In Chapter 6, I introduce you to the language of the unconscious. The psyche or the Soul speaks through the unconscious in images, which are not just visual. I call them impressions. This chapter introduces you to symbols. If you're looking for an alternative to Amazon, you can now purchase a paperback at www.bookshop.org.
When I was in the throes of my midlife unraveling, I was drawn to the spiral symbol. At fifty, I got my first tattoo, a one-inch version of the spiral image. It was on my right wrist, and I noticed I used my finger to trace the spiral back and forth, bath and forth. It was comforting for some reason, a reminder that there was purpose in my unraveling.
C.G. Jung suggested the spiral was an effective representation of the death and rebirth process that begins when one consciously embarks on the path of coming into relationship with your unconscious, what he named individuation. A spiral drill bit or gardening tool is an even better image, because it illustrates the repeated process of digging and bringing up of the soil, then digging becomes a little easier each time the tool is plunged into the ground.
An initial insight can feel mind blowing, and then some time goes by, and an old pattern is triggered again. But you will never experience it the same way, the old wound, mother complex for example, will have less power over you, and you’ll catch it faster, and you’ll go deeper and find more meaning and even more powerful insights. It gets super interesting.
So, let’s get started.
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Thanks for listening and having the courage to explore the deeper meaning in your own life.
Deborah Lukovich, PhD