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In Autumn 2009 the James Hillman manu-
script collection at OPUS was enriched
by the addition of his research notes on
alchemy. The materials arrived in time for
the upcoming release of Hillman’s Uniform
Edition Volume 5: Alchemical Psychology.
During a recent visit with Dr. Hillman, I
had the opportunity to ask about the much
anticipated volume and get his thoughts on
the research materials that are now available
in the archives.
SR: Could you describe your process in writing
Uniform Edition v5 Alchemical Psychology?
JH: Alchemical Psychology is a collection
of previously written pieces. In some cases
lecture notes had to be turned into an ac-
tual written chapter. But ninety percent of
the book had previously been written and
maybe even published. The fi rst chapter was
written and published in the 1970’s based on
courses at the Jung Institute of Zürich, Yale
University, University of Chicago, Syracuse
University during the 60’s and early 70’s,
and University of Dallas in the late 70’s.
SR: How did you choose the material for
the book?
JH: I used the previously printed pieces.
There’s a great deal more on alchemy that
is not in this collection but those are merely
research and lecture notes and have been
surpassed, so to speak, by the written pieces
which are more fi nished and polished and
thought through more deeply. The last one
was the keynote lecture at the Jungian con-
ference in Barcelona in 2004. And two or
three of them were Eranos lectures.
SR: Did particular mythic fi gures play a
dominant role as you pieced it all together?
JH: Yes, the fi gure of
the alchemist, this
very strange fi gure
that has been in the
European imagi-
nation for centu-
ries, and American
imagination too,
though later. This
fi gure goes all the
way back to Moses,
whom some texts
like to consider the
fi rst alchemist.
SR: Why is Moses considered an alche-mist? The associa-tion is unique.
JH: He was a magician. He struck a rock with his rod and got water out of it, among other things that he was able to do. The idea of magical transformations, the power to affect nature—transformations in nature.
But as far as a Greek, typical, mythical fi g-ure that we’re all used to, the obscurities of Hermes are very important, as are the riddles of language, and the tremendous endurance and patience that is required of Saturn.
SR: So Saturn plays a part in alchemy?
JH: One of the alchemical texts says the work begins in lead and ends in lead. Archetypally Saturn is obsessive, repetitive, depressing.
SR: And the relationship between Saturnian and Mercurial energy, could you speak to that?
JH: They aren’t concerned with coming together.
SR: What are they concerned with?
JH: Enjoyment [Hermes] and endurance [Saturn]. Just like any work. Endurance, not dedication,
because dedication takes it back to the ego, “I am dedicated.” Stamina. Not giving up.
SR: With your research notes in the archives
now, do you see seeds of future work, further
threads for students and scholars to follow?
JH: There is an enormous amount of stuff that
could be worked further. As Andrew Marvel
said, “if there were worlds enough and time.”
But at some point I had to close the door and
get out what was done rather than trying to
do it all. There is a huge amount of rich re-
sources for anyone interested in any aspect of
alchemy. They will fi nd things of value. Not
just my notes but the materials I assembled.
Uniform Edition volume 5 Alchemical Psychology is to be
released early summer by Spring Publications. The most
recently published volume in the Uniform Edition is volume
3.9 Animal Presences. For more information on the James
Hillman collection at OPUS visit www.opusarchives.org
and click on Explore the Collections.
James Hillman on Alchemical Psychology An Interview by Safron Rossi, Ph.D., OPUS Director
“The fi gure of the alchemist…has been in the European imagination for centuries, and American imagination too, though later.” —James Hillman, Ph.D.
The Marija Gimbutas collection
“In the Stacks” with Richard Buchen
Marija Gimbutas’ collection is a treasure because she insisted on the importance of
understanding the ancient cultures she studied in human terms, beyond making
standard archeological studies of tool types and subsistence patterns.
Researcher Glenda Cloughley, New Mythos Grant recipient visiting from Australia,
brought to my attention the following passages in an audiotape in the Marija Gimbutas
collection. The recording was made at a celebration marking the publication of The Lan-
guage of the Goddess in 1991.
