The Mysterious Union of Masculine and Feminine

Lecture presented by Judith Dowling

Rise up my love, my fair one,
and come away.
For, lo, the winter is past
the rain is over and gone;
The flowers appear on the earth;
the time of the singing of birds is come.
The Song of Songs 2: 10-13

Throughout time the mysterious union of masculine and feminine has inspired creative expression of its transcendent message. Varyingly described as the sacred marriage, the hieros gamos, or in alchemy the coniunctio, it portrays the uniting of what C.G. Jung described as “impossible” opposites (Letters v. 2, October 15, 1957), an event that finds its highest value in the embrace of the divine or royal couple. Depictions of this sacred mystery are suffused with erotic sensuality and are often accompanied by images of blossoming flowers.
Behind this transcendent experience of wholeness lies an oftentimes dark road of suffering, which is experienced as a loss of soul. The exiled soul longs for reunification with consciousness, which is sometimes depicted as the Bride’s anguished yearning for the return of her Bridegroom. Jung has described the unfolding of this process as the “suffering of becoming conscious” (C.W. 13 §456).

To depict the sacred marriage presents a challenging task, for here, we are in the realm of the gods. Words of reason fail, yet the experience is real. With the aid of creative expression throughout the centuries, we will explore the meaning of this ineffable mystery; we will contemplate its significance for each of us as individuals and for the loss of soul in today’s polarized world.

About the Speaker:

Judith Dowling is a Zürich trained Jungian Analyst with a private practice in Victoria, B.C. She has lectured in Canada and internationally. Her article: Lost Voices of the Feminine: The Song of Miriam Arises is published in the Spring, 2018 edition of the Jung Journal, Culture and Psyche.
Website: www.victoriajungiananalysis.com