Hello members, how has your inner work been unfolding this month?

Today, I’m opening up the discussion thread to answer your pressing inner work questions. This is your chance to ask me for guidance, interpretation support, or perspective on something emerging in life currently.

Think of it like my …

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One of my goals is to get back into teaching in-person this year! There’s something special about holding space together, engaging in live discussion, and feeling the energy and co-creation of all participants.

I’ll be returning to teaching at The Alembic once my maternity leave is over, but in the meantime, you can check out the recording of the tarot class below. It includes an introductory lecture on tarot fundamentals, a great taster of my style and approach to working with the cards. For deeper learning, you can check out the Tarot for Beginners and The Art of Tarot Interpretation classes here at The Artemisian.

Please forgive some of the streaming blips through out, this was a live class with slightly finicky tech :]

~Alyssa

I’m excited to bring it back this month with Hekate, the liminal goddess and key-holder of dark mysteries who leads us through the crossroads. In this workshop, we explore her archetypal expressions as Great Mother, Sorceress, Psychopomp, and Crone, considering how we can build a relationship to her in these different expressions. Meet Hekate in her many forms, dive into her rich symbols, and uncover her potency as initiator, transformer, and underworld guide.

Archetypal Encounters: Hekate will support you to:

• Understand Hekate as a figure of liminality, unconscious power, and transformation through a Jungian lens

• Recognize the psychological significance of her four archetypal forms: Great Mother, Sorceress, Psychopomp, and Crone

• Interpret the key, torch, crossroads, and dog as symbols of access, illumination, transition, and instinct within inner change

• Apply Hekate’s archetypal themes to guide you through current transitions, changes, and thresholds of life

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Many of the powerful, transformative, and healing moments of my life have come from meeting the unconscious and the great archetypal energies that animate the psyche.

Perhaps the earliest example of it was when I was a small child, under 5 years old. I was plagued with night terrors, dreams of being stalked by a vampiric figure as I raced through the backyard of my home. Then I would awake, dazed and emotionally charged, to a scene of horror…spiders crawling all over my bed. Was it a hallucination? A continuation of the dream itself? It was viscerally real, overwhelming, stretching for what felt like hours in a timeless state. Eventually, they’d disappear, no trace of them left except for the imprint of fear I felt deep in my bones.

One day I went to my grandmother, a Sicilian immigrant whose old-world ways always shimmered with a kind of magic and awe. She was a devout Catholic who practiced ancestral folk healing, an intuitive with the kind of clairvoyant sight that shocked any who witnessed it; a liminal, reality-shifting individual in herself. She listened intently and instructed me to say the Lord’s Prayer when I awoke, to seek a higher power when I felt I had nowhere to turn.

And so I did, signing the cross, whispering the words, even as the spiders raced around me. In that contemplative space, I felt that I entered a different reality. Prayer was the vehicle but I was the conduit, an act that allowed me to touch into the otherworldly realm of the beyond. The night terrors and visions faded but my curiosity grew deeper. From that moment on, I’ve strived to maintain that connection. Not to a God I read about in religious texts, but to the numinous energy found within, the mystery of the inner landscape.

I continued to find it in all sorts of surprising ways. Deep in meditation, I was visited by mythic figures — howling wolves and mystical sorceresses — who gave me advice and helped ground me in times of overwhelm. A series of dreams kept urging me to leave behind my Jungian analysis and begin therapeutic somatic work, a decision I never anticipated that brought profound healing. Striking synchronicities and intuitive realizations appeared at the most sudden of moments, telling me to leave a job, move away, look where I didn’t think to look, and there I found a part of myself that was in need.

Each time the underworld of psyche opened up, through its images, symbols, and liminal states, I felt that same sort of awe. A presence that is always there, just below the surface; awesome in its ability to move, inspire, frighten and cure. It has been the baptismal waters, drawing me in to tend to my wounds and initiate me to a new way of being. It has been the cave of shadows I fear to enter, the haunting voices calling out, and though I resist, I know I must go forward. It has been my greatest teacher, instructing me on how to be more present, giving me new eyes to see.

In this quote, von Franz says, echoing Jung, that all their efforts in therapy are to help clients open to an archetypal experience, the only true healing factor, which cannot be forced. I agree to an extent, that by the grace of the Fates we may receive such an experience when we are most in need.

But what I have learned throughout my life is that the veil between psychic realities can always be engaged.

All my earliest and formative meetings with the unconscious happened naturally, spontaneously. But as I grew older, I began to experiment with reaching out, with cultivating a receptive inner state. Different practices and modalities proved to be fruitful; a bridge could be built to the depths if I did so with intention, if I sharpened my ability to read its messages and notice its influences.

This aligns me with the traditions of the ancient diviners, oracles, mystics and seers, those who traversed the borderlands of psyche, meeting godly presences and bringing their words of mystery, command and wisdom forth. Although we cannot will the gods, just as we cannot will the unconscious, we can appeal to it.

It begins with tending the link to the deep psyche and touching into the archetypal realm.

What do we mean when we say archetypal?

The word archetype brings to mind common motifs and characters found in myth and fiction, gods of the pantheon, tricksters, heroines, cycles of death and birth. But these are not archetypes, they are the products, cultural artifacts that point back to the psychic forms which they rest upon.

Archetypes are the dynamic forces of the psyche, foundational structures that reveal themselves through image, symbol, and patterns of experience. They are the vessels of creation that energize life, timeless and eternal. To be in relationship with them is to meet the generative field of the soul.

Archetypal perspectives give us a way to see into the fabric of experience, where symbolic threads weave through seemingly disparate moments, coalescing into a world rich with depth, meaning, and insight. In this stratum of the psyche, we encounter metaphors and images that awaken the imagination, that expand our sense of being.

This builds the vital link between conscious and unconscious, making us a being of the liminal worlds — the seen and unseen, the literal and the symbolic, within and without. No longer do we feel alone, rather, we are held in an archetypal constellation. It is here that integration becomes possible, where individuation unfolds and a steady center of the personality is formed.

For example, what at first appears as sudden depression, listlessness, and emotional overwhelm might, through an archetypal lens, be understood as a descent to the underworld (aka, the unconscious). The individual is at first gripped by the experience — clouded by its intensity, unable to find direction or meaning. So they turn toward the tarot and draw The High Priestess. Sitting at the veil between worlds, she counsels us to venture into the mystery, that a threshold is present. They notice pomegranates upon the veil, a symbol that recalls Persephone’s underworld journey into shadow and sovereignty.

The experience begins to take new shape. With the High Priestess as guide and Persephone as the mirror, the individual starts to understand that the descent (and its accompanying symptoms) are essential. If met consciously, the seeds of transformation could take root as they interact with the unconscious in its many forms. The experience becomes imbued with mythic meaning, the archetypal patterns help them feel supported while offering keys for action and deeper seeing. What was once unbearable is now recognized as purposeful, an important step in the growth and development of self.

How will you reach out?

Following the path of the diviners, I have found two necessary requisites for this work.

1. Lowering the field of conscious awareness: Reflective, meditative, and liminal states that relax the grip of the ego create the proper conditions to access unconscious material. This includes deep meditation or engaging in active imagination, drifting between sleep and waking (or being fully asleep), trance or flow states, noticing intuitive insights and sitting with the information/symbols that arise, etc.

2. Utilizing symbolic or archetypal tools/systems: The psyche naturally “speaks” in a symbolic language. Anywhere we find concentrations of symbol and image, a portal to the unconscious opens. Divinatory systems such as tarot, runes, and the I Ching, along with archetypal frameworks like astrology and myth, help us enter into meaningful dialogue with the deeper layers of psyche.

There are countless combinations and ways to do this work. After all, the art of divination can be practiced with just about anything. This is exciting because it means you can shape the path as best fits your psychic landscape. Methods you feel drawn to (or maybe even resistant to) are great places to start.

Here at The Artemisian, you see a weaving of my cherished archetypal systems, those with the strongest voice that have called me to their altar. They include:

• Mythology and Fairytales: Stories arising from the collective unconscious, where archetypes are expressed in symbolic and narrative form. Fairytales often remain closer to the raw expressions of the unconscious, while myths, having been elevated to cultural or national status, can lose some of their original psychic purity (and strangeness).

