Depth Insights with Bonnie Bright

Bonnie Bright M.A. speaks with Dr. Arlene Landau on how the Venus/Aphrodite archetype manifests in our culture and the role Jungian analysis as a way to understand it. Aphrodite is the golden goddess of love and beauty in Greek mythology. Women who embody the Aphrodite archetype have much less choice in how they behave or react than they, or others, imagine. The myths say Venus/Aphrodite qualities are essential for the joy of life, but the shadow side of Aphrodite manifests when a woman is completely identified with Aphrodite's powers, when other archetypal qualities of the feminine are unimportant to her. The tragedies that result from this are the subject of numerous well-known novels and films and exemplified in the lives of certain actresses and other celebrities. Dr. Arlene Landau shares glimpses of her own identifcation with the Venus/Aphtrodite archetype and her journey to understand it while helping others do the same.

Dr. Erel Shalit is a Jungian psychoanalyst in Ra'anana, Israel & the author of The Cycle of Life: Themes and Tales of the Journey (2011), the February Depth Psychology Alliance selection for the free online book club. The Cycle of Life explores crucial archetypal images of the journey & the stages of life, illustrated by dreams, myths & tales. The sense of meaning along one’s individual journey through life is exemplified by personal stories and clinical vignettes. “To speak of a general, human life cycle," says Daniel Levinson, "is to propose that the journey from birth to old age follows an underlying, universal pattern on which there are endless cultural and individual variations."  In his essay 'The Stages of Life,' Jung discusses "the problems connected with the stages of life," claiming problem to be the kernel of culture and consciousness. Jung clearly aims at living the conscious life, just like Socrates declared the unexamined life not worth living. On our journey through the stages (or ages) of our life, we encounter the archetypal essence of each phase, & are challenged by the essence of meaning that we are requested to deal with on our journey. Other works by Dr. Shalit, a training & supervising analyst and past President of the Israel Society of Analytical Psychology, are Requiem: A Tale of Exile & Return (2010), award-winning Enemy, Cripple & Beggar: Shadows in the Hero’s Path (2008), The Hero & His Shadow: Psychopolitical Aspects of Myth and Reality in Israel (2004), & The Complex: Path of Transformation from Archetype to Ego (2002).

Kathleen Burt has been a Fulbright scholar to India and completed her graduate work in South Asian history at the University of Chicago. Now an astrologer for nearly 30 years, it was the early 1980s when Kathleen Burt stayed up all night reading C. G. Jung's biography, Memories, Dreams, Reflections. Through Friends of Jung San Diego, Kathleen took a mask making workshop and found such a strong connection between the Mask and the astrological persona, or Rising Sign she eventually wrote the bookBeyond the Mask: The Rising Sign and the Second Half of Life, the text for the free online study group on Depth Psychology Alliance for February 2012. More about Kathleen Burt, Beyond the Mask, and the online study group.

Each of us is made up of various parts, and somehow we walk the world carrying all of them, integrating them in a way that makes us what we are. In Sandy Nathan's case, the busineness woman, horse rancher, shaman, and author all come together to make a remarkable story. Though Sandy Nathan was born into a Silicon Valley corporate family, her life has taken a different turn. At the time, though, in her culture, a career in business was the only permissible path, resulting in Sandy earning a BA and MA in economics, and working as an economic analyst. However, Sandy realized she didn't fit the mold.   She transformed her life, earning an MA in Counseling. For the first time, she found myself studying topics she loved. Then, in 1995, a personal crisis turned Sandy into a writer.  While she had always written professionally and academically, she never considered it a career. Now she has four award-winning books, and feels she has found my true vocation. Her depth psychology book  "Numenon,"  featured book for the Depth Psychology Alliance Online Book Club for the month of January 2012, has won six national awards including the SILVER NAUTILUS AWARD, which recognizes distinguished books promoting spiritual growth, conscious living & positive social change.    Listen as Sandy discusses the remarkable way a book was "delivered to her brain" in a flash, how Numenon brings together archetypal images of her own autobiographic experiences, and why the story of Numenon has something magical for everyone.

