The Archetype of the Angel

Every blade of grass has over it an angel saying “grow”
— Source: The Talmud

In fairy tales and sacred literature, angels with flaming swords guard the entrance to the golden treasure—only those who know the password may enter. In this illustrated seminar, we will take a fascinating look at how angels have been described in literature and portrayed in religious iconography since ancient times, across many cultures. Once we have developed a “resume” for what angels do and how they do it, we will use the key to symbolic understanding given us by the pioneering Swiss psychologist C.G. Jung.

Our goal will be to get past the “flaming sword” that stands in the way of a modern understanding of the meaning of the phenomenon of angels. After all, we’d like to feel that our forefathers and ancestors were talking about something valid, and in fact, something real, when they spoke of angels.

Through the use of analytical psychology, we will explore the meaning of:

• Finding One’s Identity by Wrestling with (Dark) Angels

• Sexual Intercourse with Angels

• Children born of the union between Humans and Angels

• The Role of Angels in the Creation of Evil (i.e. Fallen Angels)

• Consciousness, Angels and Sin

• Befriending the Angel of Choice

Our day will be filled with discovery as well as controversy. Angels are a wonderful, and even thrilling, example of how an understanding of religious and mythological traditions can enrich our lives, if we bring to bear a knowledge of symbols through Jung’s methods.