• Tarot: A symbolic set of 78 cards, where each one reflects universal patterns of experience, from the deeply concentrated archetypal energies of the Major Arcana to the more personal and situational themes of the Minor Arcana.

• Alchemy: A tradition that sought to explore the mysteries and transmutations of nature. The alchemist’s efforts (which were both concrete and psychological) activated the collective unconscious, giving alchemy a double face: its materials, procedures, and images express both the transformations of matter and the archetypal dynamics of the psyche.

• Dreams: Direct expressions of the unconscious that arise when the ego is dimmed in sleep. Dreams reveal the unique images, symbols and patterns of our inner world, while also tapping into deeper archetypal frameworks.

You can also try out practices that lean more into lowering the conscious field and less so on working with image and symbol. Reading palms, utilizing a pendulum, scrying, ecstatic dance or free writing/drawing can move one into a liminal state. This opens the same divinatory portals, where unconscious material flows higher towards the ego.

The Artemisian is a home for archetypal inner work

In my writings and teachings, I strive to make the path of archetypal inner work accessible, showing that the potential to see archetypally and meet the unconscious is latent within each of us. We do not need to outsource this work to another; we are the living channel through which psyche’s images and expressions move.

Finding that path alone, however, can be disorienting. Where do we begin? What resources should we turn to? How do we make sense of the flood of images, symbols and experiences that flow from the unconscious?

The Artemisian stands at the threshold of the psyche and these mysteries. My hope is that the offerings here will help you to explore the influences shaping your inner and outer life, learn the symbolic language of the unconscious, and deepen your journey of growth and becoming.

The membership is where we do the most powerful form of this work — monthly classes, a wealth of educational resources, and a community of thoughtful fellow seekers walking the path of individuation together.

Join the membership today

Thanks for reading! I’d love to hear your thoughts and reflections on these ideas…

Do you practice any forms of divination or related modalities? Are you interested in building a relationship to the unconscious? Have you had similar experiences to the ones mentioned here? Join me in the comments to discuss!

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What unconscious insights can we uncover during heightened emotional experiences?

There is no one path to discovering unconscious material within. Insights and perceptions can be gleaned in a variety of ways, from the images in our dreams to patterns of impulsive behavior or mysterious somatic symptoms. We can also inquire into our shifting emotional states, especially ones that came upon us suddenly: “Where did this intense rage come from? Why am I in tears and feeling so sadly? What brings forth this rush of joy and connection?”

Something deeper brews within the psyche during these times. The temptation to minimize the experience, to sweep it under the rug, or rationalize it away is strong. What if we instead saw these moments as messages emanating from the unconscious?

The main takeaways from Jung are:

• Heightened emotions cause altered states of consciousness (where ego dims).

• The contents of the unconscious intensify and break through the surface.

• This reveals structures of the psyche, like complexes, and more deeply, the archetypal foundations they sit upon.

Let’s take a look at this further…

Consider this Jungian diagram1 that depicts the strata of the psyche. On the left side, we see the typical mode of psychic organization. The bright outer ring is the conscious sphere, all the psychic contents that are explicit, obvious, and accessible. It includes the thoughts, memories, images, emotions, and sensations we’re aware of (or can become aware of) in the moment. It also contains the ego, the autobiographical “I,” which provides a sense of identity and continuity.

Beneath this lies the personal unconscious, where complexes, repressed material, and emerging aspects of self reside. Deeper still is the collective unconscious: the universal, inborn layer of the psyche that contains archetypal frameworks, primordial symbols, and psychic drives shared by all of humanity.

During times of psychic disruption, the lower unconscious layers flood into consciousness (see the expansion of the dark unconscious rings in the diagram). As the levee fails, as material from the personal and collective unconscious spills in, we experience a profound sense of disorientation—an altered state of consciousness.

This is a remarkable moment, a piercing into the psychic veil, something that often takes an incredible amount of effort and focus to achieve. Jung tells us that the process is being driven by complexes. Loosely, we can define a complex as clusters of related images, ideas, and experiences held together by a common emotional tone and an archetypal core. They form the basic elements of the personal unconscious, acting as fundamental building blocks of the personality. They are not inherently negative or positive, but range in quality depending on their genesis.

Complexes are sometimes referred to as “splinter psyches2,” which speaks to their semi-autonomous nature and the quality of personhood they carry. They are not a mere emotion or memory exiled away into psychic shadow, they are rich and dynamic, with thoughts, feelings, yearnings, and drives unto themself. Reclamation of a complex strengthens and fleshes out our psychological makeup. It is an essential task of individuation, one that supports a deepening sense of selfhood and wholeness.

This guide is designed to help you meet a complex during times of emotional activation. Doing so illuminates the unconscious in new light, allowing you to access the personal unconscious threads of your inner world, and, perhaps most importantly, the archetypal center that shapes it.

Exploring and Integrating a Complex

Many of the intractable patterns of behavior, thought, and orientation we find most frustrating are rooted in our complexes. Their autonomy, their capacity to overwhelm consciousness, to subtly or explicitly drive our actions, speaks to their incredible power and influence.

Intention to engage a complex is not enough. Understanding the psychic landscape, all of the surrounding associations, its origins, the role it plays within the psyche, the archetype at its heart — this is what gives us the best chance to truly meet and integrate complex material.

Below are 3 steps and guidelines to support you through this process.

I. — Choose a Situation

Consider a recent time of emotionality. It may encompass a spectrum of possibility such as:

• A fit of jealousy that overcame you

• An overreaction to being let down that you can’t make sense of

• Feeling infatuated by a new individual for reasons you cannot place

• A pattern of behavior you find frustrating but cannot seem to overcome

• A rigid belief such as, “I’m not good enough”

• Anytime you come out of an experience and think, “I was not myself”

Write about the situation briefly.

II. — Elements of the Complex

The next step in the process is to discern the elements of the complex. Try to place yourself back into that state, to recall what it felt like inwardly and outwardly as you explore the landscape of the complex.

The elements of the complex are:

• Emotions (the array of feelings present)

• Images (mental pictures, symbols, or visual representations)

• Thoughts (beliefs, judgements, and ideas)

• Memories (recollections of past events)

• Physical sensations (noticeable bodily impressions)

Step two often needs to be repeated many times over, especially around compulsive reactions and behaviors we cannot seem to change. Each time we engage in the exercise, we gain more insight. It may take several repetitions to fill out the list completely. With consistency, the general patterns start to reveal itself.

If you use the guide often enough, you can try to do step two when a complex is activated (meaning you are doing so in the moment). This is a task, however, that requires considerable ego stability and nervous system resilience, so you may struggle with the process. The more often you try, the easier it becomes! If you’re not able to catch much during the moment, record as much as you can immediately afterward, when you have come back to yourself.

III. — Reflection and Integration

Once you’ve fleshed out the web of the complex, it’s time to engage in reflection and sketch paths towards integration. Here are some prompts and considerations to help you do so:

• Which elements from step two have the most energy and intensity? Try ranking them from most to least activating or intense.

  • Why do you think one element (such as a feeling of abandonment or an image of a crashing plane) is more powerful than the others?

• Can you make any connections back to past events? If so, what happened during that time of your life that may be unresolved?

• If the complex were to tell its life story, what would it say?

• What purpose or role does this complex serve? How is it trying to support you or compensate for something?

• Are there certain qualities, experiences, or aspects of self the complex wants you to claim, acknowledge, or attend to?

• What might the complex need to feel resolved, heard, and welcomed?

• Based on your reflections, which archetype would you guess sits at the center of this complex?

Lastly, what is 1 - 3 practical actions you can implement based on the insight you’ve gained from the complex?

Here’s an example of this process at work in my life.

I. — Choose a Situation:

A mixup with my scheduling system at work led to a double booking for my clients, with one individual missing their session completely. It wasn’t clear till well after the session concluded what had happened. When I realized it, I felt deeply upset, to a clearly overblown extent. My distress was confusing—sure, it’s important to recognize and learn from my mistakes, but the anguish and guilt I felt seemed to indicate a deeper isue.

