The Laughing Mystics: Jungian Psychology, Christian Spirituality, and Laughter

3rd Sunday in the new church year. Our question to you: What is a memory of "seeing the light" or a moment of conversion in the world or in myself? We talk of unity and division in the church and the symbols of fish, fishing, nets, and deep waters. Laura shares her ⁠dream of a fish.⁠ ⁠ T he Sunday Readings⁠ Join the community: Facebook group: ⁠ ⁠https://www.facebook.com/laughingmystics/⁠...

2nd Sunday in "extra-ordinary time." Our question: what is my current "growing edge," spiritually? Here are links from our wide-ranging conversation. Laura quotes and mentions Lewis Hyde's - A Primer for Forgetting. We talk of the photo of the earth taken from space that Joseph Campbell found inspiring. And the inspiring TV series from Carl Sagan (1980) And the wonderful fi...

Readings for The Feast of the Baptism of the Lord. Our question: What old teaching about God/holiness has been upended/changed in me? Marci mentions   Holy Envy by Barbara Brown Taylor. And also Rumi and Hafiz.   Laura talks about the 6 Day War , ⁠rebirthing⁠ , and Rene Girard’s mimetic theory.   This Sunday's Readings Thank you Jackie M for donating your time and creating a new logo for us! W...

The Epiphany of the Lord. Our Question: When have I found God in an unexpected place? We talk about Rene Girard and evolving past a scapegoat mentality. Marci loves this youtube video from Richard Rohr. Sunday Readings Thank you for listening ! You're invited to j oin our FB community at https://www.facebook.com/laughingmystics/ Questions? Comments? Bring your voice to the conversation. We'd like...

The Feast of the Holy Family. We gear up for some challenging readings. We start with asking for a memory of honoring family. ( We also acknowledge that sometimes honoring family is best from a distance. ) We explore the biblical instructions to "obey" or to "be submissive" and the revolutionary message that was implicit in these readings - based on the world at the time. We mention the elderly "n...

The Christmas story from Luke and a challenging Christmas Blessing. Merry Christmas to those who celebrate. Happy Holidays to all!

Our question: What is being conceived in me, my inner self, right now? Re: the first reading - Ahaz was the twelfth king of Judah, reigning in Jerusalem from approximately 732 to 716 BC. He is often remembered for his idolatrous practices and political alliances that led Judah away from the worship of Yahweh Also, in Hebrew,  'almah  (עַלְמָה) primarily means a young woman, maiden, or girl of marr...

We start with a gorgeous poem from Marci. Our question is: what is a memory of seeing the splendor, the glory of God? Laura talks about the term Jung used for this – the “numinous” which comes from numinosum – Rudolf Otto’s term (in his Idea of the Holy) for the inexpressible, mysterious, terrifying, directly experienced and pertaining only to the divinity. Marci mentions experiments of putting mo...

2nd Sunday of Advent - John the Baptist! Our question: What events in my life have helped separate the wheat and the chaff within me. The Hebrew word for "fear" in "fear of the Lord," such as in Isaiah, is typically 𝑦𝑖𝑟𝑎ℎ  (יִרְאָה), which translates to a sense of reverence, awe, and profound respect, rather than terror.  Laura mentions the free newsletter "Believing " from the New York Times. The...

Season Two! First Sunday of Advent. Our question: What helps me stay awake or what puts me to sleep spiritually/psychologically? Marci recommends the book, Learning to Walk in the Dark by Barbara Brown Taylor, and quotes Anthony De Mello. A quote from Parker Palmer, via Fr. Rohr."Thomas Merton claimed that “There is in all visible things … a hidden wholeness.” But back in the human world—wher...

The Feast of Christ the King. Question: Who is someone I trust and admire enough that I’d be their subject and honor them as a  King in my world.  Laura mentions mythologist Michael Meade and his Living Myth podcast.   We talk of Joseph Campbell and an ancient practice of sacrificing the King. Laura also mentions another podcast, including ⁠The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill. We explore the power of c...

The 33rd Sunday in The Kingdom of Heaven is Now Time. Question: "How do I know that I'm on the right side of history?" And "If I could join Paul and write letters to the Churches in America, what would I say?" We dip into politics. We mention the metaphor of the purifying fire found in both scripture and in the medieval practice of alchemy. We again mention Teihard de Chardin and the evolution of...

