The Stone
Dr Chantal Powell
HOSTED ON JUNGIAN ONLINE
May 2024
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There is so much potency in the symbol of the stone. That’s why we are drawn to hold and collect them, to use them as spiritual markers, as memorials, and to lay our myths upon them.
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In this three-week course we will embark on a rich, visual meditation on the archetypal symbol of The Stone through Jungian psychology, art, alchemy, and mythology. Guided by artist and educator, Chantal Powell, you will discover the stone as a symbol of the Self, the illustrious philosophic stone of the alchemists, and the role of Holy Stones. We will traverse the presence of stones in myths and legends, look at how they mark sacred sites and their use in ritual landscape.
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The course will also introduce you to artists who have utilized the stone as a source of inspiration and focus. The final week will be a special in-conversation event with invited guests Emma Cousin (artist) and Hettie Judah (writer/art critic/curator).
Course Outline
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SESSION 1:
The Stone as a Symbol of Self
The Philosophers Stone – alchemy’s treasure
Holy Stones - Spiritual markers & memorials; a dwelling place for gods; sympathetic magic & talismans.
Stories, Myths & Legends – from Medusa’s petrifying gaze to the Parzeval’s Grail stone
SESSION 2:
The Stone in Landscape and Ritual
Meditation – slowing with stones, zen rock gardens and suiseki
Artists working with the symbol of The Stone – from Max Ernst’s painted pebble to Ken Unsworth’s 103 suspended river stones.
SESSION 3:
Talking Stones – An exploratory “In Conversation” with art critic/writer/curator Hettie Judah and artist Emma Cousin
Emma recently experienced being activated by the symbol of the stone during an artist residency on the Jurassic coast. We will be discussing and sharing images from this experience alongside insights and stories from Hettie Judah’s book
Lapidarium: The Secret Lives of Stones.
PAST COURSES
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The Symbolic Language of the Unconscious
Dr Chantal Powell
Wisdom, according to Carl Jung, is a return to the symbols which are inborn in us from the earliest times. He was referring to the unique language of the unconscious and how essential it is that we live a sacred life in harmony with it.
In this four-week course we will be diving into the watery depths of archetypal symbols and motifs. We will visit ancient Greek and Egyptian mythology, immerse ourselves in mysterious alchemical imagery and familiar fairytales, reflect on what dreams and daily ritual can offer us and explore our psychic imagination.
We will also look at contemporary visual art as a powerful tool for experiencing the transformative energy of the unconscious and how it can give visible form to mystery.
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This four week course is for anyone looking for a greater understanding of symbolic language and is particularly suited to creatives and those new to Jungian thinking.
HOSTED ON JUNGIAN ONLINE
September 2023
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Course Outline
Week 1 - Introduction to Understanding the Language of Unconscious
Week 2 - Symbols in Myths, Fairytales and Alchemy
Week 3 - Art as a Vehicle for the Symbolic Unconscious
Week 4 - Tools for Speaking the Symbolic Language in our Daily Lives (working with ritual, dreams, nature and the psychic imagination).
Humanity’s “ultimate concern must be expressed symbolically because symbolic language alone is able to express the ultimate.”
– Paul Tillich
In Praise of Mystery
with Ann McCoy & Dr Chantal Powell
Live May 2023
NOW AVAILABLE AS A DOWNLOAD ONLINE COURSE - 5 CLASSES
A lecture /workshop based, transformative course introducing a range of ideas and practices that explore the mysterious realm of the unconscious, and its influence on visual artists, both past and present.
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5 classes available to purchase as recordings - click below for further course info and to purchase.
Techniques For Accessing
The Unconscious
With Ann McCoy and Dr Chantal Powell
June/July 2022
A six week seminar course for creatives led by award-winning New York artist, editor and art critic Ann McCoy.
The Idea for this course came from artist seminars led by Joseph Beuys (who Ann knew in the 70's), where the participants discussed new ways of thinking about art, while making studio work. For Beuys the sacramental was in everything and an integral part of the artistic process.