II. — Elements of the complex:

• Emotions: Remorse, disappointment, guilt, frustration, anger at myself.

• Images: Wandering through a dark and chaotic storm.

• Thoughts: “I should have caught this.” “It’s my job to foresee these events.” “I failed."

• Memories: Times in school when I was unprepared for a group project. Working as a waitress and forgetting orders. Feeling like I letdown someone in my family.

• Physical sensations: Tightness in the chest and my body feeling on high alert.

III. — Reflection and Integration

The memories I uncovered in step two really stuck out to me. I was surprised to find myself moving back in time, to past events that seem unrelated, yet clearly have a connection. At the center of these memories is a driving emotional current: a high level of conscientiousness that quickly becomes persecutory. I am not giving myself any grace, no room for mistakes, or to account for factors out of my control. I wonder, “Why do I hold myself to such unrealistic standards?”

I believe the complex is presenting me with an opportunity to develop more compassion, grace, and understanding. I readily offer this to others, often without question. My inability to do so for myself, the resistance I feel, clearly speaks to a tension within.

What role does this persecutor play? On the one hand, it helps me attend to others with incredible attention and care. My ability to anticipate needs, to give freely, and naturally attune to others is one of the gifts of my personality. But it clearly goes too far, my own well being or self-compassion is sacrificed.

The main archetypal pattern that came up for me is The Caretaker. The sense of failure is less about perfectionism and more so about letting other people down. When someone else is involved, there is a heightened need to handle a situation correctly, so that things go smoothly and the needs of others are met. The archetype clearly drives a lot of meaning, but its lacking nuance and balance. I believe this is tied to a learned behavior that began at a very young age.

Practical actions:

• When the complex is activated, try to say “this is The Caretaker” to slow down my reactions and build more awareness.

• Practice more self-compassion and grace at all times, not just when situations like this come up.

• Do a tarot reading with “The Caretaker” as the focus to explore its desires and needs further.

Recommended Resources

Books

• “A Review of the Complex Theory” in Structure and Dynamics of the Psyche (CW 8) by C.G. Jung

• Complex, Archetype, Symbol in the Psychology of C.G. Jung by Jolande Jacobi

• Chapter 2, “The Populated Interior” in Jung’s Map of the Soul by Murray Stein

At The Artemisian

• Mythic Inner Work (workshop)

• The Inner Fire: Erupting Forces of Psychological Renewal (article)

Join the conversation

Do you have any thoughts or questions on complexes? Have you used other techniques to navigate and work with complexes in your life? What main complex are you grappling with currently?

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~ Welcome to The Oracle, a monthly divination to open the archetypal field through a blend of tarot and dreamwork ~

Hekate — great goddess of the night, mistress of the crossroads, keeper of dark and magical mysteries, she is the focus and guide for our studies and inner work this month.

Of all the Greek mythic figures, she seems to exhibit a unique kind of draw for the modern psyche, especially those navigating spiritual and psychological inner work. It’s curious, for as Titaness, Hekate is older and more primordial than her Olympian brethren. Further, she lacks the large body of mythic stories that many other gods have. Rather than narrative allure, it is Hekate in practice, Hekate in ritual, Hekate as a living archetypal force that truly captures our imagination.

She is, however, most famously associated as an alternative psychopomp in the story of Persephone’s abduction. In the Homeric Hymn to Demeter, it is the sun and moon, the heavens and the chthonic depths through Helios and Hekate, who hear Persephone’s cries as she is drawn into the underworld. Torches bared in hand, she guides Demeter to her long-lost daughter, and eventually becomes companion to the Underworld Queen.

Then Hekatē approached them, the one with the splendid headband.

And she welcomed back the daughter of holy Demeter with many embraces.

And from that day forward, the Lady [Hekatē] became her [Persephone’s] attendant and substitute queen.

— Homeric Hymn to Demeter

From the hymn, we can gather that Hekate is seen as a sort of secondary underworld authority. Where Hades and Persephone rule explicitly, Hekate rules from the shadows. Thus we see her worshipped and honored in all sorts of dark and liminal spaces. As archetypal presence, she captures these marginal, borderline areas of life, acting as Goddess of:

• The waning and dark phases of the moon

• Thresholds, doorways, and crossroads

• Magic, witchcraft, and occult arts

• The underworld and death

In this, Hekate dissolves rigid boundaries of archetypal categorization. She rules many realms and is ambivalent as both helper and provoker.

For our studies this month, we will explore the goddess in these many forms: as Great Mother, Sorceress, Psychopomp, and Crone. We will reflect on her symbols: the key, the crossroads, the torch, and the dog.

But first, we invoke Hekate in our divinatory work, appealing to her unconscious wisdom. Hekate is calling, through the images of the tarot and in the symbols of our dreams.

With Hekate in mind, let’s see what The Oracle has to say…

Hekate’s Call…

The Moon — Thresholds, Magic, & the Night World

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I’m away on maternity leave in April and May, which means that our first two workshops will be pre-recorded and sent directly to your inbox to enjoy. I’ll be returning to live teaching in June!

Our monthly inner work experience continues on as usual though. Here’s what you can expect:

• The Oracle — We kick off our inner work with a blended tarot and dreamwork divination to open the archetypal field.

• Workshop — Mid-month, I’ll send out the workshop for you to watch.

• Office Hours Discussion Thread + Q&A — We close out with an office hours style discussion thread. Bring your pressing inner work questions, tarot/dreamwork interpretation requests, etc!

I’ve also added something new…a suggested text or book related to our monthly theme (listed below). This is completely optional, but a great addition if you’re wanting to deepen your studies.

Let’s take a look at our workshops and monthly studies schedule for the next three months!

Join the membership to participate

Archetypal Encounters: Hekate

Explore the archetypal themes of the liminal goddess

In April, we will explore the dark mysteries and liminal realms of the goddess Hekate through a Jungian and mythic lens, reflecting on her many psychological functions. We’ll work with her archetypal forms and key symbols as a guide through our current transitions, initiations, transformations, and underworld journeys.

Our focus includes:

• Hekate’s archetypal themes and psychological functions as Great Mother, Sorceress, Psychopomp, and Crone

• Her key symbols: key, torch, crossroads, and dog

• How Hekate can help us navigate liminal states, change, and inner transformation

Suggested reading:

• The Homeric Hymn to Demeter

• The Orphic Hymn to Hekate (see below)

“Hekate Einodia, Trioditis [Trivia], lovely dame, of earthly, watery, and celestial frame, sepulchral, in a saffron veil arrayed, pleased with dark ghosts that wander through the shade; Perseis (daughter of Perses), solitary goddess, hail! The world’s key-bearer, never doomed to fail; in stags rejoicing, huntress, nightly seen, and drawn by bulls, unconquerable queen; Leader, Nymphe, nurse, on mountains wandering, hear the suppliants who with holy rites thy power revere, and to the herdsman with a favouring mind draw near.”

Orphic Hymn 1 to Hecate (trans. Taylor) (Greek hymns C3rd B.C. to 2nd A.D.)

Synchronicity

Learn to recognize and interpret synchronicity in your life

In May, we will explore Jung’s theory of synchronicity, where inner psychic states and outer events meaningfully align without direct cause. We’ll work with synchronicity as an expression of the unus mundus (one world) and as the bridge between psyche and matter, learning how to interpret these moments as signals from the unconscious within the individuation process.

Our focus includes:

• Using synchronicity to orient and deepen the individuation process

• Recognizing when synchronicities are occurring in your life and what they are reflecting about the current moment in time

• How to interpret synchronicities symbolically and practically for insight and guidance

Suggested reading:

• Synchronicity: An Acausal Connecting Principle by C.G. Jung

Court Cards

Meet the archetypal personalities of the tarot

In June, we will study the court cards as psychic configurations that reveal distinct modes of being and patterns of expression within the psyche. We’ll explore each card in depth, examining their psychological undercurrents and how they emerge in readings and inner work.

Our focus includes:

• Meeting each court card as an archetypal personality or psychic pattern

• Understanding the court card’s unique psychological dynamics and expressions

• How to interpret each court card with nuance, clarity, and depth in readings

Suggested reading:

• Chapter 5, “The Many Faces of the Tarot Court,” and Chapter 6, “The Court Cards,” in Tarot and the Psychology of the Soul by

Please note: Live classes will return this month! I’ll send an update on this closer to the date :)

If you have any questions or thoughts, feel free to drop it in the comments below!

