Carl Jung and the Self
Many of the classes I offer are around fundamental concepts gathered from reading Jung’s texts and testing them on myself. Three such classes include the Mandala, The Tree of Life, and SoulCollage®.
The Mandala class is based on the concept of creating a balanced gestalt from the center point.
Tree of Life programs
The tree is a universal archetype that shows up in many cultures and configurations. As Jung suggested, “ If the mandala may be described as a symbol of the self seen in cross section, then the tree would represent a profile view of it; the self depicted as a process of growth” (Jung, Collected Works, Vol. 13, 1967,p. 253,).
Throughout history, the tree of life has been seen in ancient artifacts, mythology and religious doctrine. It spans cultures of Egypt to Greek and German creation stories as well as Islamic, Hebraic and Christian religious texts to name a few. It would seem, as Carl Jung would suggest, that the tree of life is part of the collective unconscious. In fact, Jung saw the tree asa symbol for the self; the conscious developing toward the unconscious, toward wholeness.
Jung developed his theories and practiced it on himself through the use of active imagination. Creativity requires the use of imagination. Active imagination requires conscious observation and response to that which is imagined as part of the self. Expressed through archetypes, mythology, memory, and imagery from tradition, active imagination is like a lucid dream that helps usher in different parts of the self, for us to interact with and learn about. Imagining the self in the form of a tree, or better yet as expressed through our own personal tree of life, can reflect back on us our internal landscape.
Through the use of guided meditation and asking questions of the imagery we see before us, we can gain valuable insight into ourselves.
I have used the tree in clinical settings, offering a pre-drawn outline of a tree and asked the residents to collage and draw affirmations. Volumes of studies have been written tracing the Tree of Life organs in Jewish Monotheism and Greek Philosophy. As well the Tree of Life is seen in Indo-European and Isalmic Cultures. Art therapists and mental health practitioners have used the tree to create narratives for vulnerable children in and to assess self image in other clients.
I have also facilitated the creating of personal trees of life for professionals as a means to self-care. Very often the participant is surprised to see what the process reveals about their own understanding of themselves.
SoulCollage®
SoulCollage® is a gentle, playful and often joyful way of exploring your life and your deeper self. Using curated images from various sources, individuals create their own unique deck of cards, where each card represents a different aspect of themselves. There is a deeper level of knowing that is accessed through images. The process combines image, words, intuition, and synchronicity into a unique creative and artistic process that anyone can do. It requires no special skills but can often produce images and insights with the language of symbols, images and archetypes and is an insightful process of self- discovery.
This creative process was developed by Seena Frost, M. Div. and was born from her love of spirituality, creativity and psychotherapy. The process combines images, imagination and intuition to allow you tap into your inner knowing.Seena B. Frost ~ Founder of SoulCollage®,M. Div., M.A. studied theology at Yale Divinity School, married, raised four children, and then received a Master's degree in psychology from Santa Clara University. She was a psychotherapy clinician and supervisor in California for over thirty years and used many healing modalities including the work of C. G. Jung, Fritz Perls, Virginia Satir, Eric Berne, Roberto Assagioli, and others.
Principles of SoulCollage® SoulCollage® is a creative collage process for...
Self-discovery, self-acceptance, and personal empowerment.
Embracing one’s intuition and unique creativity.
Promoting inclusive, diverse, cooperative community for mutual encouragement.
Those practicing SoulCollage®...
Create collaged cards that are meaningful to them.
May use the SoulCollage® structure of four suits plus Transpersonal cards to add wholeness to their deck.
Use the I Am One Who... process to speak from the unique voice of each card.
Learn to recognize the individual “local story” in their cards and discover how this weaves into the collective’s “Larger Story.”
Understand that each card (each part of themselves) has a positive intent as well as a “shadow” potential.
Understand the “One and the Many” dimensions of their SoulCollage® deck.
Consult their own cards by doing SoulCollage® Readings for themselves to guide them through their own life’s questions and decisions.
SoulCollage® cards are for personal use only.
SoulCollage® is grateful to the artists and photographers who make this process possible. SoulCollage® seeks to be respectful of their rights under copyright law.
No one may read or interpret SoulCollage® cards for another person, only for one’s self.