39th Annual Jungian Conference
Initiation and Individuation in African Healing
and the Psychology of C.G. Jung
Special Guest Speaker: Lynne Radomsky, PhD
Sunday, March 16th, 2014
10:00 AM ~ 5:00 PM
audio file available to Club members by email request
“If they do not dream, I cannot heal” ~ The words of an African Healer
Jung conceived of ritual as the gradient for “the libido… on which the whole weight of the unconscious… is concentrated” (CW 8, § 87). The red thread in this presentation traces the re-awakening of initiation rituals through the journey of a black South African woman. The individuation process, symbolized by the emergence of a new inner god-image, is reflected in the struggle to integrate the opposites as expressed in this woman’s heroic confrontation with her calling to be a healer.
This material will endeavor to track the symbolism of an initiation journey which allows for the witnessing of the autonomy and creative function of the objective psyche. The in-depth presentation of dream material and symbol interpretation according to both the psychology of C.G. Jung and the African Healer’s cosmology is an important aspect of this work. The archetypal images of the Hero’s Journey, the Wounded Healer and the alchemical stages of individuation unfold through the experiences and analysis of the initiate, ultimately resulting in a re-vitalization of her relationship to and with the unconscious.
Lynne Radomsky, PhD hails from South Africa and is a Zurich trained Jungian Analyst, Clinical Psychologist, Post Graduate Lecturer and Professional Supervisor. She has over 25 years experience in psychological and analytical work within private practice, university and community settings, as well as international presentations and publications. A focus of her work is the integration of Jungian and African symbolism as well as the mythology and symbolism of Jewish Mysticism. As Dr. Radomsky is an initiated African Healer within the Zulu culture, her direct and personal experience provides a rich backdrop to this lecture. She has worked closely with a variety of indigenous healers in Southern Africa.