“The very language we use to discuss the past speaks of tools, hunters, and men, when
every statue and painting we discover cries out to us that this Ice Age man [had] a culture
of art, the love of animals and women. Art and religious symbols of Old Europe were hard-
ly studied by archaeologists. More was intuitively perceived by poets, artists, by religious
historians and Jungian psychologists.” Near the conclusion of the lecture she says, “We
must re-examine history and start putting back some parts that we have left out, namely
the earth, the body, the feminine, and the unconscious.”
The Gimbutas collection combines the highest level of rigorous academic work in the fi eld
of archeology as well as the equally intense focus and interest on the human meaning-mak-
ing experience. Marija Gimbutas spent much of her career as an archaeologist documenting
the cultures of the European Neolithic period from 6,500 to 3,000 years before the Common
Era, and their replacement after this time by warlike cultures originating in the Ukrainian
Steppes who spoke Indo-European languages ancestral to the languages of modern Europe.
Get Involved with OPUSBecome a Volunteer Archival Assistant
Cross the threshold into where lead-
ing theorists offer their ideas, their re-
search, observations and opportunities
freely and without reservation. Immerse
deeply and comprehensively in their
personal notes, letters, books and un-
published manuscripts on hand at both
campuses of Pacifi ca Graduate Insti-
tute – The Joseph Campbell and Marija
Gimbutas Library on Lambert campus,
and the archival fi lm, manuscript and
artifact storage on Ladera campus. Have
the pleasure of learning to assist OPUS
in sharing the collections with visiting
students, scholars and seekers from the
general public.
Archival Assistant Program Update
An OPUS archival assistant is trained
in handling, cataloguing and searching
the archival materials in our collections.
OPUS’ volunteers are trained on a one
to one basis in their chosen area—be it
cataloguing incoming collection mate-
rials, digitizing images, managing data-
base records or supervising researchers.
Our assistants have the opportunity to
sink deep in the stacks on a regular ba-
sis, cataloguing materials being induct-
ed, converting audio lectures to digital
format, scanning images and becoming
experts for the particular collection in
which they choose to specialize.
More information on OPUS volun-
teer programs at www.opusarchives.org.
Click on “Become a Volunteer.” The ap-
plication may be downloaded.
Visit the OPUS Archives
Contact us to schedule a visit to OPUS
Archives and its collections, including
the Joseph Campbell and Marija Gimb-
utas Library. Whether for research or a
tour, we are here to share the treasures
in the collections!
Richard Buchen, MLS, is a special collections
librarian at Pacifi ca Graduate Institute. Pacifi ca
generously donates a portion of his time to
OPUS, where he shares his knowledge of the
archives with visitors and researchers. Here is
one of his recent discoveries “in the stacks.”
Help Preserve Your Favorite OPUS Collection or Project
We are deeply grateful to our donors, as
our ability to manifest our work is directly
related to their generosity. We need your help
to continue our work of cataloguing and
digitally preserving hundreds of audio tape
lectures, and thousands of images and man-
uscript pages. Your donation of any amount
can be designated to support a specifi c col-
lection or project.
Cataloguing Collection Materials
$300 will pay for the completion of one archi-
val manuscript box. We have recently received
new myth lecture notes from Joseph Camp-
bell’s days at Sarah Lawrence, and research and
writings on alchemy from James Hillman.
Digitizing Audio Lectures$200 will digitize one complete lecture. We
have hundreds of taped lectures from: James
Hillman, Marija Gimbutas, Marion Wood-
man, Jane Hollister and Joseph Wheelwright,
Chris Downing, and Katie Sanford.
Digitizing Images$100 will digitize ten images. We have thou-
sands of images from Joseph Campbell’s
Historical Atlas of World Mythology; more
than 15,000 slides from Marija Gimbutas’
archeological digs and lectures; and slides
from James Hillman’s lectures on the anima.
We Also Need:• Three Vista 7 PC desktop computers
• Four 1-terabyte internal hard drives
• Two 1-terabyte external hard drives
• A Xerox Documate 510 Scanner
• Locking artifact storage cabinets
• A web guru to help with search engine optimization and social networking sites
Together, we bring the archives to life. Please help us preserve the richness of the collections!
