The Red Book – Review of Liber Secundus and

Each day this week I will discuss topics from C. G. Jung’s The Red Book, along with my perspective and then continue the nature series with individual birds of prey that I have observed here on Turk’s Mountain.

The Red Book – Review of Liber Secundus including my perspective
In this second section of the English translation of The Red Book, there are 21 short chapters with a brief prologue. Jung continues his dream/vision interpretations starting with “The Red One” which revolves around his personal devil. This is a vivid and highly detailed description and conversation containing an abundance of adjectives, adverbs and other descriptors. It seems that he uses the opportunity to make a point, although I am not sure I understand what that might be.

As he continues, each dream/vision seems very personal and specific to something of great meaning to Jung. Although they carry broader themes, it is hard to detect a broader message to mankind. Due to their highly detailed nature, one must consider these:

1. Did he embellish the dreams upon waking in order to make some additional point?
2. Were these more daydreams than night dreams, involving his thinking mind?
3. Were these efforts a purposeful vision-quest involving something like fasting?
4. Did Jung suffer from some chemical imbalance?
5. Was Jung experimenting with hallucinogenic drugs?

It occurs to this reader that these are not entirely dreams, but are augmented in some way, perhaps involve his thinking mind. I am guessing that he is trying to intellectualize his own personal pain and suffering of generational angst through dream interpretation. In my opinion, he is searching for spiritual answers in the world of illusion and false reality. Instead of looking into his mind of emptiness, he is looking into his mind of learned religion and societal tradition.

If that is not the case, then I have to conclude that he was either fasting, suffering from a chemical imbalance or was experimenting with hallucinogenic drugs. His musings remind me of discussions that I have had with people who have experimented with LSD or peyote. I am not saying that is the case here.

For this reader, interest quickly wanes, as this is difficult reading. Jung seems to believe that rooting his musings on religious and societal traditions makes it all the more real. There is a section of “Incantations” using religious language as well as a set of “Prophecies”. You can only surmise this work somehow solved some underlying tension in Jung. How any of this may have helped him is a mystery. To this reader it is more like the party guest who repeatedly tells stories with no ending.

As someone who has found grace and serenity within the emptiness of original spirit, I do not see how Jung’s approach will lead anywhere. He is attempting to rationalize illusion to find truth. I am not sure that this will result in his goal of resurrecting his soul. Perhaps it could make him more capable of practicing psychiatry, or operate within his religious or societal circles. But it is hard for this reader to imagine how he could have achieved any level of spirituality from this work. I will read on and report tomorrow on his next section “Scrutinies”.


Some notable quotes:“My gaze wanders widely over solitary countryside, a combination of fields and forests. I am wearing a green garment. A brown horn hangs from my shoulder.”

“But I spoke to my serpent. “In truth, my serpent, I didn’t know that you are also a teller of fairy tales. So tell me, how should I interpret your fairy tales.”

An argument then ensues between Jung and the serpent:
“Let everything grow, let everything sprout, the sun grows out of himself.”

Tomorrow – Review of “Scrutinies”

Today’s Nature topic
And, now on to today’s nature topic - the birds of prey, a reminder to us that life lives off of life. Each of these creatures have informed me and made my life fuller. I salute each of them and show my deep respect with this small recognition.

Monday – American Kestrel (Sparrow Hawk)
Tuesday - Red-Tailed Hawk
Wednesday - Osprey (Fish Hawk)
Today - Eastern Screech Owl
Friday - Great Blue Heron Crane and Belted Kingfisher

Eastern Screech Owl
The notes of this little fellow (10”) are heard at great distance particularly because they occur at night in the late winter when things are otherwise quiet. This is their time of courting. It is a crisp whoooo. I absolutely love to call back and set off a whole chorus of answering sounds.

A few years ago, late on a warming March day, I was taking a rest from some work I was doing on the first ridge. I was looking into the distance and noticed some movement on a dead maple tree that had broken about half way up. I picked up my binoculars and saw this magnificent bird looking back at me. I will never forget this sight.

Here in Virginia we have an extraordinary number of field mice measured in numbers per 100 square feet by the state’s Natural Resource Department. The Screech Owl is an important part of the nocturnal balance of field mouse ecology.

