“The fairy tale itself is its own best explanation; that is, its meaning is contained in the totality of its motifs connected by the thread of the story.”

-Marie Louise Von Franz, Interpretation of Fairy Tales

Marie Louise von Franz, a pioneer in depth psychology, a collaborator and colleague of C. G. Jung for nearly thirty years was often heard to say that fairy tales were all the psychology we need to live.  She was known to chide her students, if they could not explain their grand theories to the green grocer or the waitstaff at the Küsnacht cafe, then they had not sufficiently integrated their learning.  Her study of fairy tales occupied much of her life, secured her legacy, and grounded her teachings in the language and sensibilities of everyday.  Recognizing fairy tales as the skeleton or blueprint of the psyche, von Franz analyzed thousands of fairy tales to explore and map the archetypal dimensions of the psyche.  

This Certificate Program in The Art of Fairy Tale Analysis will invite students into the practice of reading the patterns and translating the archetypal meaning in the tales.  

Each class will address an important aspect of fairy tale analysis and will be organized into the following modules:

1.  Once Upon a Time:  In this module we explore the title, opening sentence and initial paragraph.  In understanding the opening of the tale we can learn more about the nature of the archetypal dimension. 
2. Dramatis Personae and Symbols:  In this module we explore how each of the characters and symbols express both the archetypal energies and the complexes. We will learn to identify the subjective and objective perspective, and let the characters lead us through the portal into the archetypal dimension.  
3. Archetypal Motifs:  In this module we trace the patterns, practice translating the tales, and seek to understand the universal story the tale is telling. 
4. The Structure of Psyche:  In this module, Jung’s map of the soul and the overarching task of individuation will be addressed through our study of the tales.  Persona, Ego, Shadow, Anima/Animus, and The Self will be highlighted.
5. Tasks/Knots/Twists/Turns:  In this module, the action, dramatic arc, and the narrative tension will be traced and translated.  An emphasis on the trickster (ie. Joker, clown, Ekeko) as change agent will be suggested.
6. Endings:  In this final module of the course, we will emphasize the resolution, what Jung and von Franz defined as lysis, highlight the complications, and notice the purpose of repetition in the tales.  The end that is in the beginning will be discussed.