JUNGIAN.DIRECTORY

Beginning Fairy Tale Analysis Certification Course

Dr Michael Conforti, Rozan Christian, Reena Baslica Moses, Ekaterina Sazonova
Start Date: 30/09/2025
End Date:09/12/2025
Scheduled course
Online
more information

Overview

The Wisdom of von Franz: And the Sages and Dreamers Who Came Before

​A meaningful life is one lived in relationship to the Self. Here, we explore the archetypal nature of life, love, and transitions through the eternal stories etched into our souls—stories told time and time again across cultures and generations. While this course focuses on the artistry of understanding the archetypal dimensions of stories and fairy tales, it is essential to begin with a prelude regarding the deep reverence for the interior life and the symbolic language necessary to truly appreciate the profundity of these messages.

Dr. Conforti speaks to this when he writes:

*“A first intimation of this process often happens when we are alone at night. Is the night a reminder that the days have now grown shorter, and there is less time to accomplish all that we have hoped to in this life? There is also a beauty and solitude that one finds in the dark. Often, we find a sense of peace in the silence, when the traffic and commerce of the day have ended, and homes and lives are illuminated by the glow of a gentle night. Then, too, there is the silence that allows internal voices, which have been drowned out during the day, to now be heard. What questions might they be asking? What are we now called to do…?
In this Silence, we find an intimation of another way of life, where we face our innermost thoughts, hopes, fears, and desires without illusions or distractions. We can then ask our heart and soul if this has been a good life, and what we can do to deepen our relationship to Psyche and soul. In these nocturnal moments, the time of veritas, we have to ask if we have the courage to live into our destiny.”*¹

These words capture a reverence for, and a welcoming of, Psyche’s voice. Dr. Rosaly Roffman reminds us that “mythology is the story of humanity’s relationships to the divine”, while Marie-Louise von Franz offers a profound understanding of the archetypal stories that continue to shape humanity. This is Psyche’s voice revealed through fairy tales—through stories of kings and queens, of loving and wicked mothers and fathers, and through the familiar motifs of the journey: leaving home, losing one’s way, and discovering life’s treasure.

The objective truth in these messages brings us to our knees in reverence for the unimaginable depth, wisdom, and—at times—the terror of facing the consequences of a life lived either in relationship with, or estranged from, the soul.

In this course, students will learn the art, love, and discipline of working with archetypal stories—stories whose profound meanings may reawaken a passion for these seminal narratives, reminding us that “once upon a time, in a land far, far away” is not merely a distant fairytale, but is alive here and now within our own psyches.

Course dates:

  • September 30
  • October 14, 28
  • November 11, 25
  • December 9

12 CPD credits | recordings included

  • Through an in-depth study of the work of Marie Louise von Franz, we will deepen our understanding of the archetypal significance of fairy tales and how they reveal the nature and dynamics of the Psyche.
  • Draw on an archetypal, symbolic, and objective approach to fairy tale images and themes, as a way to discover the Wisdom of the Psyche.
  • Become familiar with the development and structure of fairy tales from their archetypal underpinnings, motifs, cultural influences.
  • To examine patterns in fairy tales such as the archetypal elements of the story, recurring motifs and numbers. We will look at the components of the tale; title, exposition, characters, conflict, plot progression and lysis.
  • We will examine how the actual beginning of the fairy tale, the initial condition, provides unique insights into the unfolding of the story. These early conditions reveal the central archetypal pattern expressed in the fairy tale, and as von Franz taught us, with this understanding, we can often “predict” how the story may progress through the conditions and themes unique to the archetype expressed in the story.
  • Since many of the original features of fairy tales have been contorted to fit our collective preference for “living happily ever after”, we will reintroduce the original presence and purpose of the Shadow archetype in fairy tales.
  • Deepen our awareness of how fairy tales are a vital portal for the presentation of archetypal material and how these themes are often found in film, literature, current events, and our own life experiences.
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