It's easy to be a naive idealist. It's easy to be a cynical realist. It's quite another thing to have no illusions and still hold the inner flame. - M. L. von Franz

The school's courses do not cover Mainstream Psychology, nor New Age Philosophy, but builds upon these two spheres.

To benefit from the classes, participants are expected to be open to the mysteries yet, at the same time, maintain a healthy scepticism. The emphasis is upon knowing, rather than belief.

The Philosophy of Friedreich Nietzsche

When we look back upon the history of our religious beliefs, it is clear that our gods come and go.

Periodically, we pass through an era in which the old god fades, only to give way to a new god-image. The Olympian deities of ancient Greece and Rome superseded those of ancient Egypt and are themselves now largely forgotten and remembered only in myth. Yahweh, the Hebrew god of the Old Testament, gave way to the good Lord of the New Testament.

Now, we are again experiencing such a transition.

In 1882, following the rise of science, Nietzsche declared that "God is dead!', giving voice to widely held, yet unspoken, sentiment within the intellectual circles of Europe.

In the same breath, Nietzsche also asked how we should respond to such theocide, effectively calling for a new god-image.

The answer soon followed. Within a year, Nietzsche experienced a wave of inspiration. The result was his masterpiece, Thus Spake Zarathustra, where the old prophet returns and speaks of the Ubermensch and the Greater Self.

Herein lay the vision for a new age.

Although rarely credited as such, Nietzsche was the first of the depth psychologists. An appreciation for his vision is essential for an understanding of Jung and the ethos of the new era.

Carl Jung & Analytical Psychology

Jung is generally considered a student of Freud, yet his psychology and model of the psyche were fundamentally different. Famously, they split.

For Jung, the psyche was populated not by one but by two centres of intelligence.

In addition to the conscious ego, of which we are well aware and think of as 'I', Jung postulated the existence of a deeper, albeit hidden, Self, much as Nietzsche had intuited.

Following a series of visions that he captured in the Red Book, Jung formulated his Analytical Psychology, which included concepts such as the shadow, the anima and animus, the Self, archetypes and synchronicity. A great host of contributors, including Erich Neuman, Marie Louise von Franz and Edward Edinger, further elaborated Jung’s model of the psyche.

Initially discredited by mainstream academia, Jung’s psychology offers a renewed understanding of religion, myth, legends, fairytales and dreams, as well as hermetic traditions, such as alchemy and astrology.

Jung speaks to a new generation looking to maintain their rationality yet open themselves to the mysteries. As Jung explained:

I am not, however, addressing myself to the happy possessors of faith, but to those many people for whom the light has gone out, the mystery has faded, and God is dead. For most of them there is no going back, and one does not know either whether going back is always the better way.

To gain an understanding of religious matters, probably all that is left us today is the psychological approach.

That is why I take these thought forms that have become historically fixed, try to melt them down again and pour them into moulds of immediate experience. It is certainly a difficult undertaking to discover the connecting links between dogma and the immediate experience of psychological archetypes, but a study of the natural symbols of the unconscious gives us the necessary raw material. - Carl Jung; Psychology and Religion, CW 11:par 148

Reaching beyond the limits of a reductive mentality, characteristic of the sciences of the day, Jung’s psychology opened the way to a new mysticism and reenchanted worldview.

Jung provides us with a new lens, through which we may observe the psyche as reflected in our myths, legends and folklore.

Archetypal Psychology

Archetypal Psychology outlines the anatomy of the psyche. It draws its inspiration from myth, particularly that of polytheistic traditions, including Babylonian, Egyptian, Nordic, and Graeco-Roman mythology. Here, we witness the various gods at play.

Following Jung’s work, these gods have been rediscovered as the archetypes of the collective unconscious. Further, they may be identified as character traits, possessions and deficiencies.

Self-Oriented Psychology

Self-Oriented Psychology develops upon Jung’s late thinking, as captured in late letters and works such as Answer to Job. Here, we witness the formulation of a new god-image, which reflects that central force that pervades not only one’s personal psyche but also the world at large.

Given that the demands of the greater Self take precedence over our egoic aspirations, Self-Oriented Psychology represents a paradigm shift that promises to revolutionise our understanding of the psyche’s purpose and dynamics.

Although inexplicable in terms of classical science, astrology suggests a hidden connection between the physical cosmos and the collective psyche.

In the hermetic tradition, the physical world and the psyche are but two aspects of an underlying reality, the Unus Mundus. This commonality is particularly apparent when one works with astrology.

Psychodynamic Astrology represents a synthesis of classical Western astrology and depth psychology, particularly Jungian and Archetypal psychology. In fact, astrology may one day be recognised as underpinning psychology.

The Horoscope as a Map of the Psyche

An understanding of astrology offers an understanding of character and fate. The planets align with the archetypes, the zodiac signs describe transformative processes, and the planetary movements reflect when such energies are constellated.

Please note that the astrological sessions are interactive. Please come prepared with an awareness of your horoscope.

We know that the psyche harbours an intelligence which speaks to us through the language of our dreams.

Similarly, our myths, legends and fairytales carry a profound wisdom. These stories of old may be considered our collective dreams. Given an understanding of symbolism, they illuminate the psyche and its universal patterns.

Key tales include Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, King Arthur and the Grail Legends, Grimm’s fairytales such as Snow White, Hansel and Gretel, Jack and the Beanstalk, and Iron John, the Bible stories of Job, Christ, and the Apocalypse, Greek myths, and stories from other regions of the world.

One of our most popular series, the group exploration of our myths, legends, and folklore, serves as a journey into the depths of the psyche.

Working on one’s dreams is fundamental to the individuation process. However, the way of the dream has long been forgotten.

The school offers several classes that explore how to interpret dreams and their symbolism, which includes masculine and feminine figures, animals, houses, rooms, landscapes, modes of transport, situations, and overarching themes.

Participants are encouraged to share actual dreams. In this way, theory transforms into practice.

The Dream Analysis & Symbolism classes are a prerequisite for participation in the Dream Groups.

The best way to learn the art and science of dream analysis is by joining a Dream Group.

The Dream Groups provide first-hand experience in working with the deeper psyche. One witness to another's process, just as others witness your process as guided by your dreams.

A Dream Group session involves working on three to five dreams presented by the participants. The groups are primarily practical classes with theory introduced as required.

Each session lasts 2 hours. The groups are ongoing and in-person in Newtown, Sydney. The number of participants is limited to ten.

Completing the Dream Analysis & Symbolism course and individual therapy sessions (with a therapist of your choice) is required for participation in a Dream Group. Dream Groups serve as an adjunct to, rather than a replacement for, one-on-one sessions with a therapist.

The deeper psyche is best accessed through the imaginal realm. A well-developed, intuitive faculty is essential for inner work.

Psychotherapy can be a very heady exercise, however. Mythically speaking, to Athene, the goddess of wisdom, we must add Persephone, the queen of the underworld and priestess.

When we sleep and dim the light of consciousness, our brain waves slow, and we enter the imaginal realm. We have a dream. Once we awake with this vision from the night, we have material from the creative unconscious to pore over and analyse. The dream serves as a bridge.

With practice, the same may be achieved while awake.

By relaxing the mind and dropping to an alpha and theta brainwave state, the imagination will again speak to us. Similar to a dream, we have a vision. This we may do for ourselves or on behalf of another.

Psychic Development classes are a series of exercises plus an opportunity to practice upon others.

To gain the most from the school's teachings, course participants are encouraged to enter into their personal process, ideally in a manner informed by the imaginal realm, such as through Dream Analysis, Sandplay or similar modalities.