Dear Friends,
It is with great sadness that I must announce the dissolution of the
C.G.Jung Society. Like so many other things that are falling to the wayside today,
we too are part of the very painful archetypal process taking place in our world -
Death and (hopefully) Rebirth.
Since 2004, we have sponsored programs for the community on many
topics, all having a connection to the psychology of Dr. Carl Jung. We have had
many experiences along the way that have taught us, not only about the Psyche but also about what time, energy, and money it takes to prepare and present these
programs.
It is here that I want to thank all of you who over the years has served on the Board of Directors, which is the backbone of the organization. I also want to thank all of you who have supported us financially through your membership donations and those who have volunteered to help out in many small and important ways.
There are many factors that have led us to this decision. On a collective level, we have experienced the Covid pandemic, political disharmony, and the multiple conflicts of the opposites in both the outer world and in our inner worlds.
On a personal level, the factors that have affected the Jung Society are an aging
population, deaths of faithful Society members, and a seeming lack of interest from the younger population. And, thus, we have struggled financially and energetically in these most recent years.
However, what seems to have emerged from all of these destructive factors is a great number of individuals and groups who are offering online educational programs on Jungian psychology. Most of them are very affordable and informative. A couple of things are lacking, however. The first is the in-person, personal experience which a lot of you expressed wanting. We, too, would have preferred that but it grew more and more difficult. Second, because Jung’s work has infiltrated and has been adopted by many branches of the arts and sciences, I fear that some of his core ideas have been watered down or blended into other psychologies and that his work runs the danger of being lost or absorbed by the collective.
Given all of these factors, we decided in our last board meeting that all signs
have led us to conclude that it is time to “close shop.” However, we are not going
to say goodbye forever. Perhaps something new will have time to constellate and
emerge at a later date and in another form. I am reminded of Jung’s experience and
feelings about life, death, and rebirth.
Life has always seemed to me like a plant that lives on its rhizome. Its true life is
invisible, hidden in the rhizome. That part that appeared above ground lasts only a single summer. Then it withers away - an ephemeral apparition. When we think of the unending growth and decay of life and civilizations, we cannot escape the impression of absolute nullity. Yet I have never lost a sense of something that lives and endures underneath the eternal flux. What we see is the blossom, which passes. The rhizome remains. MDR, p.4
For those of us who have deeply connected with Jung, we know the
common, mysterious, soul-saving aspects of his work. It binds us all on that
deep root level. But, for now, you will not be hearing from us. We will be shutting down Facebook and our website in a few months. If you, however, would like to respond or comment on this decision, please contact me or any other board member. Or, you might comment on Facebook or the website until we shut them down.
So, it is with a heavy heart that I write this letter, knowing that it is the
right thing to do. I wish you well on your ongoing individuation journey.
Charlene Henry, president
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C.G. Jung Society of Lafayette, LA
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The C. G. Jung Society Of
Lafayette, Louisiana