Processing grief and the loss of loved ones…

Facing the aging process and our mortality…

Join noted authors Elaine Mansfield and Jean Benedict Raffa, Ed.D. as they explore the ways the conscious interaction between our inner and outer worlds can transform suffering and loss into an initiation with our deepest Self.

During a special lecture and workshop hosted by the C. G. Jung Society of Sarasota, taking place on March 11-12, 2016, Mansfield and Raffa will serve as our guides into the realms of dreams, active imagination, and ancient myths—where we will learn how to grow through the process of Self-discovery in times of grief, sorrow, and depression.

Lecture—The Lessons of Mortality and Grief: Loss as an Initiation into Self
Friday, March 11, 7-9 p.m., Unitarian Universalist Church, Sarasota, FL

In the lecture, inspiring examples will deepen our understanding of dreams and imagination as guides in our healing processes.

“Our dreams contain wisdom and guidance from the unconscious; they come in service to health and wholeness. Working creatively with them eases our suffering, bringing comfort, pleasure, and trust,” says Raffa. “Dreamwork has been my primary spiritual practice for over 27 years,” she adds. “Through them I reconnected with the truths of my soul, found my voice, and gained the courage to follow my passions for self-discovery and writing. There is no better teacher than the Self.”

“Dreams brought meaning and spiritual uplift when my life was falling apart and my husband’s health was failing,” explains Mansfield. “They often balanced my ego position and opened me to a wider and deeper perspective. Dreams also guided me through grief, providing images that connected me to soul and helped me survive and thrive with a sense of purpose. They lifted me and balanced the downward pull of sorrow.”

The lecture also will include an inspiring 30-minute video about David Blum’s inner journey. He discovered that painting images from his dreams and exploring them with active imagination helped him and his wife cope with illness and prepare for his death.

Workshop—Journey Into the Underworld: Ancient Myth as Contemporary Guide
Saturday, March 12, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Unitarian Universalist Church, Sarasota

Ancient myth will be addressed in the workshop through readings, discussion, ritual, and creative exercises, including a seven-step journey of descent and return.

“When my husband died, I was guided by the 5000-year-old stories of the Sumerian Goddess Inanna,” says Mansfield. “This mythological wisdom gave me an inner map for being with my husband’s dying process and learning from the grief that followed his death. I understood I was being initiated into a deeper part of myself and the deeper mysteries of life. Since we all face loss, I know Inanna’s stories will give others the support they’ve given me.”

In the workshop, participants will delve into the story of Inanna, the Sumerian queen of heaven and earth, which can provide guidance for our psychological descents such as: grief after a loss of someone or something we love, depression, or facing our own mortality.

“Most of us are familiar with hero myths from the patriarchal era, but few of us know about descent myths,” says Raffa. “Their themes are loss, suffering, death, and rebirth with resultant deepened self-knowledge, wisdom, compassion, trust, and love.

“During mid-life my ego was brutally assaulted by unconscious instinctual forces within my psyche,” Raffa adds.  “I had no idea my ordeal would be life-serving. But, with the help of Inanna’s myth, I eventually emerged with the elixir of a revitalized life-force and the gold of affirming self-knowledge.”

Elaine Mansfield has been a student of Jung, mythology, dreams, and meditation since 1970. She has worked with Marion Woodman, Robert Bosnak, and other Jungian teachers. Since the death of her husband, Elaine has focused on the inner journey of grief as an initiation and has become a hospice bereavement group leader. Her insights are explained in her book Leaning into Love: A Spiritual Journey through Grief and a TEDx talk: “Good Grief! What I Learned from Loss.”

Jean Benedict Raffa, Ed.D., began an in-depth study of Jungian Psychology, mythology, and her own dreams after a lengthy and life-transforming spiritual descent. Her books: The Bridge to Wholeness, Dream Theatres of the Soul, and Healing the Sacred Divide, are outgrowths of this ongoing inner work. A former television producer and college professor, she continues to give speeches and workshops. Her blog “Matrignosis” focuses on Jungian psychology, self-discovery, and the search for spiritual meaning.

To register for this lecture and/or workshop, visit our events page.

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