Blog - Page 44 - Jean Raffa

Gender Wounds: Feelings and Emotions

We’ve all heard people say that men are out of touch with their feelings and women are too emotional. Are these observations true or are they stereotypes? If they’re true, then why? When we try to answer these questions we face the problem of not being sure what we really mean when we use the words emotions and feelings. In my effort to raise more awareness about gender wounds, I’d like to begin by clarifying these terms.

February 12, 2013 23 Comments

A Call to Dialogue About Gender

Our species is between 100 and 150 thousand years old. In that time we’ve made more progress taming the instincts of carnivorous canine and feline pack animals than our own. Why are we still so territorial? So hostile toward members of our own species whose only differences from us are physical appearances and culturally- and geographically-conditioned adaptations? Episcopal priest Matthew Fox says that as a species we are extremely dangerous and our tribalism is eating us alive. What roles do gender issues play in tribalism?

February 8, 2013 10 Comments

A Masculine Wound: An Obsession With Winning

But recent dreams and events are making me more aware of masculine wounds. Robert Bly, one of our most eloquent voices for healthy masculinity has written, “By the time a man is 35 he knows that the images of the right man, the tough man, the true man which he received in high school do not work in life.”

February 5, 2013 13 Comments

To Be or Not to Be a Zombie: Part II

I’ve actively pursued self-knowledge and consciousness for 24 years. Before every leap there was always a period of confusion and questioning, and I’ve learned that tolerating the tension of this “wait time” is essential. Our choices are rarely as polarized as they seem at first glance and it takes time to find the middle ground. Guidance from the depths does require choice, but choice requires discernment!

February 1, 2013 11 Comments

To Be or Not To Be a Zombie: Part I

Jung said the ego has to go through the shadow to meet our contra-sexual opposite (anima or animus) who is, in turn, the gatekeeper to the Self.

January 29, 2013 No Comments

Portrait of a Jungian Analyst: Monika Wikman

Last October I met many like-minded souls at a conference that addresses the interface between religion/spirituality and the work of Carl Jung. Monika Wikman was a major presenter. Drawn to her authenticity, integrity and vast wisdom, I bought her book, Pregnant Darkness.

January 25, 2013 No Comments

The Light Shadow

While most of us associate the shadow with undesirable or “bad” qualities we’ve disowned, everyone also has a “light” or “bright” shadow composed of their

January 22, 2013 No Comments

Creative Interactions With The Shadow

Why not use logic, reason, intelligence and will power to renew ourselves and the world? The answer should painfully obvious to anyone who has peered through the veil of cultural conditioning. For thousands of years cultures throughout the world have insisted that we, with our heroic egos, brilliant philosophies, and correct religions, know how to create the best of all possible worlds.

January 18, 2013 No Comments

Three Steps to Discovering Your Shadow

Everyone has several shadow complexes. Once you’ve accepted this fact, what do you do next?

January 15, 2013 No Comments

The Power of Original Choice

Around 22 years ago I read a quote about original choice that instantly switched on some long-unused lights. I think Emerson wrote it. It was something like, “Nothing is so rare as an original choice.” I was just emerging from a lengthy dark night experience and knew that if I’d read it a decade earlier I would have blown right past it, uncomprehending.

January 11, 2013 No Comments

Jean
Benedict
Raffa

Matrignosis

A BLOG ABOUT INNER WISDOM