ONLY SEPARATED THINGS CAN UNITE:
An Alchemical Journey to Love and Consciousness
NOCI, ITALY ● September 21-27, 2024
Presented by the C.G. Jung Institute of ColoradoWhy do we title our seminar “only separated things can unite?”
The reason is two-fold. The connection between our Colorado program and this little region in Italy is an intercontinental bond that has provided a unity of once separated spirits.We have chosen this location because our training program’s reach has spanned this distance of nearly 6,000 miles for several years, and we now travel to the region of Puglia to experience the place while exploring psyche. The region’s beauty and mythological draw will be explored throughout the course of the seminar. Also, our seminar will examine the psychological experience of the union of opposites, an encounter with love that generates new life.
We are inspired by the poetic vision of Dante, whose quest to understand the nature of love we share…
Beyond the sphere that turns the widest gyre ...
We will begin on Saturday, September 21, at noon, and will conclude on Friday morning, September 27, just after breakfast and a circle ceremony. We will explore themes of alchemy, matter and spirit, love and psyche, as well as the history of Jungian psychology in Puglia. The seminar will include daily readings and reflections on fairy tales and poetry, as well as three excursions to historical sites.Rises a sigh my heart cannot contain...
On our first evening, we will be taken into the world of Puglia by the first Jungian Analyst in this region, Giancarlo Magno. His lecture is titled, "Jung, Alchemy, and the Apulian Land: different Alchemies in context." Giancarlo’s presentation will be spoken in Italian and translated by Grazia Di Giorgio, and this will be our initial grounding in the region where we will be spending the week.In that book which is my memory ... appear the words ... here begins a new life ...
For the first full day of the seminar, Jungian Analyst Lara Newton will take us into the world of alchemy as we seek a deeper understanding of the relationship between matter and spirit. The mysterious connections between these archetypal energies will be seen through the lens of our themes – love and consciousness. We will examine our own relationship to the eternal cycle that they lead us through as our individuation unfolds.In the second half of the day, we will learn about Maria Prophetissa, the first non-fictitious alchemist in the Western World. We will look at Maria through some of her prophetic proclamations and through her inventions or devices. In another half-day seminar, Lara will take us into the profound experience of mother love as it opens and protects psyche’s development – we will work with a Bavarian fairy tale, “The Maiden and the Devil,” for this part of our journey.
Love and the open heart are always one...
On one full day of the seminar, Jungian Analyst John Todd will lead us in a deep study of the central role of Eros in Alchemy. The driving force that leads us from one coniunctio to the next, from lesser coniunctios to the mysterium coniunctionis is Eros. The day will be spent reflecting on its many manifestations and its crucial role in alchemy and transformation within our lives.In another half-day seminar, John will present, “The Love of Sophia: An exploration of the deep love between Sophia, the alchemist and the world.” In some Alchemical traditions Sophia is seen as simultaneously the prima materia, the process for transforming the prima materia, and the Philospher’s Stone itself. Within these traditions, in an act of love Sophia shares her wisdom and gifts with the alchemist as well as the world. In this seminar, Eros will be seen manifesting in the relationship between the alchemist and Sophia.
Neither love nor heart can be until the other is begun...
And Lara and John will share in psyche’s work as the week draws to a close – reflecting upon soul/Eros, matter, spirit, and the creation of that which cannot be destroyed.She is the sum of nature’s universe. To her perfection all of beauty tends...
During the course of the seminar, we will take three excursions to local sites of archaeological and cultural interest. One full day trip will be to Matera, the 2019 European Capitol of Culture, best known for its extensive cave-dwelling districts, the “Sassi.” In Matera, we will visit the museums and wander through the ancient city, which shows evidence of continuous human occupation through several millennia.In one half-day trip, we will visit the ravine of S. Marco in Massafra, which is also the site of the alchemist Mago Greguro's dwelling. The ravine is lined with grottoes dating mainly from the 9th to 14th centuries, cave churches hewn out of the rock by Greek monks and decorated with lavish frescoes.
In an evening excursion with torchlights, we will visit the Park of the Rupestrian Churches, rock formations dating back as far as the Paleolithic Era.
Most mornings and evenings, we will sink into our own personal experiences of psyche through active imagination, meditation, and fairy tale/poetic reflections. The reflective time is meant to encourage all of us to deepen our imaginal experiences that are unfolding during this week. Lara and Grazia will alternately accompany us in these experiences.
And, let us enjoy the bounty provided for us in this beautiful setting –
…by our hosts at Dimora Casanoja, who will be leading us in cheese and pasta making experiences prior to two of our meals, and will be providing us with the delights of the regional harvest, meals cooked around the hearth, and many more offerings of this region.PRESENTERS
Lara Newton is a senior Jungian Analyst in private practice in Denver, Colorado. She is currently
the president of the C.G. Jung Institute of Colorado, and she served as its Director of Training for many years. She has been president of the C.G. Jung Society of Colorado for over 25 years. Lara has been deeply involved in Jungian psychology since the early 1970's, of English Literature. Her passions for literary interpretation and work with the unconscious have, since those early years, been merged into a symbolic approach to life and the world. Lara has published one book, Brothers and Sisters: Discovering the Psychology of Companionship, and has written several essays, some of which have been published as well, on various aspects of symbolic literature and experience. Her current interests are fairy tale interpretation, alchemical studies, especially the relationship between matter and spirit, Celtic mythology, and all manifestations of the life of the imagination.
John Todd is a Jungian Analyst, the Director of Training for the C.G. Jung Institute of Colorado, and adjunct faculty at Pacifica Graduate Institute. He received his doctorate in Depth Psychology from Pacifica Graduate Institute and is a graduate of the Inter-Regional Society of Jungian Analysts in addition to the CGJIC. A native of Florida, John began his career spending over a decade as a children and families counselor for Hospice of the Florida Suncoast before entering into private practice. In 2006 he relocated to Colorado with his wife and two children where he established his current practice. In his free time he enjoys skiing, hiking, music and reading.
Giancarlo Magno is a senior analyst member of IAAP since the 1980’s, as well as a teacher, supervisor, and lecturer on the psychology of religion, folklore, and myth. He has worked intensively with Jung’s Association Test. His current focus of practice and study is on Eastern and Western mysticism, meditation techniques, religious phenomenology, and prayer.
Grazia Di Giorgio has been dividing her life and professional practice between Italy and the US since 1991. Currently the Director of Admissions of the C.G. Jung Institute of Colorado, as well as a member of the Italian CIPA Meridionale, she is a senior analyst and clinical psychologist with a background in somatic and contemplative psychotherapy, and a particular interest in alchemy and South-Italian myth and folklore. She is thrilled to be able to serve as coordinator and cultural facilitator for this unique seminar.