“When great symbols lose their content and their meaning for us,
we are in danger of losing our soul.”
Helen Luke
One cannot think of Jungian Psychology without acknowledging the profound contributions of the pioneering women in this field. From Marie-Louise von Franz, Emma Jung and Esther Harding, to Toni Wolff, Barbara Hannah and Helen Luke, each had dedicated their life to an ongoing investigation into the workings of The Self, and the contents of the collective unconscious. In this lecture series we focus on the life and work of Marie-Louise von Franz and Toni Wolff. While both presentations capture the nature and essence of these two gifted women and their profound contributions to the field, they also focus on their enduring presence within our Psyche guiding us as profound expressions of feminine wisdom. Jacqueline Dürmüller, a Jungian Analyst from Switzerland, will speak on Marie-Louise von Franz, whom she describes as personifying “that feminine wisdom which is nourishing to our soul and helps us to find our way in life’s confusions.” Brenda Crowther, a Jungian Analyst practicing in France, will present on Toni Wolff, who she in turn describes as a “rare and unusual woman carrying the spirit of the unconscious, and embodying a singular and inspired way of life”.
Von Franz and Wolff’s never-ending commitment to learning and living with the ways of The Self also speaks to the collective rising of the Feminine in our current times, making their work and approach to Psyche even more relevant today. The Assisi Institute is offering this series to honor the life, work and discoveries of these two women, and to revisit with fresh eyes their brilliant and enduring contributions to this field. Join us in this honoring of their work, and the opportunity to learn even more about their contributions to our understanding of archetypes and the creative unconscious.
Marie-Louise Von Franz: Healer & Spiritual Guide – Encounter with the Soul
Presented by Jacqueline Dürmüller | Saturday, May 14th
When Marie-Louise von Franz appears in a dream, she is a symbol of the Self, which corresponds to the greater inner personality. Looked at in this way, she represents a guiding figure of psychological wholeness and a helpful spiritual power, to whom we can bestow unconditional trust. She personifies that feminine wisdom, which is nourishing to our soul and helps us to find our way in life`s confusions. In this presentation Jacqueline will look at the life and work of von Franz and how, because of her profound relationship with the Self and Psyche, she is often represented in our dreams as a guide to the inner life.
The Spirit of Toni Wolff
Presented by Brenda Crowther | Saturday, May 21st
Toni Wolff was a rare and unusual woman carrying the spirit of the unconscious. She had an unwavering strength of soul, and had much of the visionary, mediumistic qualities as essential aspects of her nature. To be in analysis with her was to testify to this. Her solid character during the journey with Carl Jung through the experiences of the Red Book removes her from being solely an anima figure, and defines her as an authentic, flesh and blood woman. Pushed aside by Swiss conventions of respectability for many years, she takes a higher profile in our times, and embodies a singular and inspired way of life. During this presentation, we will look into her background and relationship to Jung as lover, friend and tireless worker into the depths of analytical psychology. Toni Wolff was blessed with an inherent capacity to understand the unconscious and the dreams and symbols it produced.