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Hello members, how has your inner work been unfolding this month?

Today, I’m opening up the discussion thread to answer your pressing inner work questions. This is your chance to ask me for gui…

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Images of springtime (flowers in bloom, the gentle warmth of the sun) were nowhere to be found. And that, in and of itself, is an essential lesson to hold close: transitions are rarely gentle. Emergence from darkness requires adjustment; the light feels harsh and bright, even if it brings promise of new life.

Would Persephone agree with this sentiment? What was it like for her to be forcefully drawn underground and then called back to the upper world? Caught between the yearnings of the Mother and the dark initiations of the Underworld, she oscillates in a rhythmic dance. Each turn of the cycle sharpens her capacity to shift modes of being and realities — Queen to Maiden and back again. Each time is a loss and a gain, a withering and an unfurling, a death and a rebirth. The pain and ecstasy of these experiences are part of her mysteries.

So much time, energy, and interpretation is given to her capture, to her time in Hades. But in recent years, I’ve felt more and more drawn to her ascent, to the conditions that need to be met for one to successfully complete the journey to the underworld, to return. As the seasons shift, as Persephone rises once more, I invite you to be held in the archetypal constellation of her myth.

How might you navigate your own descents and confrontations as Persephone would? What needs to be sacrificed in service to becoming and stepping deeper into self-hood? What are the guiding symbols that will bring you back to life?

For the next week, I’m opening access to Persephone’s Ascent & Springtime Renewal, a class I taught last year that explores these very themes. Let it be the mythic guide through your current descent cycle, the map that helps you navigate the underworld and ascend into new awareness.

If you enjoy this sort of mytho-artchetypal exploration, I invite you to join us in The Artemisian’s membership.

Each month is curated to support a deepening relationship with the psyche and its symbols, to learn the skills of archetypal awareness through a blend of dreamwork, alchemy, tarot, myths and fairytales — all grounded within the profound framework of Jungian psychology. Classes, educational resources, discussion threads, and more await those who feel called to the archetypal mysteries — I hope to see you there!

Join the membership today

I’ve always been a vivid dreamer. From a young age, the dreamworld bled into ordinary life. Caught somewhere between wakefulness and sleep, images and visions would flood in—sometimes terrifying and overwhelming, other times, wondrous and awe-inspiring. These experiences primed me to be especially receptive and open to the dreaming psyche.

The quality and types of dreams I have vary quite a bit. Often, they’re highly symbolic or mythic in tone, like casting protective magic and interactions with wild animals. Others are incredibly mundane, like a recurring stress dream of being back at my old restaurant job with too many tables to handle. There are times when I dream of others I know, about their lives or some sort of dynamic. These dreams always have a special quality to them, as if the boundaries of reality have melted away and I’ve stepped into their psyche.

As I grew older, I felt the draw to develop my dreamwork skills more intentionally. In my studies and explorations, I naturally stumbled upon Jung’s work, which completely revolutionized my practice. Dreams became the via regia, the royal road to the unconscious, and the main guide for my inner work.

The more I worked with my dreams, the more acquainted I became with the treasure trove of inner symbols teeming within my psyche. I began to notice interesting patterns, like how recurring dream imagery reflected my waking interests and identifications (e.g., sorceresses and wolves). Or, how particular dream themes only shifted after I made meaningful changes or adaptations. The link between consciousness and the unconscious was so much richer than I ever realized. Meeting the dreaming psyche each night has truly been an incredible gift.

If you feel called to work your dreams, this list will be the perfect primer. The books are squarely situated in the Jungian and Archetypal psychology approach, and range in complexity and levels of difficulty, so my hope is you’ll find something to fit your interests.

Alright, let’s dive in!

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#1 — Inner Work by Robert A. Johnson

The first three recommended books are from the classic Jungian school, starting with the most beginner-friendly, and ending in the most advanced. We kick off the list with Robert Johnson’s Inner Work: Using Dreams and Active Imagination for Personal Growth. What sets this book apart from most Jungian texts is its accessibility and simple four-step method for working with dreams.

This is not a common occurrence; most Jungian books tend to stick in the theoretical sphere or are highly academic, geared towards practitioners in the field. As an analyst, Johnson references case history and client work, but it is always presented in a relatable way. Further, his four-step approach offers structure that takes the elusive nature of dreamwork and grounds it in practical action.

The book kicks off with an introduction to the unconscious and its symbolic expressions. Johnson references and defines typical Jungian terms—individuation, ego, archetypes—without losing its accessible tone and language. It is a book clearly written for the everyday individual, an essential resource for anyone embarking on a dreamwork practice.

#2 — Dreams, A Portal to the Source by Edward C. Whitmont & Sylvia Brinton Perera

A step deeper takes us to Dreams, A Portal to the Source, a collaborative text from two key Jungian analysts, Edward C. Whitmont and Sylvia Brinton Perera. It’s described as “a practical primer for the analyst-in-training.” This might sound intimidating, and though it may be a departure from Johnson’s beginner-friendly Inner Work, I encourage you to give this book a try if you want to immerse yourself in Jungian theoretics.

Though it is designed as a handbook for therapists, you do not need to be one to read this book and find it valuable. Because it systematically moves through the Jungian approach and understanding of the dreamscape, it works as a powerful guide to developing your own dreamwork practice. As a teaching text, it breaks down essential Jungian concepts from compensation and amplification to recognizing mythological motifs and understanding the dramatic structure in dreams.

Some of the material may feel irrelevant (like working with dreams in clinical practice), but consider this perspective as you read through the book: you are both practitioner and client. With inner work, you are the one dreaming and the dream interpreter; you are tasked to record your dream material and have the skills to decode its deeper meanings. Dreams, A Portal to the Source gives you those skills and perspectives.

#3 — Dreams by C.G. Jung

Now we enter into the most difficult of the Jungian offerings—an anthology of Jung’s writing on dreams from various volumes of the Collected Works (CW). In all areas of Jungian interest, it is worthwhile to build up to reading him directly. For most of us curious seekers, Jung’s writing comes off as nearly impenetrable—overly dense and exhaustive texts sprinkled with technical jargon, Greek and Latin terms (usually with no definitions)…you get the picture! Keep in mind, these publications were written for the larger medical and scientific community; books designed for the public (like Man and His Symbols) are very different in tone.

Jung’s core writings—the Collected Works—span nearly 60 years. In that time, Jung’s thoughts, concepts, and interests naturally evolved and deepened. Some find that exceedingly frustrating, because in one essay, he will speak of the Self or archetypes in one capacity, and then in another essay, it changes. The same is true for Dreams; this anthology begins with writings from his early career, when he was developing his psychiatric practice and embedded in Freud’s psychoanalytic community.

The later chapters display his psychological refinement and archetypal prowess. Some of them (e.g., “General Aspects of Dream Psychology”) are as straightforward and instructional as it gets for Jung (explorations of different functions of dreams from prospective—how the unconscious images what the psyche is moving towards or anticipating—to compensatory—how dreams offer a complementary perspective that balances the one-sidedness of ego consciousness). I especially enjoyed the final section, “Individual Dream Symbols in Relation to Alchemy”, where alchemical motifs in physicist Wolfgang Pauli’s dreams are examined and interpreted.

#4 — The Dream and the Underworld by James Hillman

Although I am most closely aligned with the classic Jungian school, I often dip into James Hillman’s work and approach, an offshoot called Archetypal psychology. Together, Jung and Hillman provide a broad and expansive exploration into psychological experience. Where Jung sees the psyche as innately attuned to the individuation process—the drive towards wholeness and becoming via the linking of consciousness and the unconscious—Hillman encourages the art of “soul-making,” where we deepen into the imaginal ground of the psyche.

In Hillman’s approach, the monomyth of individuation is cast aside, allowing psyche’s images and archetypal presences to become a revolving door of psychic inspiration that offers new ways of seeing, appreciating, and imagining. His seminal text, The Dream and the Underworld, shakes loose any rigid tendencies to view dreams as compensations or individuation messages. In fact, he mythically situates dreams in the underworld and in death. Doing so means we journey into the dark House of Hades each night, that dreams are an imaging of the soul’s descent.

