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What wisdom do fairy tales hold about parenting in our modern world? Join three Jungian analysts (Lisa Marchiano, Joseph Lee and Deborah Stewart) as we explore the psychological meaning of the tales of Sleeping Beauty and Briar Rose.
Briar Rose is the foundation for the familiar fairytale Sleeping Beauty. It addresses the complicated consequences of unconscious parenting. While it is understandable we wish to protect our children from harsh realities, too much shielding can hobble them later in life. We may hide our shadow from ourselves and our children, but it will irrupt uninvited one day, casting the family into chaos. Instinctive reactions often hold us in suspended animation, but they may also offer a way toward healing.
“Parents too easily content themselves with the belief that a thing hidden from the child cannot influence it.”
CG Jung, CW 18, para 1793
Prepare to discover:
- Where fairytales intersect with modern parenting
- What impact avoiding shadow has on the family
- Whether parental fears affect child development
- Why understanding psychological stagnation is essential
- How symbolic stories help children face challenges
Here's the Dream We Analyze
I am in a house in France. I am having an affair with one of my father's old friends, someone I loved deeply. He was funny and charismatic. His wife was nearby chatting to someone. He was being kind and attentive to her. I took him into the house and hugged him. I explained that I was grateful he was being kind to his wife. I wanted him to know. We got into a car. He may have turned into my husband; I'm not sure. He was driving erratically but in full control. We drove up to the village wildly and exhilaratingly - past the cemetery where my mother and father are buried.
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