“Death is psychologically as important as birth and like it, is an integral part of life”
– C.G. Jung cw 13 paragraph 68
Our soul cannot embrace life fully unless we acknowledge our death. Our first breath is our first step towards death, change and transformation. In “The Soul and Death”, Jung discussed the importance of exploring the existential issue of death. By confronting death. we can then celebrate life. We can know life best through images and symbols. By embracing the images that define our souls, we can have a fuller relationship with our lives. Our images and symbols provide access to the depths of our inner world and connect with the breadth of our archetypal potential.
Many cultures live closely to their symbolic lives and have rituals that help them integrate death and thus embrace life. In Ghana, Africa, the most revered ritual is the funeral. It is three days of drumming, dancing, and creating imagistic coffins to help the soul cross over and find its new path.
This workshop will weave together Kate’s cross-cultural experience in Ghana, her Jungian based expressive arts approach into a journey into the darkness discovering images of the psyche to celebrate life.
On Friday, night by first exploring the Ghanaian funeral ritual through slides, video and discussion, participants will delve into the space in between our first and our last breath.
On Saturday, participants will be invited to engage in Expressive Arts processes to discover seminal images that define their psyche. Using the life breath as the creative moment, we will explore the body and allow images to flow from breath and movement of the body. Each participant will create with these images, a sacred vessel that will house the symbols of the psyche. By embodying these images, we will create the rituals that will help celebrate our life and open the door to new beginnings personally, collectively and spiritually.
