Thursday, March 15, 2007

Opposing Forces



To the extent that I managed to translate emotions into images – that is to say, the find the images which are concealed in the emotions – I was inwardly calmed and reassured.

Jung, in Memories, Dreams, and Reflections
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Though I was calmer after making this drawing, I felt that I was in a precarious position and close to the Edge, that there was a question of whether my spirit would be rescued by the Pelican of Hope, or devoured by the Shark of Doom.



The alchemists would see this drawing in a little different light, that the image was dealing with the “Union of Opposites” and with the idea of finding the right balance. Problematic opposites included Water and Fire, Heaven and Earth, Masculine and Feminine, Spirit and Instinct. It was very important for these alchemists to obtain the right balance: unwary alchemists have been known to have been devoured by sharks.


A year later, as I look closely at the drawing, the pelican does seem to have an edge.

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My Zimbio
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