Bonnie Bright M.A. talks to Jungian Analyst, Poet, and Author Naomi Ruth Lowinsky on poetry, the muse, and what drives us to create in our lives. Naomi Ruth Lowinsky, author of "The Sister from Below: When the Muse Gets Her Way" is an analyst member of the San Francisco C.G. Jung Institute, and a widely published poet.  Naomi’s recent memoir, The Sister from Below: When the Muse Gets Her Way tells stories of her pushy muse.  Naomi is also the author of The Motherline: Every Woman’s Journey to Find her Female Roots and three books of poetry—the most recent of those is called Adagio & Lamentation and features lots of poems about her own grandmother, who was a refugee from the Shoah and a fine painter.  Naomi says her grandmother he taught her the practice of making art of one’s life.

  Bonnie Bright M.A. talks to Barry Spector about grief, the archetype of Dionysis in our culture, the Myth of American Innocence and about Barry's book "Madness at the Gates of the City."   Barry is an author and mythologist who writes about American history and politics from the perspectives of myth, indigenous traditions and archetypal psychology. His most recent book is Madness At The Gates Of The City: The Myth Of American Innocence. His essays can be found on his websites (www.barryandmayaspector.comand www.madnessatthegates.com). Barry and his wife Maya conduct an annual Day of the Dead grief ritual which will take place on November 5th of 2011 near Berkeley, CA.    Howard Zinn says, "Barry Spector’s book is a strikingly imaginative rumination on our society, reaching back into Greek mythology to illuminate the world today. It is a fascinating blend of literature, history and myth, and while we have had many critiques of contemporary America, his is unique in the way it draws upon the Greek gods to examine, with devastating accuracy, our present deities of war and greed. This is truly an original work."

Patricia Damery talks with Bonnie Bright about the overlap between shamanic consciousness and analytic psychology, a topic she engages in her 2010 book "Farming Soul: A Tale of Initiation" (published by Fisher King Press) where she weaves a compelling tale of her tripartite journey of becoming a Jungian analyst, a biodynamic farmer, and exploring "other ways of knowing" with what she terms as "unconventional teachers". Also up: a discussion of spirituality and initiation and how they fit in contemporary culture. Learn more about Patricia and her books at www.patriciadamery.com or purchase books at www.fisherkingpress.com/shop. Note: In October, Fisher King Press is generously donating 10% of purchases to Depth Psychology Alliance! Please use the code "DPA10%" at in the comments box at checkout--and thanks for your support!

Dr. Michael Conforti of Assisi Institute and Bonnie Bright discuss "Dream Patterning" -- a technique for understanding what our dreams are saying based on Jungian and Depth Psychology using the power of archetypal thinking. 

Willi Paul is an author, researcher, and global consultant who supports a living, evolving green community through new sustainability, alchemy and mythology principles and tools. He has founded OpenMythSource.com, Planetshifter.com, and CommunityAlchemy.com. Willi's recent collaborative works include: -A Quest Lecture in the New Permaculture Mythologies and Alchemy -Mythic Mandate Workshop – Mapping the Sacred Join Bonnie and Willi as they discuss ecopsychology, psycho-ecology, whether the world needs new myths, tools for a planet in crisis, and what to expect in 2012 and beyond.

Ernest Rossi, Ph.D. is a Diplomate in Clinical Psychology and the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award For Outstanding Contributions to the Field of Psychotherapy by the Milton H. Erickson Foundation in 1980, the American Association of Psychotherapy in 2003, & The American Society of Clinical Hypnosis in 2008. He is a Jungian Analyst, the Science Editor of Psychological Perspectives & the author of 36 professional books and more than 170 published scientific papers in the areas of neuroscience, psychotherapy, dreams, and therapeutic hypnosis. He wrote The Breakout Heuristic in 2007 and Creating Consciousness (In Press, 2011). Dr. Kathryn L. Rossi is a Founding Director of the Milton H. Erickson Institute of the California Central Coast (MHE-CCC). She has edited, authored, or co-authored more than 15 books & 25 scientific articles, & is a Professor at the Neuroscience Institute for Psychotherapists of San Lorenzo Maggiore, Italy, CFO and Vice President for The Ernest Lawrence Rossi Non-Profit Foundation for Psychosocial Genomics Research, & a board member for the Erickson Foundation Archives and Press. Kathryn is a psychologist in private practice in Los Osos, CA & a certified Yoga Teacher. The Rossi’s are offering an upcoming workshop March 18-20, 2011 in Los Osos, CA, produced by the Institute for Cultural Change: How We Change the Brain to Change the Culture: Facilitating Creative Consciousness with Art, Beauty, & Truth in Psychotherapy where they will communicate why changing our brain is vital to our quest for self understanding and for mind-body healing and how Art, Beauty, and Truth can turn on gene expression and brain growth during creative experiences. Learn the 4-stage creative process for optimizing of gene expression, brain plasticity, problem solving, and mind-body healing. Registration and details at http://www.instituteforculturalchange.org. Find out more about the Rossi’s at www.ernestrossi.com or Kathryn Rossi on Facebook.