Hillman further criticizes the knee-jerk interpretative tendencies of many dream workers. When we jump to interpreting the ocean as a symbol of the unconscious or a dream character as a configuration of a power complex, we lose the image and all it has to offer. For Hillman, they are true psychic presences to be engaged and listened to, not symbolic depictions of our psychodynamics or psychological concepts.

Jung and Hillman’s approaches, which may seem contradictory, are profoundly complementary. They naturally broaden and refine one’s approach to the psyche and its inner workings. Though challenging, I think Hillman’s book is an essential read for anyone committed to a depth psychological approach to dreams.

#5 — The Book of Symbols by ARAS

I am often asked about dream dictionaries or any sort of resource that can help with interpretation of symbols. This is a tricky question because for most individuals, their dreams are composed of images that draw upon their own personal experiences and associations. Reference books, especially mass produced ones, reduce the complexity of dreaming life to simple definitions—most of which are usually wrong or based on stereotypes.

Say you dream often of a peacock. Looking it up on popular websites says it’s a warning about vanity or vague ideas of intuition and protection. These interpretations completely discount the personal layer of dreams. Created through your own inner landscape, dreams are images filled to the brim with your psychic material. The better questions to ask are, “What does the symbol of the peacock bring up for you? What does it remind you of or seem to speak to?”

For one individual, it may bring up a memory of seeing a peacock at the zoo when they were a child, an experience filled with wonder and intrigue. For another, the peacock has always felt odd and otherworldly, its feathers like many staring eyes that bore into the soul. The interpretation of this dream symbol would differ vastly for each of these dreamers.

What a book can do is offer archetypal explorations of dream images, meaning it traces the manifestation of the symbol across time and cultures—from world mythologies, folklore, religion, art, symbolic systems, and more. The Book of Symbols is just that, a mapping of how a particular image bursts from the unconscious and into the collective. Each essay explores these different perspectives, giving you a chance to explore the archetypal richness of psychic images.

In their essay on the peacock, for example, we get excerpts on how early Christian art utilized the peacock as a symbol of resurrection or how the bird was closely associated with the Greek queen of the heavens, Hera. These offerings may or may not hold relevance for your personal dreams, but they are likely to stimulate something within, especially if you’re struggling to understand a dream image or place it in the context of your life.

Dreamwork resources at The Artemisian:

Workshops

• Jungian Dreamwork

• Dreamwork Foundations: Introduction & Mapping the Dreamscape

• Prophetic Dreams

• Nightmares and Nigredo

• Dreamwork & Divination: A Jungian Approach to Dream Incubation

• Tarot & Dreamwork

Articles/Audio Posts

• Three Steps to Strengthen Dream Recall

• The Value of a Dreamwork Practice

• Animals in Dreams

Resource Library

• Full list of recommended dreamwork books

• Archetypal Symbols Glossary

• Dream Motifs

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What’s your favorite book on dreamwork?

Have you read any of the books on this list? Which subject should I cover next — let me know your thoughts!

Leave a comment

Yesterday, we gathered for an archetypal deep dive into elemental dream symbols and their link to alchemy. This is the perfect primer if you’re curious to begin your alchemical studies and sharpen your dreamwork skills.

I’m heading on maternity leave soon (you can read about that here), so live classes are on pause till June. However! the monthly membership experience will continue with pre-recorded workshops alongside the Oracle and Q&A threads.

Keep an eye out for an update in a few weeks where I’ll be announcing the next 3 months of inner work topics and classes. In the meantime, this workshop will immerse you in alchemical wonder as you explore the transformative currents in the elemental symbols of your dreams. Enjoy!

~Alyssa

Discover how elemental dream symbols reveal the alchemical transformations moving through your psyche

Have you ever dreamed of catastrophic floods, cooking with a roaring fire, flying freely through the open sky, or descending deep into the earth?

Dreams of this nature reflect the elemental operations of alchemy — symbolic and practical processes rooted in fire, water, air, and earth. They arise during times of profound psychological change, highlighting essential themes and dynamics that help us navigate growth and evolution.

In this month’s workshop, we explore elemental dream imagery through an alchemical lens, learning how the operations of calcinatio, solutio, sublimatio, and coagulatio illuminate the forces shaping our lives, and how we can work with them consciously to support clarity, insight, and personal transformation.

In this workshop, you will learn how to:

• Understand elemental dreams through a Jungian and alchemical lens

• Recognize fire, water, air, and earth imagery in dreams and how each element relates to inner and outer dynamics

• Identify which alchemical operation (calcinatio, solutio, sublimatio, or coagulatio) is active in your dream life

• Work with dream symbolism to gain clarity and orientation for your inner work

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🌹Hello members and readers of The Artemisian🌹

The weather where I live has taken a noticeable turn in the past weeks. Sunshine and bright blue skies, the smell of budding flowers on the wind, warmer and longer days — Springtime is nearly here!

Over the long fall and winter months, I have also been gestating new life. Our second child is due soon, so I’ll be heading on maternity leave in the coming weeks :)

Navigating motherhood, postpartum, and time away is a tricky balance when you’re self-employed. My hope is to give myself a bit more time and space to adjust to life with two young children (if you have advice or thoughts, I’d love to hear it!!!) while maintaining the work that I love so much.

What can you expect during my leave?

Member benefits and our monthly inner work experience will continue as usual — except that the workshops will be pre-recorded and not taught live. I plan to return to live teaching in June. I’m also working on preparing articles and other material ahead of time so that you can continue to enjoy archetypal and inner work insights and resources while I’m away.

To summarize:

• Members will receive the Oracle and a discussion thread each month

• Mid-month I’ll send out a recorded workshop (members-only)

• This will last through April & May, with live sessions back in June

• Other educational content (like articles) will continue to be posted on The Artemisian

Share your feedback! Which topics should we cover over the Spring months?

I’d love to know which topics you’d like to see covered over the next few months. Below is a short form you can fill out to make your requests.

Share your requests

If you have any questions or reflections, just comment below!

Thank you all so much for your support and understanding as I enter this next stage of life.

Until next time,
Alyssa

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~ Welcome to The Oracle, a monthly divination to open the archetypal field through a blend of tarot and dreamwork ~

Elemental themes and symbols are some of the most prevalent in the dreamscape. The quaternity of elements are a grounding force, both within the psyche and the outer world. To be alive is to interact with them: the air you breathe, the water you drink, the fire you cook with, the earth you walk upon. Through fire, water, air, and earth, we come to know the fabric of reality and the mysteries of the natural world.

And so, it is not too surprising that the elements crop up in our dreams over and over again. In all expressions—from nurturing to disastrous, from in the background to front and center—elemental symbols emerge from the unconscious, drawing our attention with their wonder. If you cast your awareness back through the years, can you remember an elemental dream of your own?

Fire may arise as a funeral pyre, an erupting volcano spilling forth lava, as a gentle campfire that warms you through.

Water may arise as babbling brook, catastrophic floods, or swimming in a calm river.

Air may arise as flying through the open sky, a tornado crashing through, as the gentle wind in your hair.

Earth may arise as a bountiful harvest, a rock laden labyrinth, or the splitting of the land in an earthquake.

There is a wealth of classic Jungian and depth psychological perspectives to reference when interpreting these dreams. Many of those takes can be found littered through the classes and offerings here at The Artemisian.

But as one devoted to the archetypal mysteries of the psyche, I tend to branch out to other symbolic systems to enrich and amplify my inner work. Themes intensify and new clarity awakens when you start to see the threads of connection across modalities. It’s fascinating and expansive, reminding one that the depths of the collective unconscious echo through all expressions of culture and humanity.

This month, we orient to alchemy to make sense of our elemental dreams, for in their toiling, the alchemists crafted a wealth of psychologically enriching material around the themes and properties of fire, water, air, and earth. They had specific processes—called operations—aligned to each element, which blended their concrete and symbolic properties.

