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Individuation in Fairytales book (based on Lectures) author: M.-L. von Franz in print 1977 ISBN: 1-57062-613-8 Links:

With a text revised and corrected by the author, this definitive edition of Individuation in Fairy Tales is rich with insights from religion, literature, and myth. Dr. von Franz focuses on the symbolism of the bird motif in six fairy tales of Europe and Asia: •"The White Parrot" (Spain) •"The Bath Badgerd" (Persia) •"Prince Hassan Pasha" (Turkestan) •"The Bird Flower Triller" (Iran) •"The Nightingale Giser" (Balkans) •"The Bird Wehmus" (Austria) She explores the themes of psychological and spiritual transformation in the varied images of birds, such as the phoenix, the parrot, and the griffin. Special attention is given to the connection between fairy tales and alchemy and to the guidance that fairy tales give to therapeutic work. Preface: This book has originated from a series of lectures given at the C. G. Jung Institute in Zurich. It represents an attempt to bring closer to publuc understanding what Jung means by the process of individuation. Although it seems difficult for intellectual people to understand it, individuation is a natural, ubiquitous phenomenon which has found innumerable symbolic descriptions in the folk tales of all countries. One can even say that the majority of folk tales deal with one or another aspect of this most meaningful basic life process in man. In order to remain in harmony with the simple storyteller, I have used a direct and colloquial style. The process itself is difficult enough, and one should not further complicate it by sophistication. I have on the contrary tried to bring it "close to home" to all of us, hoping that the reader may be as moved by the stories as I have been.

2003-06-15	(c) 2002-2003 Stiftung für Jung'sche Psychologie	webmaster