Alchemy Course: Embodying James Hillman Alchemical Psychology

Course Description

James Hillman was a past master of alchemical psychology. This field uses metaphors derived from ancient alchemy to elucidate deep structures in the creative imagination. We tend to forget that creative processes are not random. Imagination embodies along lines that become apparent when we ponder the frequently incomprehensible images of alchemy.

The book, Alchemical Psychology, covers a lifetime of studies and is quite difficult to read by someone who is not deeply steeped in alchemy, the work of C.G. Jung or James Hillman. Robert Bosnak and Patricia Berry have studied these thinkers for well over 40 years.

James Hillman was the primary training analyst of Robert Bosnak, who developed the field of embodied imagination: the way in which images can be felt in the body and shape our embodied condition. Patricia Berry was among the early founders of Archetypal Psychology beginning in the mid-1960s in Zurich, Switzerland. She was companion and spouse of James Hillman for 20 years.

The course goes through Alchemical Psychology page by page – and frequently line by line – sometimes dropping even between the lines into the great mystery itself. For those who have tasted these mysteries, there is no way back. One is haunted by them for life. It was so with Jung, Hillman, and with Bosnak and Berry as well. It will happen to you if you’re open to it.

This course is ideal if

• You are interested in exploring Alchemical Psychology and looking for an in-depth introduction to the field.
• Learn some of the rudimentary principles of Alchemy.
• You want to deepen your understanding of James Hillman’s concepts and ideas.

Course Overview

This course focuses on the first two chapters of James Hillman’s book, Alchemical Psychology:

Chapter 1: The Therapeutic Value of Alchemical Language: A Heated Introduction

Chapter 2: Rudiments

Further courses on the subsequent chapters of Alchemical Psychology are also available on Jung Platform:

• Alchemy course: The imagination of Air and the Azure Vault
• Alchemy course: Yellowing and the Stone
• Alchemy course : Silver and the White Earth
• Alchemy course: Embodying James Hillman Alchemical Psychology
• Alchemy course: Salt, Black and Blue

By the end of this course, you will

• Have a better understanding of the fundamentals of alchemical psychology.
• Be able to apply some of these alchemical processes to your own life processes to gain a deeper understanding of your own individuation process.
• Have a better understanding of the influence Alchemy had on Jung’s approach to psychology as well as on James Hillman and his work.