For example: water was utilized and represented in an operation called solutio, where the prima materia was dissolved or submerged in a liquid solution. Sinking into the depths, the structures of the material surrendered to the great body of water. This was a destructive process, an irreversible and necessary dissolution that paved the way for eventual rebirth.

Solutio is reflected anywhere we meet water in our dreams—like swimming in the ocean or facing a towering tidal wave. It calls our attention to the psychic forces that are attempting to reshape us through submergence. The dream symbols provide us with an image of where we are in relationship to these transformative elements. Our capacity to see it with alchemical eyes gives us a new ground of meaning and action to facilitate the process along.

Want to explore these ideas further? Join us this month for Alchemical Dreamwork: The 4 Elements — a month of guided inner work plus an in-depth workshop!

Register for Alchemical Dreamwork

To venture deeper into elemental wonder, this divination calls upon the Minor Arcana—the elemental expressions of the tarot deck—for guidance and wisdom. A card was drawn from each suit, another node on the archetypal map, to see where the elements are drawing our attention this month.

Let’s see what The Oracle has to say…

Elemental Guidance for Inner Work & Dreams

IX of Wands — Losing the Spark of Life

Wands explore the libidinal layer of experience, the animating force of life that moves from deep within the psyche all the way to the outer world. We find its gifts and inspirations through out much of the suit, from the fast-paced excitement of the VIII of Wands to the bold and fiery attitudes of the Queen of Wands.

Yet the Oracle reminds us this month that fire is not always so kind. The incredible effort required to sustain the spark of life is no easy feat. Towards the end of the Minor Arcana cycle, we see the cost: exhaustion, loss of energy, and the psychic fallout of endurance and passion.

The IX of Wands is an image of a once roaring blaze burned down to embers. This is a common scenario for many of us committed to earnest inner work. Our enthusiasm may have kicked off the journey, but the toll it takes upon us cannot be ignored. Fire is a hungry beast, always demanding more, more, more. Evolution through the incendiary path means we must learn to mediate these different levels, to become a master of fire and its many expressions.

Search your dreams for similar images: a dying fire, smoldering remains of a house burnt to a crisp, attempts to ignite a fire, or light a match. The invitation here is to create boundaries that act as both container and fuel. Like the figure in the IX of Wands, we can intentionally construct an environment that holds overwhelm at bay while building up the resources to ignite our inner spark once more. Be wary of smothering this vulnerable flame, it needs a careful hand.

King of Cups — A Steady Center Amidst Fluctuations

Steady amongst the waves, a ground in choppy waters — the King of Cups is a strange and somewhat paradoxical image in the tarot. He’s no Neptunian leader immersed within the sea, but a center of stability in the midst of water’s constant fluctuations.

Cups famously represent the ever-changing currents of life, the emotional swirls and relational tides. These aspects are in constant motion, always shifting their form and presence depending on the psychic weather. As King, this card reflects a sort of dominion over water, that sovereignty has been hard-won from plundering the depths and emerging renewed.

For those engaged in the inner work of Cups, or who find their dreams suffused with water-logged symbols, then know that the King is here to reflect your capacity to navigate these seas. Court cards are tricky in nature, but I always try to remember that as prominent psychic configurations, they represent our innate ability to evolve, to take new shape, to embody their qualities and styles.

Keep an eye out for the King’s presence in your dreams: fishing, navigating a boat in the midst of a storm, treading water, swimming with confidence, sitting on a rock amongst the waves. Engagement with water this month brings uncertainty in its dissolutions, but an enduring center awaits to help you weather the intensity.

Ace of Swords — Sky-High Clarity Arrives

Though there’s no stone to pull from, the Ace of Swords represents a similar thematic moment to the Arthurian legend: will you claim authority and power by seizing your destined path? The crowned blade in the sky is an image of victory and assurance, it is the expansive perspective needed to tackle all the challenges that we find in the suit of Swords.

From this moment on, the cards that follow seem to cut us down, pierce us to the heart, and oppress us with their intensity. Swords are charged with facing the harsh realities of life and the distortions of consciousness. Each step towards the X brings another painful mirror we must look into if we wish to truly know ourselves.

The Ace of Swords is a boon on this harrowing individuation journey. But even it comes with a catch. When you accept the role, when you step into self-leadership, you can no longer let your woes and troubles weigh you down. You must scale into sky-high awareness and acknowledge your role within the process of becoming. Grow lighter and broader, see each challenge as an opportunity to sharpen perception. Such personal responsibility hones your capacity for discernment and clear thinking, for truth-laden communications ringing with royal decree.

The suit of swords may be demanding your attention if your dreamscapes feature: flying and soaring through the air, scaling mountaintops, walking up ladders or staircases, gale force winds or gentle breezes, communications and striking cloud features in the heavens. The air element may be harsh but it enlivens and deepens the spirit. Listen to the whispers on the wind and see what secrets it has to offer.

IV of Pentacles — The Light and Shadow of Limitation

Prudent, measured, cautious, considering — such qualities of the IV of Pentacles fuels its polarizing interpretations. Is the figure clutching resources and bounty out of fear or wisdom? I always pause when this card comes up, for its easy to fall into the trap of seeing it only through Saturnian eyes.

Earth is lush, bountiful and providing. But a true Pentacles individual knows that eventually, seasons turn. What was once in full bloom soon begins to wither and rot. These patterns are not isolated within the natural world, they echo through the entire fabric of existence. One can partake in the harvest with Dionysian delight, but they must also know when to temper their actions and slow down.

The IV of Pentacles is an opportunity to see the light and shadow in our limitations. For inner work, the earth element can become the fixed position that finally allows you to ground, to breathe, to relax. It’s the calming of the nervous system and the easing within a body that has felt caught in cycles of over-vigilance. But it can also be limitations and attachments that have become overly ossified and rigid. Defensive posturing that traps you within an earthen prison, conservatism that chokes the expansive puer spirit. Beware of earth, the Mother’s gentle arms can quickly become those of death.

Consider multi-faceted earthen dream symbols: food you eat that becomes poisonous, or ingested poison that heals, houses or structures that feel welcoming or prison-like, earthy environments that shimmer with mystery and fear, defending one’s treasures or digging for gold. The earth element, it is said, is both womb and tomb. Hold this tension and a new ground of life may arise from its joining.

What do you think of this month’s Oracle?

Do you have any questions or reflections on the themes explored? Which element is most often featured in your dreams? Join me in the comments, I’d love to hear from you!

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Misconception: The shadow contains only negative, evil, or undesirable qualities and dynamics1.

Actual Theory: The shadow is all that is unconscious within the psyche, ranging from positive, negative and neutral dynamics.

With remarkable force, the concept of the shadow has propelled itself into contemporary discourse and inner work with gusto. Curious seekers yearning for a sense of reconciliation, healing, and transformation turn to so-called “shadow work” practices for salvation. There, they are instructed to consider the most negative traits they can imagine—jealous attitudes, the capacity for violence, oppressive beliefs, malice, hypocrisy, corruption—and to meet these dark impulses within. Though this focus is not entirely incorrect or impractical, it does fuel misconceptions.

As often happens with ideas that have strayed far from their theoretical source, the shadow has taken on a distorted life of its own. Cast always in a pejorative light, the rich world of the shadow compresses into a narrow funnel. We seek to only unearth that which is distasteful, reprehensible, undesirable. But this is only one aspect of the shadow. As Jung reminds us in the quote above, the shadow is also that which is good, creative, appropriate, constructive. Its relegation to the dark corners of the psyche are not an indication of its moral qualities; it’s a product of adaptation and the typical pathways of our psychic nature.

Perhaps our demonization of the shadow should not be so surprising. At least, here in the Western world, we’ve fallen into a cultural trap of fearing that which is unknown or obscured, that which shimmers with the air of the underworld, that which resists logic, order, and rationalism.

Consider the image and symbolism of the shadow. It is that which defies the light, that hides just beyond our sight, that blocks luminescence from shining forth in all its grandeur. Shadow can be a respite from the blinding, scorching nature of the sun, a darkened refuge which cools, replenishes, and regulates.