• Send your tax-deductible donation to OPUS Archives & Research Center 801 Ladera Ln., Santa Barbara, CA 93108
• Give online at www.opusarchives.org
• Set up a monthly charge to your credit card online or call 805-969-5750.
We appreciate all donations and acknowl-
edge them on our website.Follow us on Twitter. Find us at OPUSarchives (one word).
Become a FAN on Facebook. Find us at OPUS Archives.
Keep Track of OPUSNews and events regularly updated on www.opusarchives.org
At Alchemy, Inc. in Akron, Ohio
Myth Is Impacting Society
As OPUS strives to make
the wisdom we hold
relevant to the world, we
continually seek examples
of how “the work of the el-
ders” translates into the cul-
ture at large. To that end, we
asked Pacifi ca graduate, Dr.
Kwame Scruggs, Executive
Director of Alchemy, Inc.,
to share his experience. Alchemy, Inc. is a non-profi t organization that works with adolescent
urban males. It utilizes mythological motifs and stories from the platform of depth psychol-
ogy to assist urban youth develop a sense of personal purpose in life. The organization is
based in Akron, Ohio and has programs elsewhere as well, including a collaboration with the
National Writing Project at Kent State University called “Myth, Muses & Scribes.”
Kwame asked a few of the teens in Alchemy’s support groups “why is myth important?”
Here are the responses from three 15-year-old boys:
Tyrell: “I feel myth is great for urban youth. It relates to the days we are going through
now. It helps with life’s obstacles. The myth gives us something to look up to, and to make
life choices. Myth is like a parent that’s with you every second.”
Sergio: “Adolescent males should use the myth stories because they show us a different
way of life than what we see today.”
Sean: “We should use myth with urban males because it is very easy to relate to the stories.
And it’s not boring, so it’s easier to pay attention to what the story says. It gets you to think
beyond the literal meanings of things.”
Kwame explained that these young men realize that if something is a common theme in
myth, chances are it is a common theme in life. They attempt to incorporate the character
traits of the hero into themselves—becoming the hero in their own stories. Within the core
group of 35 male youths, 18 have been with Alchemy for fi ve to six years, and the others for
three years. Since its inception, Alchemy has worked with more than 400 young men. As
part of the Myth, Muses & Scribes project, Alchemy is training females to launch groups for
girls, using myth and fairy tales.
Kwame received a New Mythos grant for his project entitled “Myth, Mentoring, Initia-
tion, and the Prima Materia: A Black, Blacker than Black. Voices of Urban Male Adolescent
Youth.”For more information on Alchemy, Inc. and its programs visit www.alchemyinc.net.
Joseph Campbell Foundation Mythological RoundTable® Group at OPUS
During the past 6 months the Mythological RoundTable® Group hosted by OPUS has
been reading Campbell’s The Hero with a Thousand Faces exploring the ideas of initi-
ation, the journey, as well as personal and collective meanings of the Hero. The discussions
have focused to assist participants in deepening their understanding of how Campbell’s
work informs the multiple mythic paradigms in the world.
The Mythological RoundTable® at OPUS is held the second Thursday each month from
6:30 to 8:30pm on Ladera campus of Pacifi ca Graduate Institute. This enriching and lively
monthly conversation is free and open to the public. Information on upcoming discus-
sion topics are posted at www.opusarchives.org under News and Events. We invite your
participation!
Tendrils
The Phoenixby Safron Rossi, Ph.D., OPUS Director
Fire has long trans-
fi xed the imagination
as an elemental force that
purifi es and makes pos-
sible regeneration, even
hinting at immortality.
The Phoenix embodies
these ideas in its mythical
presence within the my-
thologies of Persia, Phoe-
nicia and Egypt as well as
in Russian folklore.
The Phoenix is known to boast a magnifi cent tail plume
of gold and scarlet cascading feathers mirroring the fl ames
that provide the vehicle for eternal transformation. The
Phoenix prepares for death by fi rst building a nest of aro-
matic herbs, cinnamon and myrrh, before it immolates it-
self in that very nest through the heat of its own body. Out
of the resulting ashes rises the young Phoenix, destined to
live 500 to 1000 years.
