Masks of Transiency: a lecture by Erel Shalit

On Tuesday, June 2, 2009, 7:00 – 8:30 pm the C.G. Jung foundation for Analytical Psychology, President's Lecture Series presents Erel Shalit lecturing on:

Masks of Transiency: The Transient Personality Between Shadow and Persona


The identity of the fundamentalist is shaped by archetypal identification, whereby the shadow is projected on the “Evil Other,” onto whom acts of evil may be “justifiably” perpetrated. Postmodern deconstruction of identity, on the other hand, tends toward ‘as-if’ and transiency. Images and ideas become detached from “ground and reality.” The image becomes its own simulacrum, detached from the images of interiority.

In contrast to fundamentalism, the post-modern condition is distinguished by a multitude of perspectives and narratives, challenging the view and the value of central, universal truths. Furthermore, it is characterized by transiency. Characteristics such as speed without digestion, fleeing the centre, remoteness from reality, disconnection from temporality, and the as-if quality of wearing transient masks come together in what may be termed the Transient Personality.

In the process of individuation, the ego-Self axis is vital and dynamic, leading to a conscious sense of wholeness and meaning. However, the ego of the Transient Personality is squeezed between persona and shadow, which have a tendency to merge.

In this lecture Dr. Shalit will elaborate on these issues, which are related to the crises and opportunities, the dangers and the hopes of today’s world.

Erel Shalit, Ph.D., is a Jungian psychoanalyst in Ra'anana, Israel. He is a training and supervising analyst, and past President of the Israel Society of Analytical Psychology. He serves as liaison person of the International Association of Analytical Psychology (IAAP) with Bulgaria.

Dr. Shalit is a past Director of the Community Mental Health Clinic, Shalvata Regional Psychiatric Centre. He has served as officer in the IDF Medical Corps, and is a member of the Council for Peace and Security.

He is the author of Enemy, Cripple, Beggar: Shadows in the Hero's Path (2008), The Hero and His Shadow: Psychopolitical Aspects of Myth and Reality in Israel (new revised edition, 2004), and The Complex: Path of Transformation from Archetype to Ego (2002).

Articles of his have appeared in Quadrant: The Journal of the C.G. Jung Foundation, The Jung Journal (previously the San Francisco Jung Institute Library Journal), Spring Journal, Political Psychology, Clinical Supervisor, Round Table Review, The Jung Page, Midstream and other professional and cultural journals. Entries of his are forthcoming in The Encyclopedia of Psychology and Religion, Journeys and Encounters: 17th International IAAP Congress, and elsewhere.

Dr. Shalit lectures at professional institutes, universities, and cultural forums in Israel, Europe and the United States.

Press Release: 'RE-IMAGINING MARY'

Fisher King Press is pleased to announce the publication of:

Re-Imagining Mary:
A Journey through Art to the Feminine Self
by Mariann Burke


Artists plumb the depths of soul which Jung calls the collective unconscious, the inheritance of our ancestors’ psychic responses to life’s drama. In this sense the artist is priest, mediating between us and God. The artist introduces us to ourselves by inviting us into the world of image. We may enter this world to contemplate briefly or at length. Some paintings invite us back over and over again and we return, never tiring of them. It is especially these that lead us to the Great Mystery, beyond image. Re-Imagining Mary is about meeting the Cosmic Mary in image and imagination, the many facets of the Mary image that mirror both outer reality and inner feminine soul.

In Re-Imagining Mary Jungian analyst Mariann Burke offers personal reflections and suggests symbolic meanings in works by several artists including: Fra Angelico, Albrecht Dürer, Henry Ossawa Tanner, Nicolas Poussin, Parmigianino, Duccio di Buoninsegna, Salvador Dali, Andy Warhol, and Frederick Franck.

In western Christianity this Mary bears the titles and the qualities worshipped for thousands of years in the Female images of God and Goddess. These titles include Mary as Sorrowful One and as Primordial Mother. Recovering Mary both as light and dark Madonna plays a crucial role in humanity’s search for a divinity who reflects soul. Also discussed is Mary as the sheltering Great Mother that Piero della Francesca suggest in the Madonna del Parto and Mater Misericodia. Frederick Franck's The Original Face and the Medieval Vierge Ouvrante also suggest this motif of Mary as Protector of the mystery of our common Origin. Franck’s inspiration for his sculpture of Mary was the Buddhist koan—"What is your original face before you were born?"

