The Phoenix: Life’s Transformative Fires

The splendid-feathered phoenix lives for hundreds of years, builds its own funeral pyre, sets it on fire, and rises from the ashes after three days. The phoenix represents long life, conscious acquiescence to death, and assured regeneration. The fiery alchemical process of calcinatio leaves behind a white ash equivalent to salt, that which cannot be burned: life, soul, and Eros.
The phoenix is usually depicted ascending in its joyful solar plumage of red, orange and gold, indicating that when one is purged of instinctual drives, affective intensity and egotistical desires, fire is experienced as divine illumination. The resurrected phoenix constructs an egg from the ashes of its former self and deposits it on the altar of the sun god-acknowledgement of the regenerative connection between the ego and the Self.
HERE'S THE DREAM WE ANALYZE:
"In this dream my father, who passed away fifteen years ago, had come back to visit. He seems well but somewhat less warm than he used to be, and not as demonstrative; taller and paler than I remember. We all go to some sort of train station in Amman, which does not actually exist, and hop on a light rail train suspended high above the city. My father, eldest sister, and brother go ahead of us; and myself, my disabled brother, and his driver are in the compartment behind them. No sooner had the train started to move than I look down and see ancient ruins that apparently were recently excavated. The view is breathtaking; an entire ancient city so well preserved; so beautiful as to rival any ancient ruin on the planet. I notice one or two temples fashioned in the image of gigantic feline heads. I also notice the tasteful lighting that adds a lot to the experience as the evening darkness descends. I wonder how this is here, in the middle of the city, and worry a bit about this lovely ancient ruin being overrun and perhaps damaged by people and tourists. For the moment, there were only one or two people down there that I could see. As I look further I remember that I have been in this place before. We get to our destination and my siblings and father want to go down below and walk. I tell them that I will push my other brother’s wheelchair and take him to the car with the driver."
REFERENCES:
Edward Edinger. ANATOMY OF THE PSYCHE. a.co/d/4JuNRdg
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[@helenyates3951]

Great video There are many deaths in life. Especially for women. Their life is full of pauses and endings and sacrifices throughout our journey in life. When we have children we surrender our naive self. When he face near death experience we die again. As we slow down in our autumn years of life we face more and more losses. How we negotiate this is tough in our times as we reside in a narcissistic world that honours youthfulness and denies the older persons their hard honed wisdom. Its neither wanted nor respected.

[@cmaclean9495]

M. ... . .....,

[@trippy6183]

Dabrowski’s Positive Disintegration seems very relevant here. I have just been accepted to university to study psychology, & your show has played a part in kindling my love for the science & Jung. Thank you so much for your work. 🤲🏻

[@oliviaromao]

I had a great dream around a year and a half ago where I had 4 Phoenixes which I can’t be sure I was aware of in the dream, they were different colors each of them and size, they suddenly appeared from under the barn and followed me downstairs, it wanted to fly around but I didn’t want to let it , it obeyed me when I told it to go back under the roof of the barn… such a intriguing dream - Maybe I was hindering my transformation…. I just wonder why 4 Phoenixes… why different colours and sizes. good to hear this podcast on this topic

[@krisscanlon4051]

Fantastic episode however not sure how to transform further even with a few years of therapy. This relationship notion seems to be a block in me that may never repair; perhaps acceptance is best at times. Perhaps we only grow so far despite no love as you state.

[@DJSTOEK]

🖤

[@PenelopeRyder]

What does out picturing mean in the dream?

[@ClintTzu]

You three should record an episode in Petra.

[@18bovende]

3:30 Sounds like a commercial.

[@vandamedeg2760]

Does anyone know where I could find the essay on rebirth?

[@trippy6183]

I’m unsure if it’s exactly what is referenced here, but there is a chapter on rebirth in Jung’s “Four Archetypes.”

[@abinraj640]

Dream 49:43