{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"The Cry of Merlin: A Jungian Approach to the Wizard","description":"Merlin, the mythical prophet, magician, and kingmaker of medieval legend, has lived in the Western imagination for centuries. Arthurian legend gives us more than the idealized government of the Round Table and the hero\u2019s valiant quest for the Holy Grail\u2014it also gives us Merlin\u2019s darkness and power: sorcery, communion with nature, and the prospect of achieving our aims through shadowy transgression.   This week, our special guest is Jungian analyst and friend DOUG TYLER. Doug guides us through Merlin\u2019s role in Western culture, sharing some of his favorite stories and explaining the profound influence of Merlin on his analytic work and psycho-spiritual landscape.   Considered through a psychological lens, Merlin models the necessity of journeying downward and confronting our darker aspects. He prefigures Gandalf and Dumbledore, embodying the archetype of the mature masculine in a strong and shadowed relationship with the feminine. Merlin can also be understood as a counterpoint to Christ: although his father was a demon, he was born to a virgin mother and twice offered himself as sacrifice.   Read the dream we analyze in full on our \u2060website\u2060.   Connect With This Jungian Life   Download our free \u2060\u2060\u2060Dream Recall Meditation Guide\u2060\u2060\u2060.   Check out our \u2060\u2060Dream School\u2060\u2060.   Watch bonus mini-episodes on our \u2060\u2060Patreon channel.\u2060\u2060   Follow This Jungian Life on \u2060\u2060\u2060\u2060\u2060\u2060\u2060\u2060Instagram\u2060\u2060\u2060\u2060\u2060\u2060\u2060\u2060. ","author_name":"This Jungian Life","author_url":"http:\/\/www.ThisJungianLife.com","html":"