Francisca Tollenaar - "Winterlandschap III"
Winter in the northern hemisphere officially begins later this week, on December 21st. Though Nashville is rarely covered in snow, we experience our own version of winter, alternately frigid and mild. By December the sun starts its descent around four o'clock, and by five o'clock night has arrived. Like a magnetic force, the darkness may pull us indoors to cocoon, perhaps lulling us to bed a bit earlier. In his poem "To Know the Dark," writer Wendall Berry encourages us to embrace the dark, which can yield its own gifts:
Karl Wagner
In a book entitled Wintering author Katherine May discusses alternative ways to approach the winter season, explaining:
“Naturalists use ‘wintering’ to describe the way animals survive the cold months...Plants and animals don’t fight the winter; they don’t pretend it’s not happening and attempt to carry on living the same lives they lived in the summer. They prepare. They adapt....Many of us, by instinct, want to pretend that winter doesn't happen- to hunker down in our homes with the heating turned up, and to avoid the inclement weather. But I think we survive winter better if we engage with it and accept that it's simply different to summer. That means getting outside, feeling the cold, and drinking up as much of the weak sunlight as we can. And then going inside and getting cozy again. Both are facets of winter. It's vital to get a sense of how the rhythm of the year changes - those shorter days and longer nights send a strong message to our bodies to change pace. If we can listen to it, winter invites us into a more contemplative mode, reflecting on the year that has just passed and making plans."
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The Nashville Jung Circle has been making plans and is pleased to announce programs in the new year, including AI from a Jungian perspective, Jung and UFO's, the tarot as a meditative daily practice, and the therapeutic use of psychedelics. In addition, exciting plans are underway for two 2025 celebrations, of the 10th anniversary of the Nashville Jung Circle in May and of Carl Jung's 150th birthday in the summer.
May you have a lovely season of wintering, with holidays balancing activity and rest followed by a sense of renewal in the new year. 2025 will be a big year for the Nashville Jung Circle, and we look forward to sharing it with you at both in-person and online events, detailed below.
Contents
1)Friday, January 24th - AI from a Jungian Perspective by Glen Slater, Ph.D.
2)Save the dates: February 16th, March 16th, April 27th, May 18th, June 28th
3)Supporting the Nashville Jung Circle - Donations, Membership, and Volunteering
4) Circles and the Symbolism of Wreaths
Friday, January 24th
7 - 9 pm Central Time
"Archetypes, Algorithms, and AI: Finding the Deeply Human in a Posthuman Age"
by Glen Slater, PhD.
Online Zoom Event
In this talk Dr. Slater will discuss his recent book, Jung vs. Borg: Finding the Deeply Human in a Posthuman Age, in which he posits that the industrial disruption of the outer world is being followed by a post-indurstrial disruption of the inner world. The shadow side of the online world, as well as the impact of algorithms and AI on the society and the culture, exemplify this disruption. Plans to merge humans and machines, focused on the joining of minds and computers, could be outgrowths of this phenomenon, which promises to alter the foundations of human existence.
This discussion will set out critical areas of understanding to help us understand and reflect on this potentially radical turn in human evolution. Particularly emphasize will be on Jung’s insights into the dissociative and integrative dynamics of the psyche.
Registration: Go to: https://www.nashvillejungcircle.org/#!event-list
free for members
$15 for non-member
$10 students
To become a member and receive free or reduced admission to events for a year,
go to: https://www.nashvillejungcircle.org/membership#join
Glen Slater, Ph.D., has taught for over 25 years at Pacifica Graduate Institute, where he has recently chaired the Jungian and Archetypal Psychology program. He has written for numerous Jungian journals and essay collections on topics of Jung and film, psychology and religion, and depth psychology and technology. His book Jung vs. Borg: Finding the Deeply Human in a Posthuman Age, came out in January, 2024. His 2013 essay on the roots of gun violence in the U.S. was the basis of a talk he presented to the Nashville Jung Circle in 2023.
Save the Dates - More 2025 Programs
A discussion of Jung's book Flying Saucers: A Modern Myth of Things Seen in the Skys and the current interest in unidentified aerial phenomena
Online event
Sunday, March 16th
Alan Scalpone will discuss the tarot from a Jungian viewpoint and how to create a daily tarot meditation.
Online event
Sunday, April 27th
Dr. Tom Neilson will discuss the therapeutic use
of psychedelic drugs
In-person and Zoom eventSunday, May 18th
Nashville Jung Circle 10th anniversary - Gretchen Watts, LCSW, will present a talk on the Goddess along with a festive celebration of the founding of the NJC.
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Saturday, June 28th
Jung's 150th birthday celebration
Pacifica Graduate Institute founder Steve Aizenstat will lead a workshop along with refreshments and birthday festivities to celebrate the founder of Jungian psychology.
As an all volunteer non-profit organization, we depend on the support of all of you who share an interest in Jungian psychology and related topics. Please consider the Nashville Jung Circle as you make end of year tax deductible donations.
To make a donation, go to: https://www.nashvillejungcircle.org/donations#!form/Donate
Your membership dues and donations are the major sources of our funding, used to host our nationally-known speakers and local community events. Our mission is to provide educational programs and opportunities for like-minded people to share in community, and as we celebrate our 10th anniversary we are looking for ways to expand our offerings in the coming years.
Membership is valid for a year from date of joining and gives members free or reduced admission to all events.
To join or renew your membership, go to: https://www.nashvillejungcircle.org/membership#join
If you would like to become more involved with the NJC as a volunteer, please email us at: info@nashvillejungcircle.org
Thank you!
Circles and the Symbolism of Wreaths
What lies below the surface
The Nashville Jung Circle adopted a name that incorporates an ancient symbol, the circle, which has been used by various religions and cultures throughout history. In this season, why are circles made of greenery used as decorations?
Wreaths are part of many ancient traditions dating back to the earliest civilizations. The circle, considered the most perfect shape mathematically and spiritually, is a symbol of wholeness, infinity, and immortality. Made of evergreens, which symbolize continuity of life and the cycle of seasons, wreaths have been associated with rejuvenation and renewal. Originally, wreaths were worn around the head, neck, or waist. The Greeks awarded laurel wreaths to winning athletes, and both the ancient Romans and Persians wore them like crowns, to signify importance.
In Sweden, wreaths are used to celebrate St. Lucia on December 13th, the shortest day of
the year in the Julian calendar. On Lucia Day, which dates to the 4th century, young girls wear a head wreath lit by candles to celebrate the return of light after the winter solstice.
Various types of greenery and natural materials, each with a symbolic meaning, are used in wreaths. Holly, pine, and yew are symbols or eternal life, cedar symbolizes healing, and pine cones and nuts are symbols of birth and rebirth.
Seen on a doors and windows, wreaths are a sign of welcome during the holidays. Though today we associate wreaths with the celebration of Christmas, like many other Christmas traditions, the wreath predates the Christian religion.