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The Wisdom of the Serpent: The Myths of Death, Rebirth and Resurrection
SHAMAN AND SERPENT
In the tradition of Jungian analysis, a psychiatrist and an anthropologist explore the meanings and manifestations of death through ritual, religion and myth.
The knowledge that he must die is the force that drives man to create. The tribal initiation of the shaman, the archetype of the serpent, exists universally in man’s experience, exemplifying the death of the Self and a rebirth into a transcendent, “unknowable” life.
In The Wisdom of the Serpent: The Myths of Death, Rebirth and Resurrection, first published in 1963, the authors trace the images and patterns of psychic liberation through personal encounter, the cycles of nature, spiritual teaching religious texts, myths of resurrection, poems and epics. They translate these elements of common human experience into a them for modern man: the reinterpretation of the individual freed from the mortal boundaries of the Self.
First published in 1963, this classic work in analytical psychology includes notes on the illustrations, appendix and references.
In the tradition of Jungian analysis, a psychiatrist and an anthropologist explore the meanings and manifestations of death through ritual, religion and myth.
The knowledge that he must die is the force that drives man to create. The tribal initiation of the shaman, the archetype of the serpent, exists universally in man’s experience, exemplifying the death of the Self and a rebirth into a transcendent, “unknowable” life.
In The Wisdom of the Serpent: The Myths of Death, Rebirth and Resurrection, first published in 1963, the authors trace the images and patterns of psychic liberation through personal encounter, the cycles of nature, spiritual teaching religious texts, myths of resurrection, poems and epics. They translate these elements of common human experience into a them for modern man: the reinterpretation of the individual freed from the mortal boundaries of the Self.
First published in 1963, this classic work in analytical psychology includes notes on the illustrations, appendix and references.
349 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1990
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
December 10, 2019
I had way high expectations for this book and was way disappointed. It turned out just to be an anthology and almost none of their own analysis and a poor anthology at that. Poor work Jungians.
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If you like books like this you'll love my project:
http://youtube.com/c/seekersofunity?s...
September 5, 2023
Considering the amount and depth of lore of the world this coffee arm chair reader is great to get a sense of different anthropologies mythic heritages.
May 24, 2026
The Wisdom of the Serpent by Joseph Henderson
Joseph Henderson was a psychiatrist trained in Jungian analysis. I don't know much about the thought of Jung and his school, but one of their interests seems to be how myths serve as representations for psychological transitions that occur at different stages in life. It is a fascinating thesis, but perhaps, one more rich in speculations than in specific applications. The book is divided in two parts: in the first, Henderson tries to categorize myths into their psychological functions. For example, a myth of death and rebirth may serve as a pattern of initiation of an immature ego to a mature self serving a purpose in the community. The second part is a collection of myths categorized by the authors according to the function they serve. I found the book difficult reading, and I would imagine anyone not already familiar with this kind of thinking would find it a poor introduction. The second part can be read as a interesting collection of myths on death and rebirth, but without a good understanding of the first part, their connection to psychology will remain nebulous.
Joseph Henderson was a psychiatrist trained in Jungian analysis. I don't know much about the thought of Jung and his school, but one of their interests seems to be how myths serve as representations for psychological transitions that occur at different stages in life. It is a fascinating thesis, but perhaps, one more rich in speculations than in specific applications. The book is divided in two parts: in the first, Henderson tries to categorize myths into their psychological functions. For example, a myth of death and rebirth may serve as a pattern of initiation of an immature ego to a mature self serving a purpose in the community. The second part is a collection of myths categorized by the authors according to the function they serve. I found the book difficult reading, and I would imagine anyone not already familiar with this kind of thinking would find it a poor introduction. The second part can be read as a interesting collection of myths on death and rebirth, but without a good understanding of the first part, their connection to psychology will remain nebulous.
October 3, 2023
Jungians are insane.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews