Alchemical Inner Work is a technique created by Alyssa to support the process of re-imagining our psychological dynamics within the metaphorical language and concrete practices of the alchemical art. Celebrating the launch of the co-authored Alchemical Inner Work Guidebook, Alyssa and Arran explore the core ideas behind the technique and show what …

What is "parts work"? How might we engage with the psyche by dividing it into subpersonalities? Who are the "exiles," "managers," and "firefighters" within us and how do they relate to one another?

Why do we have dreams that are stressful, painful, or terrifying? How might tension in dreams reflect shadow integration? How can we work with bad dreams towards greater awareness and wholeness?

What role do somatics play in the therapeutic process? In what way is trauma locked into the body? How can we incorporate a body-first mentality into our self-work practices?

What is the creative process? Why are experimentation and failure such an important part of it? In what way is the project of Golden Shadow an ever-evolving creative process?

What does the archetypal rock n' roll band look like? How did the Beatles serve as a mythological container for collective projections of the culture? In what way is the pop music landscape a kind of "pantheon"? https://www.goldenshadow.org/

Who is Hermes? What role does he play in Greek mythology? What is the "Hermes archetype" and how does it relate to liminality, trickery, and revelation? https://www.goldenshadow.org/

What is the allegory of "Plato's Cave"? How does it explore the archetypal pattern of becoming conscious? What are the social repercussions of speaking truth, shining light, and forcing others to see their own shadow? https://www.goldenshadow.org/

Was alchemy a scientific process, a spiritual practice, or both? What does "As Above, So Below" refer to? How might we utilize the concepts of alchemy for self-inquiry and personal growth? https://www.goldenshadow.org/

Murray Stein, Ph.D, is a Jungian Analyst, author and lecturer. Dr. Stein joins the Golden Shadow to speak on the evolution of Jungian Psychology, the resistance to Jungian theory from the scientific and academic communities, and the current resurgence in popularity. https://www.goldenshadow.org/

John Beebe, Jungian Analyst and author, speaks with us about the shadows of personality types, the archetypes of typology and their influence on dreams. (Recorded on February 24th, 2020 at thestoa.ca) https://www.goldenshadow.org/

Jason Smith--Jungian analyst, author of Religious but Not Religious: Living a Symbolic Life, and host of the Digital Jung Podcast--joins the Golden Shadow to discuss the religious sense as a natural and vital function of the human psyche, and the ways in which we can utilize symbolic forms of religion to infuse our lives with meaning and purpose. W…

Bret Alderman, PhD, life coach and author of Symptom, Symbol, and the Other of Language, joins the Golden Shadow to share a Jungian perspective on the implications of the deconstruction of language in our postmodern era. Follow Bret's Work here: https://www.aldermancoaching.com https://twitter.com/DrBretAldermanBret's book: https://www.amazon.com/d…

Michael Meade, mythologist, storyteller, and host of Living Myth Podcast, speaks with us about initiation, ritual, and how the shadow is represented in mythology. Recorded at The Stoa on March 17th, 2021 https://www.goldenshadow.org/

Steafan Fox (aka Uberboyo on YouTube) joins the Golden Shadow to discuss Jung, his confrontation with the shadow, and the writings that emerged from that struggle, known collectively as the Red Book. https://www.goldenshadow.org/

Lisa Marchiano, Jungian analyst, author, and host of This Jungian Life podcast, speaks with us about the emotional and symbolic journey of motherhood and the aspects of shadow one must face through the process, drawn from her new book Motherhood: Facing and Finding Yourself. This was originally recorded at The Stoa in March of 2021. https://www.gol…

Cadell Last, PhD, author of Global Brain Singularity and Sex, Masculinity, God joins the Golden Shadow to discuss the relationship between Freud and Jung, the nature of their conflict, and how their respective philosophies influenced our modern understanding of human psychology. https://www.goldenshadow.org/…

Sam Hinds, MA, is currently pursuing his Ph.D. in clinical psychology at Pacifica Graduate Institute and is training in ketamine-assisted therapy at Sage Institute in Berkeley, CA. Sam joins the Golden shadow to discuss psychedelic experiences through through the lenses of psychodynamic, post-colonial, Jungian and archetypal psychologies. https://w…

Anderson Todd is the Assistant Director of University of Toronto's Consciousness and Wisdom Studies Lab. He joins the Golden Shadow to discuss Jung's work on alchemy, its use as a symbol and tool of psychological transformation, and his research into lucid dreaming. https://www.goldenshadow.org/

Who was Hercules? How do his labors reflect a mythology of individuation? How might we use this mythology as a tool for self-inquiry? https://www.goldenshadow.org/

Kayleen Asbo--cultural historian, mythologist, and scholar--joins the Golden Shadow to discuss the Heroine's Path and the emerging mythic themes of the feminine in myth, fairytale and modern time. Follow Kayleen's work: https://www.kayleenasbo.com https://www.goldenshadow.org/

MemeAnalysis and Spear of Fire Tarot join the Golden Shadow for our first event in the Dialectical Tarot series, where we unpack the Tarot from different points of view and explore the different lineages, with the hope of arriving at greater understanding of the themes, symbolism, and history behind the cards. This month we discussed the Fool card.…

In what way do animals function as mythological containers? How do legendary creatures reflect the same "raising-up" we do to humanoid deities? Why do we often feel a resonance with a certain "spirit animal? https://www.goldenshadow.org/