Ovid wrote that the resulting young Phoenix would
carry its nest with the remains of its former self to the city
of Heliopolis, “City of the Sun” to reside in the temple of
the Sun.
Alchemist Michael Maier (1568-1622), author of the
Atalanta Fugiens, an alchemical emblem book, wrote that
it is indeed possible to see the Phoenix provided we “look
around with the little eye of the soul” (Hymnosophia, Civ
recto-Civ verso). The eye of the soul is able to see through
the world around us in it’s seemingly material and perma-
nent form to the great cosmic cycle of life and death. Ever
present to the continuing process, then, is the symbolic
body of the Phoenix.
At a time wherein social and cultural structures are dis-
solving in their concrete manifestations a sense of entropic
chaos rests heavily and powerfully in the collective ether.
The Phoenix provides an archetypal image worth meditat-
ing upon, as Maier implies, for it shows through its own life
cycle the necessity of the ‘burning’ in order for new growth.
Fire serves as not only destructive but creative and regen-
erative. As after a forest has been scorched by fi re, the ashes
provide the necessary nourishment to spark the seed ger-
minated from the intense heat and new growth is birthed.
The Phoenix also instructs that the container of death is
the cradle of new life; thus the nest is to be honored and
deposited into sacred space once it has fulfi lled the dual
function of coffi n and crib. May we look around with the
little eye of the soul to detect the scorching beauty of the
Phoenix’s feathers.
A devastating earthquake rocked the foundations of Haiti on January 12, 2010, and altered the course of history. In addition to the annihilation of buildings, massive
loss of life and untold suffering, the events took another toll less obvious and hardly publicized, with potentially long term and deeply profound effects.
Many icons of Haitian history, art, and culture were damaged or destroyed; including the National Palace, cathedrals full of priceless artifacts, and libraries. Also devastated was the National Archives, which, as the New York Times’ Marc Lacey noted, “linked both the country’s heroic history and the vibrant culture that united them and en-abled them to endure” their tumultuous history of corrupt leaders, political trauma, and natural disaster.
Sadly, one third of the historical documents in the Haitian National Archives were damaged. They chronicled the years surrounding Haiti’s fi ght to achieve national independence in 1804, when it became the fi rst independent Black republic in the world. The Archives also housed documentation of Haitians’ little-known partici-pation of in the U.S. Civil War, when they actively combatted slavery by purchasing American slaves for $30 each and setting them free.
Libraries and archives from the United States, Canada, and the rest of the world have stepped forward to assist in a “race against time” due to weather conditions and malfeasance. This initiative aims to immediately secure more than 20,000 books and manuscripts relating to early Haitian history, providing for the people of Haiti the hope that lies in the cultural underpinnings that they insist sustain them. OPUS will post information on our website regarding volunteering for the relief effort that is being organized by dLOC (Digital library of the Caribbean.)
For OPUS, observing the devastation in Haiti has again brought sharply home the critical function of preserving the collections entrusted to our care. Standing vigil over our collections during the recent wildfi res in Santa Barbara County was a sacred honor. We remain ever cognizant of our commitment to extend our preservation efforts through digitization, acid-free storage, climate monitoring, and making avail-able the seminal works in our custody for current and future generations of seekers. We continue our dedication to that end, as we hold the keys to the theories, philoso-phies, mythologies, and scholarly platforms to be mined and make meaning of life’s experiences.
Saving History…
Lessons Learned from Haitiby Elise Collins Shields, Ph.D.
“Heritage is our legacy from the past, what we live with today, and what we pass on to future generations. Our cultural and natural heritage are both irreplaceable sources of life and inspiration.” —UNESCO World Heritage Project
New Mythos Grant Recipients Begin their Research
The Haitian Presidential Palace was one of the many national treasures destroyed in the January 2010 earthquake.
“I am deeply moved at the level of thoughtful scholarship and vision represented by the projects of these fi nalists. Each honors the importance of bringing the wisdom teachings of our OPUS elders into the world in service of the future of humanity.”
