May 2020 - Wilna van der Walt Practice

Aion

Only once did Jung name a book after a god; this god was Aion. Aion-Khronos represents a father-god, Greco-Roman with Persian influences. His cult, Mithraism, (100 – 500 AD) was destroyed by Christianity. (1) Jung said about Aion:

“In the cult of Mithras there is the key god Aion. He is represented with the winged body of a man and the head of a lion, encoiled by a snake which rises up over his head. He is Infinite Time and Long Duration, the supreme god of the Mithraic hierarchy, and creates and destroys all things, a sun-god. As the lion-headed god with the snake around his body, he represents the union of opposites, light and darkness, male and female, creation and destruction. He is represented as having his arms crossed and holding a key in each hand. He is the spiritual father of St. Peter, for he too holds the keys. The keys which Aion is holding are the keys to the past and future. The idea of the key is often associated with the mysteries in the cave.” (2)

In the Mithraic mysteries the serpent and the lion are opposites; to be entwined is to be devoured, to return to the mother’s womb. As a symbol of time, Aion has the zodiac portrayed on his body. Time is expressed through dawning and extinction of consciousness, death and rebirth, to come into being through ‘infinitely long duration,’ through repetitive transformations of the creative force, libido. (3)

As in the ancient moon mysteries, where Dionysus was sacrificed as the bull-god and son-lover of the Great Mother, symbolizing the sacrifice of animal nature, so in the Mithraic mysteries (4) Mithras overcame his immortal brother symbolized as the bull, by killing, eating and integrating him ceremonially. (1)

Jung described Mithraism as a complete solar psychology, aimed at restoring the relationship between the mortal and immortal brothers: Mithras as consciousness and the bull as the instinct or archetype, the Self, similar to St. Peter and Christ. (5)

The slow unfolding of this archetypal process, the cruel immaturity of the god, the cultural manifestation of the process, have to be suffered through by humanity over time. This is how we as humans contribute to the manifestation, the creation, of the god.

The chaotic times that we live in may also be seen against this background.

References:

Ancient History Encyclopedia / Mithraic Mysteries
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CW 5 par 425
CW 5 par 659
CW 5 par 288

Creative course program

We will explore the psychological creative space as a containing space, its unfolding content and how it may be meaningful. The natural tendency of the unconscious to restore equilibrium in creative work will be discussed, together with its symbolic function. Objectivity and relating assists us in inviting the content of the work into our real lived lives. Old stories or fairytales from around the world will be used to demonstrate these characteristics of the creative process. Electronic links to the reading material will be emailed. I look forward to discussing your questions and comments, and how it might enrich your relationship to your deeper self.

Module 1

Introduction: In this discussion we explore unhelpful ways that might affect our creative inner work. We explore the importance of choosing a suitable creative medium, how to get started, and more.

The creative space: In a Native American legend, we will explore aspects of the creative space as a containing symbolic space, why this is so important, as well as an introductory approach to meaning making.

Module 2

Restoring inner balance: We will explore the tendency of the unconscious to restore inner equilibrium within the contained creative space, as demonstrated in an ancient Chinese story.

The work of David Blum: A short case study of the development of the main motifs in the work of David Blum, well-known conductor and writer from New York, who drew images from his dreams. During his illness, his creative work was an important source of meaningful support to him.

Module 3

The role of relating: By relating to the content unfolding in the creative space, we are influenced by it. In Ovid’s Pygmalion we explore how symbolical creative work may contain one in a meaningful way and how the content of the work might influence and alter an outdated conscious approach to life.

Sharing: In conclusion of our work together, there is an opportunity to share the content of our work and experience the process first hand, but it remains optional. One might share only an image, or what one feels comfortable to share.

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Fire-bird

The phoenix or fire-bird, is a mythical bird the size of an eagle and graced with certain features of a pheasant. When the phoenix sees that its death is drawing near, it builds itself a nest and exposes itself to the rays of the sun until it burns itself to ashes. Another phoenix then arises from the marrow of the bones of the old one. In Egypt it was called the bennu bird and was associated with the sun god Ra and with Osiris, the Wise Old Man as a representation of the positive father archetype. (1)

This potentially transformative aspect of fire, as portrayed in the myth of the phoenix, is further demonstrated by the fairy tale, Fitcher’s Bird: an old man disguises himself as a beggar only to abduct one beautiful maiden after another. They all end up locked away, decapitated and hewn to pieces, until the third daughter is cunning enough to trick the old man; she makes her escape by disguising herself as a magical bird, and by burning down his house.

In the story, the third daughter makes her final escape by ‘becoming a magical bird’. She does this by getting into a barrel of honey and then rolls in feathers, after having cut open a feather-bed. Her act implies total commitment, with ‘her whole body,’ her whole being.

By disguising herself she enters a fantasy space, but at the same time, she also exists in reality; she embodies energy from both consciousness and the archetypal world of the unconscious. In this way she creates a living symbol in the form of the magical bird that may bring about change. The symbol is not merely an intellectual fact. Inspired by Fitcher’s Bird, Kalsched emphasizes the potentially beneficial influence of symbolical creative work in therapy with traumatized individuals. (2)

When she leaves, the house of the old man burns down and the negative complex is destroyed. This in turn allows for positive masculine energy to enter, perhaps in the form of the Wise Old Man.

References:

JE Cirlot, A Dictionary of Symbols, 1971, p. 253
D Kalsched, The Inner World of Trauma, 1996, p. 186 – 200