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Enemy, Cripple, & Beggar: Shadows in the Hero's Path
In Enemy, Cripple, & Shadows in the Hero's Path , Erel Shalit provides new thoughts and views on the concepts of Hero and Shadow. From a Jungian perspective, Fisher King Press publication elaborates on mythological and psychological images. Myths and fairy tales explored include Perseus and Andersen's The Cripple. You'll also enjoy the psychological deciphering of Biblical stories such as Amalek - The Wicked Warrior, Samson - The Impoverished Sun, and Jacob & the Divine Adversary. With the recent discovery of The Gospel of Judas, Dr. Shalit also delves into the symbolic relationship between Jesus and Judas Iscariot to illustrate the hero-function's inevitable need of a shadow. Clinical material concerning a case of a powerful erotic counter-transference is also an integral part of this deeply insightful body of work. The Hero is that aspect of our psyche, or in society, who dares to venture into the unknown, into the shadow of the unconscious, bringing us in touch with the darker aspects in our soul and in the world. In fact, it is the hero whom we send each night into the land of dreams to bring home the treasures of the unconscious. He, or no less she, will have to struggle with the Enemy that so often is mis-projected onto the detested Other, learn to care and attend to the Cripple who carries our crippling complexes and weaknesses, and develop respect for the shabby Beggar to whom we so often turn our backs - for it is the 'beggar in need' who holds the key to our inner Self. As with Erel Shalit's previously published book The Path of Transformation from Archetype to Ego , comprehensive views of the concepts and images of the Shadow and the Hero are provided and theory further explored. While directed toward an audience of analysts and Jungian oriented psychotherapists and clinicians, Enemy, Cripple, & Shadows in the Hero's Path can be comfortably read as well by an informed lay public interested in Analytical Psychology and Psychoanalysis, and by those interested in the interface between psychology and mythology, and psychology and religion.
- GenresPsychology
248 pages, Paperback
First published July 15, 2008
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
November 19, 2010
The Hero's Journey
Erel Shalit is a Jungian psychologist from Israel and it is no surprise that his works are being published by Fisher King Press, a publisher devoted to, among other things, Jungian psychology. This book is dense in the finest sense of the word. The ideas Shalit develops are some of the most sound markers in understanding not only the great heroes of literature and the past but also the progress of each our soul's journeys. One strong example Shalit uses is the character of Jesus and how he had to face his Shadows to grow into the hero he became. It is Shalit's premise that heroes cannot be heroes with the presence of the Shadow in their paths. It is a candid exploration of the dark aspects of the soul that guide us to the path that allows us to overcome those aspects of our being and emerge the hero - or not - and that is a complete possibility.
To quote Shalit 'To find meaning we need to be equipped with the sword and with bravery and with a mirror and with reflection, embrace and compassion, with strength and with weakness, with the light of appearance and a guiding lamp.' He explains the Shadow in our quest as having three forms - the Enemy, the Cripple and the Beggar: the Enemy being our projection of our failings on others; the empathy we show to those others (the Cripple) plays the mendicant to our own bruises; the coping and care of the Beggar within us is a lesson in compassion. These aspects of the Shadow must be faced and embraced as part of us before the Hero can emerge.
As with all Jungians psychoanalysis is imperative as through analysis we learn about both the potential of dreams and the dark blocks to those dreams we must overcome. That is far too simplified a manner of describing what happens as this book becomes part of the reader's psyche, but it is enough to hopefully encourage other readers to pick up this book and stay with it long enough until our own hero emerges.
Grady Harp
Erel Shalit is a Jungian psychologist from Israel and it is no surprise that his works are being published by Fisher King Press, a publisher devoted to, among other things, Jungian psychology. This book is dense in the finest sense of the word. The ideas Shalit develops are some of the most sound markers in understanding not only the great heroes of literature and the past but also the progress of each our soul's journeys. One strong example Shalit uses is the character of Jesus and how he had to face his Shadows to grow into the hero he became. It is Shalit's premise that heroes cannot be heroes with the presence of the Shadow in their paths. It is a candid exploration of the dark aspects of the soul that guide us to the path that allows us to overcome those aspects of our being and emerge the hero - or not - and that is a complete possibility.
To quote Shalit 'To find meaning we need to be equipped with the sword and with bravery and with a mirror and with reflection, embrace and compassion, with strength and with weakness, with the light of appearance and a guiding lamp.' He explains the Shadow in our quest as having three forms - the Enemy, the Cripple and the Beggar: the Enemy being our projection of our failings on others; the empathy we show to those others (the Cripple) plays the mendicant to our own bruises; the coping and care of the Beggar within us is a lesson in compassion. These aspects of the Shadow must be faced and embraced as part of us before the Hero can emerge.
As with all Jungians psychoanalysis is imperative as through analysis we learn about both the potential of dreams and the dark blocks to those dreams we must overcome. That is far too simplified a manner of describing what happens as this book becomes part of the reader's psyche, but it is enough to hopefully encourage other readers to pick up this book and stay with it long enough until our own hero emerges.
Grady Harp
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews