SYMBOLS AND STORIES THAT SHAPE THE WORLD: CENTER AND CIRCUMFERENCE

  "The archetypes are the great decisive factors,

they bring about the real events….

the archetypes determine the fate of man."

-C.G. Jung

 

Amidst an outer world of chaos and false “truths,” what might help us find our way? In this time of transition and potential, where do we find our ground and roots? Are there symbols that can guide one amidst these uncertain times? From ancient to contemporary existence, the symbol-making process within the human psyche has communicated its archetypal wisdom in images as seeds of possibilities that grow only when tended. In this presentation, by working with mythological and contemporary stories and images, we will explore the archetypal symbolism of the center.

 

 

STACY HASSEN, PhD, is curator of ARAS, Archive for Research in Archetypal Symbolism, at the C.G. Jung Institute of San Francisco. She received her degree from Pacifica Graduate Institute with a focus on alchemy as a depth psychological process. She writes and lectures on ARAS, alchemy, and symbolism.