Thom Cavalli Ph.D. is a practicing clinical psychologist, author and lecturer on Jungian psychology. His breakthrough book, "Alchemical Psychology", has become a textbook for teachers and students on individuation and spiritual transformation. His latest work, "Embodying Osiris: The Secrets of Alchemical Transformation" is receiving rave reviews and promises to become a #1 bestseller! Join Thom and I as we discuss Alchemy, Egypt, current global events, and Jungian Psychology. Thom will be presenting as a keynote speaker and workshop leader at the annual International Alchemy Conference, Sept. 16-18, 2011 at the Long Beach, CA, convention center: www.alchemyconference.com. Find more information about Thom Cavalli and his work online on Facebook or at CavalliBooks.com or AlchemicalPsychology.com

The new 2010 anthology "Rebearths: Conversations with a World Ensouled" articulates the enlivening quest for reconnection with the Earth and its inhabitants. Enveloped by myth, story, landscape, and soul, we are invited to weave seemingly disjointed worlds and engage our human imagination in ways that foster a sense of reverie and belonging in Nature. In turn, our fresh explorations into the landscapes of the soul and the soulscapes of the land brings to conscious awareness our deep embeddedness in the planet and supports a needed shift toward a more loving relationship with our surroundings. Craig Chalquist PhD is a Core faculty member at John F. Kennedy University, and an adjunct faculty at CIIS, Prescott College, and Antioch University. Craig is also a Permaculture designer and certified Master Gardener through the University of California Cooperative Extension. As if that weren’t enough, he’s the author of six books and editor of two anthologies--including Rebearths.

Katrina Martin Davenport, MA is a dreamer. Her work involves illuminating the soul and reconnecting with nature through her artistry with a camera, talent with words, expertise in dreamwork, compassionate teaching style, and ability as a clairvoyant. Martin Davenport brings her love for dreams, deep connection, beauty, myth, archetypes, and ancestry to her work. She is a writer, teacher, photographer, dreamworker, and intuitive. Katrina's work with ecopsychology, and storms in particular, sets her aside as a powerful interpeter of symbols and patterns that affect both inner and outer nature. Katrina's writing appears most recently in the new anthology, "Rebearths: Conversations with a World Ensouled" published by World Soul books.

Lori Pye, Director and Founder of The Institute for Cultural Change, completed Ph.D. in Mythological Studies with an Emphasis in Depth Psychology from Pacifica Graduate Institute, Carpinteria, California. As an environmentalist, Dr. Pye worked with NGOs around the world and has founded several international nonprofit organizations and worked in executive management with marine conservation organizations. She has also led international conferences on diverse issues which featured names like James Hillman, Thomas Moore, David Abrams, Susan Griffin, Ginette Paris, Dennis Slattery, Ernest Rossi, and James Hollis among many others. Dr. Pye teaches Ecopsychology topics at the University of California in Santa Barbara (UCSB), Naropa University, and Antioch University, and Mythology & Depth Psychology at Pacifica Graduate Institute.

Neuromarketing, the cutting edge field which combines the latest discoveries in Neuroscience with the discipline of Marketing, has made striking inroads into business, advertising, and communications in recent years. Not only can this practice be used by advertisers to reach the "buy button" in a consumer's brain, but it can also serve cause-related campaigns by tapping into our altruistic instincts as well as radically improving communication in relationships with partners, spouses, business associates, or even your kids. The psychology and promise of Neuromarketing is a profound and highly important new field that everyone should know about according to Christophe Morin, MBA, co-author with Patrick Renvoise of the book "Neuromarketing: Understanding the Buy Buttons in your Customer's Brain" currently ranked in the top 50 Marketing books on Amazon.com