James Hollis speaks with us about the archetype of the wounded healer, the nature of cultivating one’s personal myth, and his new book Prisms. (Recorded on February 10th, 2021 at thestoa.ca) https://www.goldenshadow.org/

Why is confession often the first step in a therapeutic relationship? In what ways do we keep secrets from ourselves and others? How is confession related to virtue, sin, and cosmic justice? https://www.goldenshadow.org/

How do magical items appear in mythology? How does that relate to the objects in our lives that take on a sacred significance? How might we distinguish between masculine and feminine sacred objects? https://www.goldenshadow.org/

How does the pantheon reflect a phenomenological mapping out of the world, reality, and human experience? What is the pantheon's relation to archetypes? How have pantheons evolved throughout history and what are their modern manifestations?

How does the archetype of the father appear in our lives? How is it manifested through myth, fairytale, and film? What role does it play in our journey towards consciousness, completeness, and personhood? https://www.goldenshadow.org/

How does the archetype of the mother appear in our lives? How is it manifested through myth, fairytale, and film? What role does it play in our journey towards consciousness, completeness, and personhood? https://www.goldenshadow.org/

How does the concrete immediacy of sensing compare to the theoretical depth of intuition? How do the functions interact with extraversion and introversion? What are the values of sensing and intuitive types and how do they behave in the world? https://www.goldenshadow.org/

How do we make sense of the phenomenon of internet memes? How do they relate to the evolutionary concept of 'mind-virus' put forth by Richard Dawkins? How does the internet digitalize the Shadow? https://www.goldenshadow.org/

Why does being wounded often inspire a passion for healing? In what ways do healers need to balance empathy and boundary when engaging in a therapeutic relationship with others? How do the mythic figures Chiron and Asclepius personify the wounded healer archetype? https://www.goldenshadow.org/

What is the significance of the Peter Pan myth? What does it mean to be "spoiled" and why might one become that way? How might we find a virtuous balance between the inner child, who is playful, curious, and open, and the inner adult, who is productive, responsible, and rigid? https://www.goldenshadow.org/…

Arran and Alyssa interview Peter Limberg about his journey to prominent creator of communal spaces, working with John Vervaeke, and having his dreams analyzed by Jordan Peterson. https://www.goldenshadow.org/

Our very first guest, visual artist Andrew Tuazon, speaks to us about the creative process, the perplexity of judging good and bad art, and how to get out of our own way when it comes to being artistic. https://www.goldenshadow.org/

Arran and Alyssa discuss expanding the Golden Shadow into a community and virtual event space. What are the challenges of building a community? What makes a community strong, resilient, and meaningful? https://www.goldenshadow.org/

In what way do humans naturally anthropomorphize the objects of reality? Why would deities evolve universally across cultures? How how might the One God differ from the gods of polytheism? https://www.goldenshadow.org/

In what way is reality a landscape of projections? Why do we turn other people into containers for our shadow? How might we develop strategies for bringing our projections into balance? https://www.goldenshadow.org/

What is the relationship between Christmas and the Winter Solstice? In what way is Christ the son, the light, or the word? How might we take back personal ownership of the Christmas ritual? https://www.goldenshadow.org/

In what way does our behavior resemble that of a logical thinker negotiating with a larger, stronger, illogical animal? Why are we so often unable to control our bad habits? How might we become more whole if the rider developed a better relationship with the elephant? https://www.goldenshadow.org/

Why did we leave California? What does it mean when your home no longer feels like home? Is it better to move often or sink roots in one spot? https://www.goldenshadow.org/

In what way are rituals embodied metaphors? How do rituals reinforce a behavior, remind us of an important concept, or revitalize a cultural ethos? How are rituals related to the sacred? https://www.goldenshadow.org/

What are the advantages of using Zoom for self-work in a group setting? How might we anthropomorphize different aspects of our personality? Why do different individuals identify with different characters in popular fiction? https://www.goldenshadow.org/

What practices can we employ to allow the unconscious to express itself? How is active imagination related to journeying, dreams, and creativity? How can stories be more real than reality? https://www.goldenshadow.org/

How does the Flood reflect a universal experience, both materially and metaphorically? How does the world inevitably creep towards decrepitude and disaster? How does the collapse of old structures give way to possibilities of growth and rebirth? https://www.goldenshadow.org/

How much control do we have over our lives? Can we really hold others responsible for their actions when they've been forced onto their path by external forces? Is it possible to increase our agency over time or is the notion of free will simply an illusion? https://www.goldenshadow.org/

How might Halloween be a manifestation of banished energy? What are the different ways in which people express their naughty, evil, or dark side? How does Arran's embrace of the Trickster and Alyssa's embrace of the Priestess reflect their respective Shadows?

This episode was submitted to the 2020 Jungian Conference at the Institute For Conflict (hence the unusual format). How is conflict foundational to our growth as individuals? How do the same patterns of conflict between individuals play out at larger scales in society? Do we have personal responsibility for integrating society's shadow? https://www…

How do archetypes and complexes reflect nature and nurture, respectively? How does a complex fall into shadow? In what way are neuroses the product of an antagonism between the ego and the unconscious?

What does it mean when someone doesn't know who they are? How do complexes form the building blocks of self? What structures guide the process of becoming the people we are meant to be?