-Lynnaea Lumbard, Ph.D., Chair, Selection Committee
In January 2010 OPUS announced 13 recipients of the New Mythos grant pre-
viously offered in fall 2009. The projects span a wide cultural spectrum and
are summarized on the OPUS website. The grant provides one of many oppor-
tunities to support research in OPUS’ archives, essential to forwarding the foun-
dational work left to us by the scholars of the collections held by OPUS. Grant
winners Jacquelyn Jackson and the James Waddell Team recently launched their
research and offer thoughts on their initial experiences in the stacks. Here are the
fi rst updates from our New Mythos grant recipients.
Learning To Be Female: Forging a Mythos that Transforms Projects of Body to Projects of Soul
Jacquelyn Jackson writes how snakes were a guide toward a new female mythos
during her research visit to OPUS:
The works of Jungian scholars housed at OPUS are carefully zipped within
plastic to keep nature’s alchemical forces at bay, certainly not an inviting habitat
for snakes. But the snakes that lurked within the pages and on the canvasses in
the collections led me forward as I began my search within the archives for a new
mythos of Learning to be Female.
The fi rst snake arrived in Box 108 of the work of Marija Gimbutas. “In Lithu-
ania, when I was six,” Gimbutas writes, “I was told ‘never harm a green snake.’
I had close contact with animals and knew the Earth was sacred. I remember
watching people kiss the mother earth, and thanking mother earth in the eve-
ning. All was important for my later work.”
Likewise, in Marion Woodman’s collection, she shared a dream where she
recounts being “taken by a beautiful snake along a path. And the snake…went
merrily along...with a crown that was an eye.” The snake did not want her to
read “The Seven Chronicles of the Western World,” but instead offered a book
depicting a snake with an eye in the crown, which she described as “a living eye,
a loving—the eye of God.”
Within the Joseph Campbell collection, Lecture XIV lands the snake directly
into the human body. Kund-
alini, he notes, is the “coiled
up serpent power…centered
at the base of the spine and
pictured in the form of uro-
boros, the coiled serpent bit-
ing its own tail.”
And I found snake images
slithering across most of Kath-
erine Sanford’s canvasses—a
central guide in her painted
journey of individuation. An
April 1963 Sanford painting
upends the story of Eve and
the snake with its depiction of
a woman offering “her light of consciousness, or the apple,
if you will, to the serpent.” Sanford’s works capture what
is emerging as a central theme in my quest through OPUS
archives. How do we transform the notion of “sin” that was
fi rmly implanted in the female body centuries ago into
“sensual” and “sacred?” What mythos will inspire girls and
women today to claim a sacred power rooted in their body,
reveling in food, lubricated by sexuality and sensuality.
On the female journey, we seek not to slay but to sustain
relationships, and through the snakes the journey begins.
OPUS’ archival collections offer up powerful connections
throughout the wisdom housed there. With snakes as
guides, we will slither our way toward a mythos of embod-
ied, sacred female strength that is sorely needed to help
transform the world.
New Mythos: Hero Escapes from Prison Earth
The James Waddell Team is exploring the archives to look
beyond the bounds of planet Earth:
In 1957 an earth-born rocket was launched into the uni-
verse. The immediate American reaction was relief about
this “fi rst step toward escape from man’s imprisonment to
the earth.” Our project seeks to articulate clearly the story
of modern world alienation through its fl ight from the
earth to the universe. As Hannah Arendt acknowledges,
this fl ight goes beyond Christians speaking of the earth
as a vale of tears or philosophers looking on their bodies
as prisons of the mind and soul. This fl ight is a radical
repudiation of an Earth as the Mother of all who dwelled
upon it. It is a fl ight that changes one of the fundamen-
tal conditions of being human: an earth-dweller who is a
participator in earth’s nature. Our story will also portray
manifestation of this earthly fl ight in the modern creation
of artifi cial life and the undead. It is a tale of contempo-
rary people exchanging what was once a given for some-
thing they have made themselves. The story is important,
because it depicts our changing human condition from
the perspective of our newest experiences and our current
fears. A clearly articulated telling of the story can help re-
veal the origin of much of the confused political discourse
about what it is to be human in the modern world with a
dismissive attitude toward the earth.
