An elephant story to illustrate the importance of pattern recognition in evolution:
In 1986, Mkele Mbembe was on holiday in Kenya after graduating from college. On a hike through the bush, he came across a young bull elephant standing with one leg raised in the air. The elephant seemed distressed so Mbembe approached it very carefully. He got down on one knee and inspectedthe elephant's foot, and found a large thorn deeply embedded in it.As carefully and as gently as he could, Mbembe worked the thorn out with his hunting knife, after which the elephant gingerly put down its foot.The elephant turned to face the man and with a rather stern look on itsface, stared at him. For several tense moments Mbembe stood frozen, thinking of nothing else but being trampled. Eventually the elephant trumpeted loudl! y, turned and walked away.Mbembe never forgot that elephant or the events of that day. Twenty yearslater he was walking through a zoo with his teenaged son. As they approached the elephant enclosure, one of the creatures turned and walkedover to near where Mbembe and his son Tapu were standing. The large bullelephant stared at Mbembe and lifted its front foot off the ground, then put it down. The elephant did that several times then trumpeted loudly, allthe while staring at the man.Remembering the encounter in 1986, Mbembe couldn't help wondering if thiswas the same elephant. Mbembe summoned up his courage, climbed over the railing and made his way into the enclosure. He walked right up to theelephant and stared back in wonder. Suddenly the elephant trumpeted again,wrapped its trunk around one of the man's legs and swung him wildly back and forth along the railing, killing him.
Odysseus' journey to the underworld
The first talk (see below) on the 14th of September seems to be made to fit for me. How can I avoid it, I guess I am going to have to go. Discovery, I guess is the theme. My name sake so long ago - an idea in Homers mind - was it, is it universal? The break away from all that is known to face the unknown. One thing is for sure. If Croatia is anything to go by then Odysseus had a breath taking trip. But oh Penelope I feel for you - no person should be so affected!
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The Jung Centre Gauteng
20th August 2006
OPENING TALKS AT THE JUNG CENTRE GAUTENG NEW VENUE, ST. AUGUSTINE COLLEGE OF SOUTH AFRICA
14THSEPTEMBER AND 17th OCTOBER
Dear patrons, benefactors and members of the Jung Centre Gauteng,
Firstly, we are moved at the responses that are coming in with respect to materially supporting our centre. So far, four members will contribute R500.00, R150.00, R1000.00 and R50.00. We welcome and honour each and every contribution. If just ten people or businesses contributed R1000.00, we would already be on our way to financial stability so that we could maintain our Centre and offer the quality of talks you would like.
PUBLIC TALKS AT THE JUNG CENTRE
We now have two public talks booked at our new venue. Our opening talk will be by Alexander Esterhuyzen who is visiting South Africa in September. Some of you may have had the privilege of taking part in his seminar on sandplay when last he visited. Our second speaker is Dr. Peter Ammann from Switzerland who has had a long association with the Jung Centre Gauteng. We are very pleased to be able to present talks by both speakers and look forward to seeing you there.
ALEXANDER ESTERHUYSEN
THURSDAY, 14th SEPTEMBER 2006
NEW VENUE: ST. AUGUSTINE COLLEGE OF SOUTH AFRICA
53 LEY ROAD
VICTORY PARK
Please note the directions and map at the foot of this newsletter.
Alexander will talk on "Odysseus' descent to the underworld: signposts for men in search of themselves (and the woman who have to live with them)." Basically, the talk will cover individuation of the masculine in relation to Odysseus' journey to the underworld. It will include some sandplay slides of men's work and concentrate somewhat on integration of the feminine.
Alexander has been the Consultant Psychiatrist in Psychotherapy and Hon Senior Lecturer in Psychotherapy at St George's Hospital London for many years. He is also Chair of the British and Irish Sandplay Society and Vice President (Europe) of the International Society for Sandplay Therapy. He is an IAAP member, and has taught and supervised in many countries in Europe, Eastern Europe and former Soviet Union as well as the USA. He is also a psychiatrist specialised in Psychiatry of Developmental Disability and a professional member of The Institute of Psychotherapy and Disability.
COST FOR ATTENDANCE
Entrance to the talk is R50.00 per person.
Students and pensioners R40.00 per person.
Refreshments will be available at the canteen R10.00 per person.