It is also the realm of the night-world, whose fabled undercurrents have driven terror into the hearts of those who read about demons, devils, ghosts, and hauntings. It’s the monster hiding beneath the bed, the ghastly figure stalking you in dreams, the fear of the dark, or the trickery of Mephistopheles as you bargain away your soul. Such associations feed into our distrust of the shadow, of our impulsive need to label it as negative or evil.

But the shadow, like the night-world, is also a place of riches and underworld gifts. It offers depth and nuance as the realm of images, symbols, myths, and dreams. It awakens us to lunar ways of seeing through intuition, unconscious perception, and the treasures locked away in the darkness of the psyche. The shadow complements the light, it is its chthonic sibling, companioning conscious experience and fleshing it out with complexity.

For those of us walking the path of individuation, seeking higher awareness and expansion of consciousness, we must acknowledge that the shadow contains all potentials of human expression. What has been denied, ignored, or cast aside might be explosive anger or self-confidence. It might be a traumatic wound that we lacked the resources to handle, or the belief that our creative gifts are worthy for expression in the world.

When we sever off a whole area of shadow potential, we hamstring our individuation efforts. And, unknowingly in the process, perpetuate a dominance of shadow within the psyche.

A Dreamwork Practice to Engage the Shadow

In practice, engaging the shadow is challenging because it is felt as antithetical to our image of self. The shadow is egodystonic, it rings with a dissonance and distortion that furthers our resistance to meeting it. This means that becoming aware of shadow is extremely difficult! Attempting to approach it from a purely conscious point of view, say by asking yourself, “What are my bad qualities?” or “What am I hiding from myself?” will only get you so far.

The shadow is uncovered by attuning our awareness to the subtle (or explicit) psychic movements that trip us up, the patterns we can’t seem to break, the reactions that overwhelm us, the feedback we get from loved ones that we struggle to relate to. We can also turn towards the unconscious for insight—like dreams, intuitions, or fantasies—to uncover shadow that is lurking just below the surface.

The feeling as you start to become aware of shadow can range from shock, denial, and upset to even more intense reactions like instability, breakdown, or panic. The shadow should be approached with caution, for we rarely understand the full scope of what lies in darkness. For this reason, it is prudent to shore up the ego and its resources before and during the work. I recommend reading the article I wrote on this topic, The Ego Should Be Strengthened, Not Dissolved, for more on this idea.

Although there are many ways to meet the shadow, I want to offer a dreamwork practice for you to try out. The reasoning is two-fold.

1. Dreams are a direct entry point into the unconscious and its dynamics. By turning to them, you forsake the conscious position with all of its blindspots and resistances. If we see the greater psyche as purposive and driven towards individuation, then we can trust that what arises in our dreams is in service to fleshing out the ego complex, to developing our sense of wholeness, and to providing us with a path to work with shadow.

2. Dreams are constructed from the wealth of your inner symbols, showcasing the present psychic situation in imagistic form. Not only does this provide you with a container to hold your experience and draw your interest, it tends to be much more gentle and approachable. Compare that to a painful shadow confrontation of being told that you’re manipulative or that you lack assertiveness. A dream might still have the same message, but its symbolic form invites curiosity and inquiry.

A Dream Incubation Exercise

Though we cannot control or command the unconscious, we can appeal to it, asking for a dream through a technique called dream incubation2. Setting a simple intention, or creating proper dreaming conditions, can stimulate a poignant dream on a topic of your choosing.

Here are a few ways to try it out:

• Craft a shadow-related intention or question: The simplest way to incubate a dream is to draw psyche’s attention through a question or intention. It can be as simple as, “What aspect of my shadow should I be aware of?” or, reflecting on the idea of shadow as you drift off to sleep. You can also design a question/intention with a specific situation in mind, such as, “What aspect of my shadow is driving tension in my romantic relationship?”

• Place a shadow-themed tarot or oracle card next to your bed: A symbolic image can act as a conduit for unconscious material. Tarot cards such as The Moon, IX of Swords, or The High Priestess can support dreaming of the shadow. Look through a deck of your choosing, pull a shadow-themed card, and place it next to your bed before sleep.

• Invoke a dreaming, underworld, or shadow deity: In the mythic realm, we can turn towards powerful archetypal figures to support dreaming life. Legendary beings, gods, deities, and related figures stir and activate the unconscious. Consider one that has a special relationship to dreams, the underworld, or shadow, such as the Lady of the Lake, Morpheus, Hecate, Pluto, or Anubis.

• Design a before bed shadow ritual: Ritual is the embodiment of archetypal form, the mythic undercurrents of the psyche made concrete. To stimulate a shadow dream, try a ritual before sleep. Some options include meditating before a black candle, journaling on shadow themes, or doing a shadow related divination.

Remember, the shadow is not just evil, negative, or unseemly. What arises in your dreams might be images of a powerful queen or an adventurous spirit. Take the dream that comes—no matter how its themes might confuse you—and begin to work with it, asking yourself, “Why have I denied this aspect and how can I integrate it further?”

Let’s discuss the shadow

What are your thoughts on the shadow? What practices help you notice, meet, or engage with it? Which Jungian concept should I explore next? Join me in the comments to discuss!

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Hello members, our month of tarot themed inner work is coming to a close…

This month, I thought we might try something new for our discussion thread!

Comment down below with a brief inner work related question, and I’ll pull a single tarot card to provide you with guidance and insight.

I encourag…

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Nearly four years ago, I was living in the high desert of Northern Arizona. It was always framed as temporary, a respite from the stifling confines of life at that moment in time. My days were split between the toiling of an archetypal educator and the playful antics of a free-running child of the wilderness. I’d record a podcast episode, teach a class, or work with a client, then I’d scamper off to spend hours amongst nature’s giants—the red rock mountains and towering trees.

I studied symbols and dreams and myths, all sorts of psychologically stimulating material, but it was the starry nights, the howl of the wind, the torrential rains, and scorching sun that made me feel truly alive. So wrapped in nature’s wonder, the land merging with me and I with it, that I think for the first time I truly felt a sense of homecoming.

And so it was with great ambivalence that I contemplated returning to the Bay Area, the musings of which can be found in the post Hiking with Artemis. It’s not that the city is such a terrible place; after all, that is where my community lives, where I can find any imaginable convenience and resource. It was home in a different way, like the well-worn etches of memory upon stone—nostalgic, comfortable, sentimental.

Nearly a month after writing that piece back in 2022, I moved back. Life continued and blossomed. I got married, had a child, continued to grow my business, and stretched the boundaries of my scholarly pursuits. I spent time in the rolling green hills of the Bay Area, backpacked through the Sierras, and camped amongst the redwoods. Time in nature had to be scheduled, planned out; it lacked the spontaneity and ease of what I had before, but I was grateful for any minute away.

There was a sense, however, that some part of me never really returned from my time living in the cradle of Mother Nature’s arms. Artemis played her hunting song upon the horn; she called all willing devotees to the wilderness, and I answered with abandon. How can you scrub the imprints of lightning flashes, river water, and bird sounds from your soul? I suppose you can’t, at least, I have failed to do so.

Like a spiral of unending torment, every few months I start to feel the oppressive squeeze of city life. I begin to long for the mountains, the incredible stillness one finds in the wild, the celestial wonder of a full moon in the back country. But things are different now. Unlike Artemis—the great virginal goddess and eternal maiden—I am a mother now. When I feel the call, I can no longer run off to her world; I have to temper the yearning and draw upon memories to quench the thirst.

For my husband and I, time outdoors and a relationship to nature are more than a passing interest or hobby. I think it feels essential to our well-being. So in my daughter’s first year or so of life, we have strived to maintain this connection. We’ve gone on a couple of camping trips with her, up to Yosemite and the forests of Tahoe. We took her hiking near waterfalls and lakes, showed her snow for the first time. She’s still so young, so I can’t be sure it has much of an impact on her, but I know that my first encounters with the wilderness at a young age is what initiated me into its wonder.

I suppose in someways, the bigger question I’m grappling with now is a sort of inverse to the one I had back in 2022. Then, it was, “Should I move back to the city?” Now it’s, “Would life for my family be better if we left the city and lived closer to nature?” And the same sort of ambivalence emerges—this pull between a resounding yes and absolute no.

