Part 1 – The Archetypal Zeitgeist of Citizenship: Using myth as a way of reshaping and metabolizing the othering of the shifting historical time and place in which we find ourselves, we will work with the archetypal energies arising from the polarizing currents of our time, including synchronicity, initiation, chaos and rupture, the eternal adolescent and transformation. The opportunity of these fractured, fragile states of America calls for a renewed assembling of cultural integrity and empathetic caring that is grounded in acknowledging the conscious/unconscious woundedness in us all. An empowered sense of shared shadow work and cultivating empathy towards Self and Other must be the basis for transforming unconsciously defined views on citizenship, patriotism, tribalism, and constitutional civic engagement.
Part 2 – Citizenship Through the Lens of Psychic Manipulation: Jung understood that the European psyche was marked by its historical shadow of exploitation and manipulation. A similar psychic manipulation can be found in contemporary society, driven by our modern media. The media’s sale of false hope and paranoia threatens both our freedom and morality. Advertising, social media, and the press work on an archetypal level to wield immense influence on fundamental concepts: how to attain happiness, whom to like or dislike, what is true, what our relationship is to the natural world, and how to develop a sense of identity. Depth psychology, analytical psychology and myth offer a critical coming to awareness, with the possibility of a rich collective dialogue and a new cultural narrative.