DR. PETER AMMANN
TUESDAY, 17th OCTOBER 2006
NEW VENUE: ST. AUGUSTINE COLLEGE OF SOUTH AFRICA
53 LEY ROAD
VICTORY PARK
Please note the directions and map at the foot of this newsletter.
Dr Ammann will give a talk in honour of Laurens van der Post's 100th anniversary entitled, "LAURENS VAN DER POST'S AFRICAN LEGACY AND HIS CONTRIBUTION TO JUNGIAN PSYCHOLOGY." He will also make use of videos and slides. Using little known excerpts from videos of van der Post's lectures on Jung, Africa and the bushpeople and from the film "The Lost World of the Kalahari", Peter Ammann will track van der Post's "African" contribution to Jungian psychology and its meaning for our time.
Dr. Peter Ammann, after having studied music (cello) and musicology, trained at the C.G.Jung Institute, Zürich and is an accredited Jungian Analyst. His training analysts were Jolande Jacobi and Marie-Louise von Franz. He is now a training analyst and a lecturer at the International School of Analytical Psychology, Zürich. He has a practice both in Zürich and Geneva and lectures regularly in Switzerland, South Africa and the UK. He is also a filmmaker. After working with Fellini in Rome he became an independent documentary maker. His documentaries include "Hlonipa - Journey into Wilderness" (with Ian Player), "Sandplay with Dora Kalff" and "Spirits of the Rocks".
COST FOR ATTENDANCE
Entrance to the talk is R50.00 per person.
Students and pensioners R40.00 per person.
Refreshments will be available at the canteen R10.00 per person.
DIRECTIONS TO ST. AUGUSTINE COLLEGE OF SOUTH AFRICA
We have included directions to St. Augustine College of South Africa below. Please carefully note the directions for how to enter the property.
Directions to St Augustine College
From Johannesburg:
Enter on Road No 3. Turn left at the traffic lights and the second road left is Road No 3. We are No 26. Take either the M1 North (or go through Braamfontein onto Jan Smuts Avenue) turn left off the M1 or left off Jan Smuts into Empire road, in both cases you will now pass the Wits University on the left. Keep on the left of the road and take the M71 left which becomes Barry Hertzog. Continue along Barry Hertzog through Emmarentia and Greenside about 5 kilometres. Continue left through the bend and at the next traffic light turn left into 2nd Avenue and the next road left is Ley Road, we are No 53 Ley Road. Victory Park. Enter on Road No 3. Turn left at the traffic lights and the second road left is Road No 3. We are No 26.
From Soweto:
Take the N12/Moroka Pass East out of Soweto. When you reach the interchange turn north/left onto the R29 this will change after a short distance and become the N1/Western bypass. Continue along the N1 until you see the Beyers Naude turn off, take this turnoff and turn right over the highway, you will pass through Blackheath. Continue along Beyers Naude until you reach the Northpark plaza traffic light turn left into Milner, this becomes 5th street Linden. Turn right into 3rd Avenue. Continue down 3rd, you will pass the streets running horizontal 6th -11th streets. Turn left at the next road after 11th Street which is called Road No 3 and we are No 26. Victory Park
With best wishes,
Leslie Zimmermann, Chairperson Jung Centre Gauteng
MA Research Psychology(Wits), Diploma Analytical Psychology (Jung Institute, Zurich)
Tel \ Fax: +27 (0)11 486 2294
E-mail: junggauteng@telkomsa.net
Patrons: Margaret Schiess
Ingrid
This is a poem about the poet Ingrid Jonker which I wrote in 2004. She was born in 1933 and committed suicide in 1965 aged 31.
The poem sounds a bit sloppy now I guess.
Ingrid
Upon reading "Time of Waiting in Amsterdam"
You touched something deep
I knew you my whole life
and only discovered you now...
and you turned away abruptly; explosively
Your pain crystallised
Cool moist breeze
red lights streaked over wet tar, receding...
Mountainous shadows looming in the dark
shrouded, cowering spectators
Inky mirror undulating
This oily trickster did not deserve you
slithering cowering hands - jealously concealing its prey
fending off behind glistening rocks
Damp spray betrays your presence
encrusted salt
preserved, arrested in your peak
Cool moist breath rushing over my face
Reach out
let me turn you...
tell you that this was not your time
There is more;
there is abundance
A pasty streak reflected
a pale moon seals your truth under this turbid grave