I have to be discerning. Too easily I get drawn into Artemis’ vortex, her archetypal power so potent and all encompassing that all other options pale in comparison. She draws me back, beckons me to join her in the hunt, and I long to follow. But would a life on the borderlands of the natural world truly be better for me and my children?

What would it mean to grow up without her grandparents nearby, whom she bonds with each week in their time together? What would it mean to be away from the friends I grew up with, many of whom now have children of their own? Would we be able to foster new friendships, new community? Would it feel as fulfilling?

Maybe it’s a tension I’m fated to carry with me from now till the end of my days. For even if we moved, I might find myself longing for the familiarity of home, for the companionship and ease that only years of deep relating brings. Perhaps there is no place that checks all of the boxes, that satiates my archetypal yearnings. Perhaps I’m coming to the same conclusions that I did 4 years ago:

As a powerful force of gravity, the archetype draws my personal experiences to it and shapes a pattern that I can become more conscious of. With this awareness, I find myself reflecting on this critical life transition. How can I honor the Artemisian principle without falling prey to its negative valence? Perhaps I will take steps back towards community while knowing that I can hike with Artemis as an inner companion, imagining her alongside as I take to the trails, whether I am in the forest or not. I can resist the urge to follow her path towards isolation and open myself to emergent potentials that seek to unite a love of nature with the complicated but beautiful reality of being in relationship with others.

You see, an archetype so activated is not something to be ignored. Its influence reaches into every fiber of inner and outer life, shaping the perspective one has of the world. I think the moments when the impulse is strongest, “I must get to the mountains now! Life would be better if we lived closer to nature!” is when I must strengthen my ego, my sense of self, and truly examine the desire.

Too often, we concretize the impulse, we lose the metaphor in the yearning. What would it mean for Artemis’ call to be held as a psychological reconciliation that did not require such serious action? Maybe I’d see that it’s drawing my attention to a need for more balance in my life, to invite in the care-free playfulness that so easily gets drowned out as a self-employed parent to a young child. Life feels heavy, overwhelming, and Artemis whispers, “come back, come back.”

On the other hand, a life so divorced from natural wonder and power is not one I seek. Concrete and smoggy skies don’t light my soul afire, it drives a disembodied split that I only became aware of after living in the Arizona desert for so long. During that time, when I found myself back in a city, I realized I was in sensory overwhelm from all the noise and intensity of the environment. In response, some parts of me would just shut down, trying to block out the flood. “Is this how I’ve lived for nearly all the years of my life? Half alive, half aware?”

In holding the complexity and nuance of the archetype, I can see how gentle action can be taken to restore a kind of homeostasis. On one hand, embodied in action, movement, and presence by going to the wilderness, engrossing myself in her wonder. On the other hand, holding it inwardly, seeing how it reorients my internal states.

The lingering question of where my family would most thrive still remains. I don’t think resolution or certainty will be found soon. But my dance and conversations with Artemis continue, and for that, I am grateful.

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Perhaps the most exciting and frustrating aspect of working with the cards is how complex and nuanced they are, especially as you attempt more involved spreads. The art of interpretation lives here, where the cards mingle and mix to unveil a story of psychic richness and insight.

This workshop is devoted to cultivating the skills and awareness to navigate readings with ease and creative flow. I hope you enjoy!

~Alyssa

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Explore the art of tarot interpretation and learn to navigate the constellated field for insight and transformation

The Art of Tarot Interpretation introduces a depth-oriented approach to working with the cards as an interactive, related field — where meaning emerges through finding the connection between all elements of the reading. You’ll learn to trace psychological tensions, archetypal flow, contextual dynamics, and symbolic patterns as they unfold across a spread. All of which will help you to build confidence in your readings, deepen your understanding of the cards, and develop creative interpretive fluency.

The Art of Tarot Interpretation will support you to:

• Move beyond reading cards in isolation to perceiving the spread as a dynamic, interconnected field

• Recognize archetypal flow, connections and psychological tension across combinations of cards

• Utilize patterns and groupings (such as numerology of the pips, themes in suits and court cards, and Major vs Minor Arcana) to anchor interpretation

• Learn to uncover the uniting narrative within a tarot spread

• Develop interpretive fluency and confidence when reading complex spreads

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Register for class here ☀️

In preparation, I wanted to offer a practice reading that provides all the elements (a querent’s situation, question, spread, and cards drawn) except the interpretation. Now, you get to take on the role of their tarot reader and try out interpreting the spread.

There’s no wrong answers! The goal is to playfully engage the tarot and see what insights flow. Let’s begin!

Context

The querent has recently been offered an opportunity to turn their passion hobby and art into a formal business. Although the prospect fills them with excitement, they are feeling uncertain about the decision as it would require stepping away from their stable 9-5 job.

Question

“What’s causing me to feel stuck and uncertain, and what can support me in moving forward?”

Spread (3 cards)

1. Conscious perspective — How the situation is currently understood (though that point of view may be limited).

2. Unconscious perspective — The subtle, hidden, or unknown dynamics that are influencing the situation.

3. Reconciliation — Guidance for a viable path forward that integrates the conscious and unconscious perspectives.

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Cards drawn

Here are the cards drawn for the reading! As you work on interpretation, consider each card (individually and together) as it relates back to the question and situation. Although the cards have fairly established meanings, they tend to shift and emphasize certain nuances depending on the reading.

Feel free to use your favorite tarot resource for reference, or, work off the imagery intuitively. Below, I’ve offered some keywords/phrases for each card, drawn from my ebook, Tarot Definitions.

• Card 1 — Two of Wands: Standing at the threshold of change; imagining what could be; considering untapped potential; a tension between growth and staying in comfort zones

• Card 2 — 9 of Pentacles: Self-sufficiency; ease and enjoyment; material security earned through effort; abundance and material comfort

• Card 3 — The Lovers: Partnership and attraction; devotion, commitment, and cooperation; personal values and truth aligned with a higher principle; choices and moral discernment

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~Share your interpretation in the comments~

How did you interpret the reading? What insights and guidance would you offer this querent? Are you feeling confused on a particular card, aspect of the reading, or the general process? Share your thoughts or questions in the comments!

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~ Welcome to The Oracle, a monthly divination to open the archetypal field through a blend of tarot and dreamwork ~

There was a time in my early studies of tarot where I felt quite mystified by the whole process. Although there was always an allure and great sense of potency when I picked up a deck, I typically ran up against frustrating limitations.

The reliance I had on the guidebook and looking up definitions…

Drawing a blank as I attempted to gather insight and meaning from a reading…

A sense of overwhelm when there were too many cards to interpret…

I always felt as if I was lacking, wondering when I would arrive at a place of comfort and ease. Then, one fateful day, a friend of mine asked me to pull some cards and read for them. Diving head first, I agreed, and found myself staring down a spread of cards and a rising panic in my chest.

I took a deep breath and just began talking. I entered into this strange liminal state. Here, but not here. Present, and yet connected to something else beyond. The cadence of my voice shifted and insights flowed from the stream of the unconscious with ease.

That day I learned that the tarot is a gateway into the archetypal realm, a psychic portal that allows you to descend to the unconscious and to receive what flows from it readily.

The art of reading the cards must be squarely situated in this truth, for it schools us in the language and power of symbols—how they move us beyond conscious states and into the depths.

I also realized that my ability to do this was reinforced by the learning I had been engaged in: pulling apart the system of tarot, its structures and patterns, its images and feel. Becoming a fluent tarot reader was the merging of a strong educational base with the ease of the diviner. This month, I seek to guide you through a similar path in The Art of Tarot Interpretation.

To begin, let us turn towards The Oracle’s words as guidance for the weeks ahead…

Inspiration and Integration

Ace of Wands: A creative spark ignites; sensing intuitive potential and flows of inspiration; the stirring of passion and possibility

Temperance: Blending and integration; dialectic and its resulting reconciliation; alignment between opposing or complementary forces

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Hello members, how has your inner work been unfolding this month?

As our month of inner work comes to a close, I invite you to join in our monthly discussion thread + Q&A.

This is an open forum to explore all things related to your inner work. Whether it’s a tarot reading you’d like a second perspective on, a dream in need of interpretation, a resource y…

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