According to Dancing Otters and Clever Coyotes by Gary Buffalo Horn Man and Sherry Firedancer, the Owl, also known as the Night Eagle serves as “messenger and guide from the shadowy realms of darkness.” With the Owl’s extraordinary sight and hearing it serves as a “harbinger of change”. This is from their intriguing and colorful book that has been reviewed with my own.

The Red Book – Review of Liber Primus, and Osprey (Fish Hawk)

Each day this week I will discuss topics from C. G. Jung’s The Red Book, along with my perspective and then continue the nature series with individual birds of prey that I have observed here on Turk’s Mountain.

The Red Book – Review of Liber Primus
In this first section of The Red Book, there are eleven short chapters with a brief prologue. Jung shares his internal conversations and struggle for his soul. He recognizes that the search is within. His places great importance on his dreams as he vision-quests in a dream of the desert to leave behind desire, descends into hell to slay his demons, and finally returns to resurrect his soul.

His words are of his contemporary world, religion and gestalt of the turn of the last century. He speaks in the language of the Bible, attempting to resolve mythology with biblical references. He seems to want to rebuild all of his prior misconceptions into a new understanding within the same framework of the Bible. He has conversations with Biblical characters in order to resolve continuing issues.

Some notable quotes:
“My path is not your path, therefore I cannot teach you.”

“The way is within us, but not in Gods, nor in teachings, nor in laws. Within us is the way, the truth, and the life.”

“But my soul answered, “You are pleasure-seeking. Have you forgotten why you went to the desert?”

“The soul said “How, tell me, do you then believe that your thoughts should help you?”

“The cleverer you are, the more foolish your single-mindedness.”

“Fear is your herald, doubt stands to your right, disappointment to your left.”

“Our eyes were blinded and our knowledge fell silent when we received your radiance.”

“But still he is a victim of his knowledge.”

“…mercy is given only to these who believe in the highest and fruitlessly betray themselves for thirty pieces of silver.”

My Perspective
With the deepest respect, I think that only Jung truly knows what has led him to these musings. They are based on a lifetime of experience, the defining moments and deeply-rooted meaning in his mind.

At times, Jung feels that he faces certain madness, particularly as he interprets his own paintings of the dreams. I detect real honesty and innocence in his manic reflections, albeit in a pitiful and self-deprecating manner. It is very tiring to read this as witness to his pain and suffering. It would seem to this observer that most of his struggle has been brought on by his religious and societal upbringing.

While his objective is to resurrect his soul, he attempts that within the context of his religious and biblical beliefs. In this way, he has not apparently transcended his world view, but has just reshuffled it. So it is unclear to me whether he sees his struggle metaphorically or from this more concrete perspective. Of course I am not yet finished, so we will see.

Tomorrow – Review of Liber Secondus

Today’s Nature topic
And, now on to today’s nature topic - the birds of prey, a reminder to us that life lives off of life. Each of these creatures have informed me and made my life fuller. I salute each of them and show my deep respect with this small recognition.

Monday – American Kestrel (Sparrow Hawk)
Tuesday - Red-Tailed Hawk
Today - Osprey (Fish Hawk)
Thursday - Eastern Screech Owl
Friday - Great Blue Heron Crane and Belted Kingfisher

Osprey (Fish Hawk)

The Osprey or Fish Hawk is a common sight in the area of the Chesapeake Bay. Several years ago, I lived about a mile from the Bay on a small horse farm with a 3 acre pond. The Osprey would visit and fish there. What a sight!

An Osprey would appear just above the tree tops flapping slowly, gradually circle the pond and then dive into the water head first. In the dive into the water this large bird (little smaller than the red-tailed hawk - 22”) disappears for a few moments. More often than not they’d exit the water with a small fish in their talons, only to slowly flap away back to their nest, dinner in hand. It all happens so quickly, you could easily miss the brief experience.

The Osprey competes with the Bald Eagle in the Chesapeake watershed, and like the Bald Eagle was threatened back in the 1960’s by the use of pesticides. In my experience, and anybody who sails or boats on the Chesapeake, this majestic bird has made a great comeback and their large nests can be seen at every port of call, on the marker buoys and posts.

The Red Book – The Intoxication with Myth, and the Red Tailed Hawk

Each day this week I will discuss topics from C. G. Jung’s The Red Book, along with my perspective and then continue the nature series with individual birds of prey that I have observed here on Turk’s Mountain.

