Blog - Page 34 - Jean Raffa

My Dreamwork Method: Steps Five and Six

After my last post about the six-step method I use to work with dreams, Amy wrote with a question, “The thing I struggle most with when helping others are steps 5 and 6. I can help people substitute meaning language in place of symbols, but it seems there is a kind of leap for many people when trying to apply this to everyday experience. Many people struggle to recognise the truth even when laid out before them. Do you have any advice here?”

January 27, 2015 No Comments

A Six-Step Method for Working with Dreams

This June I’ll be presenting the Friday night keynote speech for the annual conference of the International Association for the Study of Dreams (IASD) in Virginia Beach. As I was reviewing my archives for ideas, I ran across this post from five years ago. Although I won’t be addressing this in my speech, (titled “Dream Theatres of the Soul”), I’m prompted to share it here again, both as a reminder for those who already work with their dreams, and as a useful aid for those who don’t but want to.

January 20, 2015 No Comments

The Role of the Animus in a Woman's Spiritual Journey

Jung developed his theories about anima and animus in a place and time where gender stereotypes ruled. Despite his intention to draw from “the

January 12, 2015 No Comments

What's the Point of the Three Kings?

Those of us raised as Christians know this holiday is about a lot more than rushing about, partying and shopping, and many of us enjoy warm memories and nostalgic feelings this time of year. But why are the moments of love, joy and peace so difficult to find during the holiday season? Where do the feelings of exhaustion, anxiety, disappointment and depression come from? Why do we keep missing the point of Christmas? How can we recapture it?

December 22, 2014 No Comments

Women in Men's Dreams

Some years ago, a very successful and talented friend of mine began to experience a crisis of meaning. As he became more receptive to his inner life he found himself drawn to Jungian psychology and dreamwork. One night he had the following dream.

December 16, 2014 No Comments

Creativity: The X Factor

The unconscious is a repository of infinite properties which are unknown to our conscious egos. A recent dream vividly highlights this reality:

December 9, 2014 No Comments

Five Links to Creativity

Last time in “The Psychology of Creativity” I discussed how creativity originates in the body’s physical instincts. But, you might wonder, what does this mean for me in practical terms? How do I gain access to my creativity? Where do I direct my energy and attention? What, exactly, is the link that connects my body’s natural instincts with my ego’s potential to produce something truly original?

December 2, 2014 No Comments

The Psychology of Creativity

I’m feeling inspired to write poetry these days, and this has me thinking about creativity. Jung says creativity originates in our instincts. In other words, our body, with its physical needs and functions, is the matter (L. Mater), or mother, of our urge to create. And the psyche governs our responses to our instinctual urges.

November 25, 2014 No Comments

And the Beat Goes On

My “childhood home” dreams tell me what I’m doing well. They remind me to be grateful. They affirm my growth and encourage me to keep going. Stress dreams tell me when things are out of balance. They set up possible scenarios and rehearse strategies I might want to consider. And though they may bring me down for a time, I usually bounce back before long.

November 17, 2014 No Comments

Do We Need Schools for Forty-Year-Olds?

The worst of it all is that intelligent and cultivated people live their lives without even knowing the possibility of such transformations. Wholly unprepared, they embark upon the second half of life.

November 10, 2014 No Comments

Jean
Benedict
Raffa

Matrignosis

A BLOG ABOUT INNER WISDOM