Feast of the Dedication of the Lateran Basilica in Rome . Questions we ask each other (and you): What is your favorite memory of a sacred space? If you were going to be a sacred space, what space might represent your soul? We talk about the "living water" and a story that Carl Jung often told. Also Jung's exploration of his own psyche through architecture. Laura mention's Ezra Klein's book, Abunda...

Our question today is: What happens after we die? We talk about heaven and hell, The Day of the Dead and skull faces. We visit Ilia Delio's website for several juicy quotes. Here and here . And also this quote to chew on: " "A person is a center of consciousness expressed in a particular matrix of matter, as if the entire universe (if indeed consciousness is the stuff of the universe...

30th Sunday in The Kingdom of Heaven is Now Time. We ask ourselves (and you) several questions: What does it mean for me to repent? What was a moment of conversion in my life? We wonder about how Paul forgave himself and integrated his own conversion experience after being struck down in Damascus. Here is one possible timeline of events.   We talk about prayer, the "Way of the Pilgrim" a...

29th Sunday in the Kingdom of Heaven is Now Time. Question we ask ourselves: "When the Son of Man comes, what faith will he find in me?" We talk about what posture we take in the world and what is the best "posture" to fight evil or unconsciousness? Jung's answer to "will the world survive?" "As he did so often, Jung saw the individual as the key to the future: If there are enough individuals who...

28th Sunday in the Kingdom of Heaven is Now Time. We ask ourselves: "What is my faith around “being healed?” We talk about the bubbles we travel in - economic, spiritual, or political. Also, Do I prefer to swim in the shallow water or the deep? We drift into the deep waters of the Adam and Eve story. We talk of the Felix culpa -- Latin for “happy fault.” It comes from a line in the Exsultet,...

We ask ourselves (and you) this question: "What is my unique calling, how am I to serve the world?" Laura mentions the book, Paradoxical Thinking and   a great article about the prophet Habakkuk and his infrequent appearance in the church calendar. Marci offers a wonderful metaphor of faith and flying a kite and she mentions Father Richard Rohr's book,   Everything Belongs. The Sunday Readings Tha...

Our question today (based on the readings). "What are my attitudes toward wealth?' We talk about the work of sociologist Brene Brown and the film, MountainHead. We explore the juicy story of Lazarus and the rich man, and much more! The Sunday Readings -The 26th Sunday in the Kingdom of Heaven is Now time Thank you for listening ! Questions? Comments? Bring your voice to the conversation....

25th Sunday in the Kingdom of Heaven is Now time. We wrestle with some very tough readings! A question we ask ourselves and you: What are my attitudes toward authority, wealth, and the systems we live under? Marci mentions her poem found in this publication. ⁠Unruly Catholic Feminists: Prose, Poetry, and the Future of the Faith ⁠  We mention Brian Swimme and the "Story of the Universe," the evolut...

We start with a juicy question : what "inner" puzzle am I working on these days? Then we puzzle through a reading about biting snakes, ingratitude, and looking at what scares us. We talk of Richard Schwartz, - The Founder of Internal Family Systems . (Laura accidentally says Stephen Schwartz -- the creator of Godspell). We grapple with John 3:16. Marci tells a bad joke. And much more! The Sunday R...

23rd Sunday in the Kingdom of Heaven is Now time. Lots of laughter as we tackle some very tough readings. We ask ourselves (and you) this question: "What tempts me in my daily life? What is hard for me to renounce or let go of?"  "If it is true that the ability to be puzzled is the beginningof wisdom, then this truth is a sad commentary on the wisdom of modern man. Whatever the meri...

22nd Sunday in The Kingdom of Heaven is Now Time . We explore the Hebrew word for humility. Excerpts quoted from this site. “How am I using the Divine gifts that have been given to me? Am I reaching my own potential for greatness?” This sentiment is powerfully encapsulated in the Hebrew word for humility,  anavah . While the English word humility originates from the Latin,  humilis , meaning meekn...

21st Sunday in The Kingdom of Heaven is Now Time. We talk about the challenge of diversity and ask the question, “Who makes me uncomfortable?” We explore the idea that we are all fugitives in a strange land and the integration of all parts in the Kingdom. We talk about the power of discipline to create strength through practice. Laura mentions her longing for a loving community and uses the Greek...

A juicy episode! We talk about the symbolism Jeremiah and the cistern.  We mention the movement of an ancient Sicilian symbol and Celtic knots We explore addiction to suffering and the danger of numbing out to the problems of the world, and " Midwest nice”  Laura mentions alchemy and the stage of Calcinatio. 20th Sunday in the Kingdom of Heaven is Now. The Sunday Readings Thank you for listen...