The Red Book – The Intoxication with Myth
Jung had a deep fascination with mythology, its interpretation and meaning. He was influenced by Nietzsche’s Thus Spoke Zarathustra and Dante’s Commedia. This was during a time when the world was interested in both comparative religion and the psychological basis of symbolism. Jung was focused on answering “what is the myth you are living?”

Jung began interpreting his and other’s dreams. There are a number of dreams presented concerning his relationship with other people including Freud and prophecies about the apocalypse, which were a common discussion topic during this time period. He began trying “to get to know my myth” only to find “I was not living with a myth”. He was interested in the myth of the hero which was to “free himself from the mother” and then the incest myth as the “attempt to return to the mother to be reborn”.

While his intentions were/are unclear, this now completed work is derived from several of Jung’s finished and unfinished works. There is evidence that at some point Jung did intend to publish the work. However, due to its intensely personal nature, it is also possible that he did not intend for it to be published. This only adds to its mystique.

My Perspective
This work is a deeply personal journey to find true nature. It is written in another time and perspective of the world and society. It is so deeply personal, I am not sure it is for anybody other than the dedicated student of Jung or spirituality. I feel almost a voyeur in reading it.

Although it is early in my review, this book may reveal several lessons to us – 1.) Perhaps society has advanced, to no longer create this level of pain and suffering, 2.) Perhaps religion has evolved from shame and guilt to become more of a path to the spiritual life, or 3.) Perhaps Jung’s choice of profession indicates a felt need to understand his own unique problems. I will read on and report more tomorrow.

Tomorrow – Review of Liber Primus

Today’s Nature topic
And, now on to today’s nature topic - the birds of prey, a reminder to us that life lives off of life. Each of these creatures have informed me and made my life fuller. I salute each of them and show my deep respect with this small recognition.

Monday – American Kestrel (Sparrow Hawk)
Today - Red-Tailed Hawk
Wednesday - Osprey (Fish Hawk)
Thursday - Eastern Screech Owl
Friday - Great Blue Heron Crane and Belted Kingfisher

Red-Tailed Hawk

The Red-tailed Hawk is a familiar resident around my area. They are a very large bird – I have seen one that is more than 2 feet long. I called Roxy (one of my Jack Russell’s) in the other day when there was one dropping in a slow circle not more than 50 feet away. My brother’s neighbor lost a Chihuahua to a hawk a few years ago.

There are several active pairs I have witnessed raising and training their young. My impression was that after the courtship and nest building there was only one parent raising the young. Farmers with free-range chickens must be vigilant as the Red-tailed Hawk has been known to carry off a full grown chicken. I have a fenced ceiling in my chicken run, and in spite of their relative safety, hear the chickens scream when ever the hawks visit nearby.

Its flight is performed at a great height, sailing across a wide berth. A few days ago I saw three hawks chasing each other, rising very high into the sky then diving at each other. It is more common to see a mockingbird or crow chasing a hawk away as they seem to be able to turn and dodge faster than the larger bird. Their flight can be accompanied by a prolonged mournful cry, which sounds like kkkkaaaaeeeerrrr.

According to Dancing Otters and Clever Coyotes by Gary Buffalo Horn Man and Sherry Firedancer, the Red-tailed Hawk has a special connection with the Sun. If we see a Red-tailed Hawk circling over us it symbolizes the need to “embrace the power of our inner fire”. This is from their intriguing and colorful book that has been reviewed with my own.

The Truth

Is a hallowed ground
Absolute in its power, rooted
In universal consciousness
A special place
Rare in its telling
The Truth is
Not what you think
Because thinking
Has nothing to do with it
For the truth we often tell
Is our perspective.
Coming from a different place
The ego, the personality
An opinion, an observation
But not, the Truth.

Truth versus Perspective

We have been led to believe that what we experience in life is the truth; a truth that we uniquely perceive. We have forgotten that most of what we call the truth is actually our perspective, seen through the eyes of our personality, the egoic mind we have become, far removed from our true nature. This egoic mind is full of illusion, likes, dislikes, hidden bias and other clouded ideas.

We are not consciously aware of this perspective. When we speak within our perspective, we should not call it the truth. The truth is so much more special than that. The truth comes from an unassailable place. The truth is rare in its telling, a hallowed ground, absolute in its power, rooted in universal consciousness.