Gatherings

We are back after a brief hiatus with an exploration of the "anti-hero". We discuss how the film industry has changed its portrayal of the figure of the anti-hero--from "Bonnie and Clyde" and "The Godfather" to "The Sopranos" and "Succession". We also look at how this has been explored in literature [Lazarillo de Tormes, The Idiot, Catcher in the Rye] and in music [the rock and roll mythos and how...

Jay wanted to talk about "The Wizard of Oz" and so we did. This led us into a discussion about the importance of fairy tales and to my book recommendations for the month which are all by Marie-Louise von Franz. Begin with "The Interpretation of Fairy Tales" and then read all of her other books that deal with these stories. She was a great master in understanding their psychological importance. On...

In this episode, Béa and Jay explore the subject of dreams and how to approach them. The books mentioned include: "The Way of the Dream", Marie-Louise von Franz; "Dreams", CG Jung [Bollingen]; "Inner Work", Robert A. Johnson.  The song featured in this episode is a new release by Jay---"Lead me to Gardens". You can find it on all music distribution platforms and on YouTube here: Lead Me To Gardens...

Books discussed in this episode: The Gnostic Gospels, Elaine Pagels; The Gnostic Jung, Stephan Hoeller; Answer to Job, CG Jung. Music: Sigur Rós, Björk, Radiohead. Béa laments the burning of the library at Alexandria and Jay explores the notion of mystery and how it applies to music. Song: This 'Ol World from Jay's album, Harvesting James. You can find Jay's music on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon a...

In this episode, Béa and Jay explore the concept of the descent through the book recommended: The Descent of the Goddess by Sylvia Brinton Perera. Is the descent necessary? What does it entail? What does a descent look like when you choose to go willingly? 

In this episode, Béa and Jay discuss what they love the most--books and music. Both make recommendations for books/music you must read/listen to and why; books/music they are currently reading and listening to; and how this is all translating creatively. Themes that come up are: shadow work, the Apollonian and the Dionysian in music and how a book can change the course of your life. ​The song used...

In this episode, Jay interviews Béa about the SophiaCycles project --- the group that has been running for fifteen years. They discuss how it was formed and why, the importance of dream interpretation to the group, the public program that will launch in April, and how to set up a similar group for those who may be interested.  We also discuss something that has troubled us for some time---who "own...

In this episode, Béa and Jay explore the "anxiety of influence" by looking at those writers and musicians who have inspired them. They also discuss what works survive the test of time and why. Finally, they also explain how their own artistic work has changed over time and what recurring themes they see appearing there.  The song featured in this episode is "And the Angels now are Singing" from Ja...

Béa and Jay explore the individuation process using the film “The King of California” and the novel “Don Quijote” as examples of what this journey looks like. They also discuss Joseph Campbell’s hero’s journey and how misunderstandings have been created around what that means. Other works mentioned include: “Searching for Sugarman”  “Star Wars” and “The Matrix.” Song: Hippie with a Cellphone from...

Béa and Jay explore the concept of the shadow and how it appears in our lives. They examine the difficulties encountered by people living in a culture that does not match their orientation as extraverts/introverts. They also discuss how the shadow shows up during the mid-life transition. Other subjects: the body in exile, music as a form of catharsis and how to approach the third act. Works mentio...

In this episode, Jay and Béa tackle the thorny issue of romantic love and its many facets. Works mentioned include: He, She, We by Robert A Johnson and The Eden Project, James Hollis. They weave their way through notions of love as they emerged during the Middle Ages through the Celtic myths--in particular, Tristan and Isolde, and in the tradition of courtly love. Did romantic love play a role in...

Béa and Jay explore the terms feminine/masculine and the reactions they generate on social media. They also look at the burdens placed on men [book mentioned: Under Saturn's Shadow, James Hollis]. Béa guides Jay through an exercise to spur the imagination and they discuss why storytelling matters. Other works mentioned: The Iliad, The Skeleton Woman, The Godfather, and the stories of Inanna and Si...

Jay and Béa discuss the metaphorical killing of the parents through an examination of work from The Doors, Richard Wagner, James Joyce, Star Wars and Pedro Almodóvar. They also discuss the inherent pitfalls in refusing the call to maturity. Books mentioned in this episode: Now or Neverland: Peter Pan and the Myth of Eternal Youth, Ann Yeoman & The Problem of the Puer Aeternus, Marie-Louise von Fra...

Béa and Jay introduce themselves, they recount how they each discovered Jung and they discuss how it has impacted their creative output.  They also look at dreams and their importance. The music used in this episode is Jay’s Rain and Gold from his album, Harvesting James. You can find it on YouTube  bit.ly/3APibAU  and on all music platforms.