“The opposites constitute the most basic anatomy of the psyche. The flow of libido or
psychic energy, is generated by the polarization of opposites…The opposites are truly
the dynamo of the psyche. They are the motor, what keeps the psyche alive.”
Edward F. Edinger, The Mystery of the Coniunctio
The ancient art of alchemy was concerned with the transmutation base metals, such as lead, into gold, with mysterious processes where initial ‘dark matter’ was subjected to a series of operations aimed at transforming it. On the one hand, chemical processes aimed at changing
the nature of matter, but on the other, ancient texts dense with cryptic, esoteric descriptions, reveal they were also concerned with the process of spiritual transformation. Hidden in these arcane, often impossibly abstruse texts, Jung discovered accounts rich in archetypal symbolism which he understood as analogous to the process of psychological development resulting in the coniunctio, the mystical union of opposites, in essence, analogous to individuation. Drawing from Anatomy of the Psyche by Edward Edinger, this webinar presents an overview of basic alchemical terms and ‘operations’ involved in a complete opus, a cycle of transformation, exploring how the various operations parallel the hard work of psychotherapy. How these operations appear in Sandplay therapy through gestures, symbols, and images will be elucidated with case material showing how the ‘dark matter’ of conflict, trauma, or loss is worked with, gradually giving way to its opposite; insight, healing, growth, wholeness.