Part III: Individuation and the Language of the Unconscious

In Part III of Man and His Symbols, Marie-Louise von Franz explores how the unconscious speaks through myths, and symbolic narratives—and how these stories map the psychological process Jung called individuation.

Unlike moral fables or cultural myths shaped by institutions, fairy tales arise from deeper psychic strata. They reveal recurring patterns of transformation: the encounter with the shadow, the emergence of the anima/animus, trials that dissolve the ego’s illusions, and the slow formation of an integrated self.

In this session, we’ll explore questions such as:
• Why do fairy tales often begin in deprivation, confusion, or exile?
• What do symbolic figures (demons, tricksters) represent psychologically?
• How does the psyche use narrative to guide development when conscious meaning breaks down?