The archetypal figure of the Orphan is embedded in mythic themes of exile, abandonment, and the search for home. Understanding the archetypal basis of a culture’s psyche is vital for those who feel a calling towards healing or being agents of transformation in a society.
In this interactive workshop Dr Suzanne Cremen engages Jung’s theory of complexes, as well as clinical, mythological, and historical perspectives, to bring an enlightening perspective towards understanding Australia’s cultural complexes. Drawing upon illuminating scholarship and rich imagery, Suzanne identifies the archetype of the Orphan at the core of these complexes. We will explore the many ways the Orphan archetype manifests, looking at evidence from art, movies, culture, politics, landscape, history and lived experience. We’ll consider how our personal pains, preoccupations and constraints may relate to transgenerational and cultural complexes and traumas, even when their origins are unconscious.
In a welcoming space, this workshop will include time for lectures, reflective activities, contemplation and group discussion.
We’ll discover how moving towards an imaginative, mythopoetic perspective, connecting with indigeneity and place, and coming together in community, holds the key to releasing the Orphan’s redemptive potential.