Quadrant: The Journal of the C.G. Jung Foundation

The Witch Archetype — Ann Belford Ulanov

Why do witches turn up at all? What causes us to be so fascinated by them that, old or young, we like to hear tales about them? What makes the image of the witch persist in our imaginations? A magnificent figure, the witch is full of secret knowledge, powerful spells, hidden ambitions, cackling revenge. We are curious about her knowledge of uncanny things; we feel aggressive toward her, wanting to outsmart her, burn her, or defeat her wily plots; we fear her dread powers, lest she cast an evil spell on those we love. Yet we marvel at her. She is a fairy tale figure who can bestow upon us a magical tinder box, an invisible cloak, or a secret treasure. Although she often appears as a remote old woman out of reach of human convention, in her youthful form her seductive beauty bewitches us. …

The New Myth of Meaning — Edward F. Edinger

History and anthropology teach us that a human society cannot long survive unless its members are psychologically contained within a central living myth. Such a myth provides the individual his reason for being. To the ultimate questions of human existence it provides answers which satisfy the most developed and discriminating members of the society. And if the creative, intellectual minority is in harmony with the prevailing myth, the other layers of society will follow its lead and may even be spared a direct encounter with the fateful question of the meaning of life.

It is evident to thoughtful people that Western society no longer has a viable, functioning myth. Indeed, all the major world cultures are approaching, to a greater or lesser extent, the state of mythlessness. … The loss of a central myth brings about a truly apocalyptic condition and this is the state of modern man. …

Impressions of a Visit to Lascaux — Robert S. McCully

Lascaux, discovered in 1941, contains some of the best preserved, richly colored paintings and engraving in all of parietal (roof) art, and these paintings have been dated around 20000 – 15000 B.C. … Leroi-Gourhan has provided us with impressive scientific and statistical data data strongly suggesting that prehistoric cave art reflects a complex mytho-theology common to all cave painter-hunters of Cro-Magnon cultures in southern Europe. He has, moreover, found a consistent male-female complementarity amongst animal figures and their placement in cave art. I have considered that phenomenon as a possible correlate with psychological differentiation in early man’s development. The visit to Lascaux made clear to me that one cannot draw general conclusions from viewing the offerings of a particular cave. Any notion of trends and possible significances require a study of a more complete panorama of cave art. Here, I will confine my remarks to those impressions and thoughts that I experienced during the visit to Lascaux itself. …

Book Reviews

Jung: His Life and Work— Barbara Hannah. G.P. Putnam’s Sons. Reviewed by Ross L. Hainline.

Androgyny: Toward a New Theory of Sexuality— June Singer. Anchor Press/Doubleday. Reviewed by Thayer A. Greene.