Friends of Jung-South

Stephen Martin, Jungian analyst, contrasts thoughtless rage, which can become a repetitive dehumanizing defense against relationship, with the transformative power of anger.

The numbness and a frozen emotional dissociation of the trauma of a client led me to ask, "What is your favorite fairy tale?" The following week, this client returned with an apologetic response. "I know it's not a fairy tale, but my favorite tale would be The Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf."

In further explanation, the client noted that the tale was about a bull whose true nature was peaceful and kind but because his mother and father had been so huge and ferocious, he was expected to be the same. Feeling judged by family and friends, the story spoke to the client's feeling of not being seen. Moving from fear and everyday minutia to an image opens the psyche like the lancing of a wound.

Using the Ferdinand story, we will briefly explore the archetypal rage that exists in the psyche of everyone and can escape when one experiences trauma or when one's coping resources have been depleted. This archetypal presence is acknowledged by the illuminating qualities of curiosity and story, allowing one to access transformation.