.com and I'll try to send it that way.
Carla Paton June 8, 2016 at 6:04pm

Attached is Hillman's Peaks and Vales essay that Nina spoke of regarding Soul and Spirit.

~ Carla Paton
- Laurie Chandler > Carla Paton June 8, 2016 at 6:05pm
  
  Hi Carla,
  
  I don't see an attachment.
  
  Laurie

This reply was deleted.

GROUP FORUM: A Red Book of One's Own

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