A preliminary study of the Joseph Campbell collection
in the OPUS archives revealed Campbell’s puzzlement that
more was not made of such space events as the Apollo 10
moonwalk. These space-events made us “born anew…to a
new order of things…” where “there are no horizons.” We
learned that Campbell foresaw that the space age would
change the human condition. We look forward to continu-
ing explorations of the Campbell collection to learn more
about his insights into the changing human condition as
we transform from earth creatures to universe dwellers.
Working with the Joseph Campbell Foundation
Expanding the Campbell Collection
From left: Terry Pearce, Pacifi ca Board member; Roger Epstein, JCF Board member; Safron Rossi, OPUS Director; Bob Walter, JCF President; Elise Collins Shields, former OPUS Director; Stephen Kenneally, OPUS Board President
In March, OPUS, along with Pacifi ca Graduate Institute, hosted Robert Walter, Presi-
dent of the Joseph Campbell Foundation and Roger Epstein, Campbell Foundation
Board Member. Robert brought additional materials for inclusion in the Campbell
Collection including rare posters, artwork, images and documents. The collection
continues to be enriched and enhanced in collaboration with the Joseph Campbell
Foundation.
Upcoming EventPacifi ca Graduate Institute and OPUS Present
Jung in Dialogue: Practices of Soul MakingA Conference June 11-13 in Santa Barbara
This conference, which
will be held on Pacifi ca’s
Ladera Lane Campus,
will explore practices
recognized by Jung and
the post-Jungians, includ-
ing active imagination,
story and metaphor, al-
chemy, spirituality, au-
thentic movement, and
dreams. Drawing on the
same interior sources, we
will also explore social
processes that unleash the imagination in order to promote healing, peace, and justice
in the world.
OPUS is pleased to announce that we will be mounting an exhibit of Katie Sanford’s
paintings during the conference and hosting a fi reside chat with Katie.
For more information on the conference, call Pacifi ca’s Public Programs Depart-
ment at 805.969.3626 or email publicprograms@pacifi ca.edu.
“Liber Novus,” commonly
known as the Red Book,
launched its exclusive west
coast exhibition with a private
donor reception April 10 at The
Hammer Museum in Los Ange-
les. A project of the Philemon
Foundation, the extensive Red
Book exhibit will be on display
through June 6 and features a variety of lectures
and events, including a talk by Sonu Shamdasani,
Red Book editor and co-translator. Also, a series of
public dialogues will be held in which analysts and
scholars enter conversation with artists, writers and
cultural icons regarding the meaning and impact of
the Red Book.
Stephen Kenneally, President of the OPUS Board,
attended the opening. Here are his observations:
There was much excitement in the room, not only for the beauty of the text and the striking power of the drawings, but also for the way the exhibit showed the extensive work involved in making the manuscript. This document is not merely a raw personal journal, but a carefully crafted amplifi cation of Jung’s encoun-ter with his unconscious.
The magnifi cence of Liber Novus helped me to un-derstand Jung’s words that everything he developed over his career emanated from the experiences and thoughts he had while writing the Red Book.
Background documents such as the Black Book and supplemental art work help to demonstrate the genesis of Jung’s ideas and better understand their evolution. The exhibit is a testament to the impor-tance of good archival preservation of original source documents.
This rare exhibition laid to rest any personal doubts that my interest in Jung’s work was somehow an out-dated and esoteric passion. There was a palpable sense that this was a seminal event—a cultural acknowl-edgement of the need to understand and relate to one’s own process of making myth and meaning.
It felt like we were at a tipping point of awareness and appreciation for the gift of Jung’s work. There was great excitement in the air.
For more information visit www.philemon.org or
www.hammer.ucla.edu.
Practices of Soul Making
The Offi cial Newsletter of OPUS Archives and Research Center. Copyright 2010.
Safron Rossi, Ph.D., and Elise Collins Shields, Ph.D., Editors
OPUS Archives and Research Center is a non-profi t organization that is a dynamic center for the advancement of depth psychology, mythology and the humanities, and their place on the world platform, especially as they inform social justice and environmental sustainability.
801 Ladera Lane Santa Barbara, CA 93108
805-969-5750 www.opusarchives.org
C.G. Jung’s Red Book Makes an Appearance in Los Angeles
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