Here’s what a few of Mariann Burke’s contemporaries have to say about Re-Imagining Mary:

“Mariann Burke has undertaken the remarkable and urgent task of grounding one of the major icons of Christian history, Mary. She plants Mary side by side with her ancient sister colleagues: Isis, Kali, Demeter, Tara and others, revealing Mary’s ancient roots. This reading is critical for the 21st century since, through Mary, one expression of the Feminine archetype, matter can again be seen as divinized and the idea of incarnation pushed solidly into the matter of all things. Re-Imagining Mary is really re-imagining ourselves as women and men giving birth to God in newer and more relevant ways today. It is reimagining not only our own personal soul’s journey but also the deep sacredness of the soul of the world itself.”
—Fred Gustafson, author of The Black Madonna.

“In this beautiful book, recounting her personal journey of discovery, Mariann Burke offers us her awakening to the experience of the Feminine. We follow her as she encounters and responds to images of Mary which hold meaning for her: Mary as Virgin Mother, Mary as Mirror, Mary as the Compassionate Sanctuary for suffering humanity, Mary as Temple, Mary as Black Madonna and Divine Wisdom. Through her contemplation of these images, she leads us deeper into an understanding of the Feminine and into unexplored dimensions of the soul. This is a book to savor and return to often.”
—Anne Baring, co-author of The Myth of the Goddess: Evolution of an Image.

“For two millennia throughout all Christendom the image of the Blessed Virgin Mary has been adored. From the lofty world’s cathedrals to the smallest Christmas crèche that adorns a humble family dwelling her representation is present. Anthems are sung to her, voices are raised to praise her name, her very being. And yet standing back with some reflection, are we consciously aware of a deeper, more significant meaning of Mary? In re-imagining Mary, may we broaden our understanding of the profound psychological value her image holds for us. As author and analyst Mariann Burke wisely guides us and reawakens us to a renewed vision of Mary, we consciously begin to understand the extent of what her image embodies.”
—Nancy Qualls-Corbett, author of The Sacred Prostitute and Awakening Woman

“This fascinating and energizing book is the fruit of the author’s travels, study, contemplation, and personal experiences. I heartily recommend it to anyone who wants to begin or continue to face self, death, pregnancy in its various modes, and spiritual creativity. Using her readings of Mariann paintings and sculptures, from Fra Angelico to Warhol and Franck, Burke explores the Divine Feminine as a powerful force in the past, present, and future.”
—Jane D. Schaberg, Professor of Religious and Women’s Studies, University of Detroit Mercy, author of The Resurrection of Mary Magdalene.

To learn more about Re-Imagining Mary and many other Jungian publications visit www.fisherkingpress.com.

Published by Fisher King Press: Re-Imagining Mary ISBN 978-0-9810344-1-6 Also available from your local bookstore, a host of online booksellers.
Click here to order a copy of Re-Imagining Mary

il Piccolo to publish: Dark Shadows Red Bayou

A new novel by top-selling Fisher King author, John Atkinson, is scheduled for publication on June 1st, 2009. Dark Shadows Red Bayou will be published by il piccolo editions, Fisher King Publishing’s new fiction imprint.

Timekeeper, Atkinson’s novel/quasi-memoir, has enjoyed a great deal of success since being introduced in January 2008 and is currently nominated for the Library of Virginia Fiction award. Timekeeper is a coming-of-age tale, describing the experiences of a 14-year-old runaway boy’s hardships, victories, and all the inspirational people who guided him on his journey and helped him to triumph over illiteracy. Critics are praising Timekeeper as a deeply moving book written in the spirit of Sue Monk Kidd's The Secret Life of Bees.

With his rapidly growing popularity in the literary marketplace it was considered a perfect opportunity to introduce the reading public to more of the magic John Atkinson has tucked up his sleeves. Plan to be moved once again as you follow the twist and turns of the masterfully written, mysterious, and highly entertaining Dark Shadows Red Bayou.

Now Shipping!
Dark Shadows Red Bayou—by John Atkinson
ISBN 978-0-9810344-7-8 Paperback