tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-91529169280173587352024-03-18T03:02:02.095+00:00Psychotherapy in RomeCoinneach Shanks: A Psychotherapist in Rome, ItalyCOINNEACH SHANKS PSYCHOTHERAPISThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04937583939232645883noreply@blogger.comBlogger817125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9152916928017358735.post-3821298767334301182024-03-06T16:38:00.001+00:002024-03-06T16:39:37.737+00:00Monkey in the Sun<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy11Nt8wOIy-PvCaY1wOubm_tXuICm8djMTP7rigD45nbvp_4bnN-XsPlKRUsU0saZpq6NoTaZSJyB7X2mjDEo6bsK6tpZKqjRgi-GUpkWFvmvV6gSFMKlEh1Z6oOUqfMNveTjBna5JHm7ohve2PXHr7dT7K43WaQu2gJjYVZY30wwQR0UIDDhnVePz8Q/s5472/P1038670.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3648" data-original-width="5472" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy11Nt8wOIy-PvCaY1wOubm_tXuICm8djMTP7rigD45nbvp_4bnN-XsPlKRUsU0saZpq6NoTaZSJyB7X2mjDEo6bsK6tpZKqjRgi-GUpkWFvmvV6gSFMKlEh1Z6oOUqfMNveTjBna5JHm7ohve2PXHr7dT7K43WaQu2gJjYVZY30wwQR0UIDDhnVePz8Q/w640-h426/P1038670.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>The monkey embodies many symbols. As usual they're ambiguous and can be positive or negative. I saw this one basking in a local shop window. I resisted recovering the detail because I like that side of the monkey - sunny, playful and possibly lazy. In the Tibetan wheel of life it symbolises consciousness. But it's a random consciousness, jumping from object to object. I like the Egyptian formulation where the baboon is Thoth. He is a baboon-like scribe and a creature of letters. He writes down the words of the Creator and is a conductor of souls. Usually monkeys are seen as adept in the arts and those born under the sign of the monkey are regarded as gifted. He can be a bit of a trickster, concealing his knowledge behind this mask of buffoonery. Supposing you dream of a monkey-like figure? Psychoanalysts sometimes say they are images of what one should avoid. Yet it might be something to do with the development of your personality, a primeval take on all that goes with that. Are you guilty of monkeying around? Maybe you're being playful when you should be serious - or deceptive when you should be straight forward. Yet for all that the monkey is an agile figure with amazing gifts. In Hindu mythology the monkey does not speak because he is too wise. Are you perhaps keeping your mouth shut, because it would be folly to give it free reign?<p></p>COINNEACH SHANKS PSYCHOTHERAPISThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04937583939232645883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9152916928017358735.post-50314960354356022592024-02-02T16:05:00.003+00:002024-02-02T16:05:58.945+00:00The Ape Car in Piazza Campo de' Fiori<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvBDMDywoSR6QHIAFJbNjdgkW5roCgxbkgXiwPYZtr3rk0S5blkkqyvFbyGNj9gjBwPq17d2YZpxVS66RnR-ep0btp-sBj26GRk3SF4Yomg7ktovYuHFWQeODgM2lFAsLWJauwTtGSC_FeZP1ITY2GLk1eyx2MWLGiR44mFxokDRehun0vRSvCFSEaS3g/s5472/caffes%20central%20rome.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3648" data-original-width="5472" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvBDMDywoSR6QHIAFJbNjdgkW5roCgxbkgXiwPYZtr3rk0S5blkkqyvFbyGNj9gjBwPq17d2YZpxVS66RnR-ep0btp-sBj26GRk3SF4Yomg7ktovYuHFWQeODgM2lFAsLWJauwTtGSC_FeZP1ITY2GLk1eyx2MWLGiR44mFxokDRehun0vRSvCFSEaS3g/w640-h426/caffes%20central%20rome.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>I'm very fond of this picture. It's an Ape car in front of a restaurant in Piazza Campo de' Fiori in Rome. You're bound to see one if you visit. The market is closing and produce taken away, often in vehicles like this one. Made by Piaggio it was introduced in 1948 and found favour immediately. This one is a flat bed like the original, although it's a modernised version made in India, like all Apes. It was a three wheeler based on the Vespa (or wasp), which means bee. A dream of such a vehicle implies psychological development. If you're in the car you can't help but be in the driving seat. It suggests you're in control of the impulses. Who wouldn't love to drive this low powered beauty over the cobbled streets? If it's loaded with goods this gives you a clue to the contents of the psyche. You can't take much with you so your content is quite spare - not much baggage. There's a lot to think of - so if you crash, something is blocking your development. However, an Ape is pretty safe and I'd say that was unlikely. No driving in the fast lane for you. I like to think the driver hopped off for a coffee and parked the Ape just anywhere he liked. How relaxed can that be? I'd like to own an Ape for that very reason. <br /> <p></p>COINNEACH SHANKS PSYCHOTHERAPISThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04937583939232645883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9152916928017358735.post-20773004024051822762024-01-16T16:35:00.001+00:002024-01-16T16:35:37.590+00:00On the Subject of Hats<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdsWuEZ90gNSoRI0IQgGERXny_GJ3kH-6TJijr_T9JSYCy8OoclWj2ozSHjYLcF9cMAbl9jrYapyX8jdSW-Xx4I83yrLvq2U2A1Tu7ohLhrhkziMycffhdADR0Z94f6_B5VRgrhdO1j57SkydEDObwG4cp8Y1ig3A1TS-HYYE6WqNOZa5r7vrceQ6pXBU/s4230/sardinian%20head.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3102" data-original-width="4230" height="470" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdsWuEZ90gNSoRI0IQgGERXny_GJ3kH-6TJijr_T9JSYCy8OoclWj2ozSHjYLcF9cMAbl9jrYapyX8jdSW-Xx4I83yrLvq2U2A1Tu7ohLhrhkziMycffhdADR0Z94f6_B5VRgrhdO1j57SkydEDObwG4cp8Y1ig3A1TS-HYYE6WqNOZa5r7vrceQ6pXBU/w640-h470/sardinian%20head.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">This is the bust of Domitia Longina, wife of the Emperor Domitian - and is more flattering than most. She lives in the Capitolini Museum in Rome and strikes quite a figure with that hat. It's surely not her hair? I think not. It is said that her husband Domitian was "erased" from history, but she seemed to survive and many busts can be seen in museums around the world - always with that hat, Hats protect from the weather but also gives the personality of the wearer extra significance. We do express something of ourselves in the hat. I deliberately took a photograph of myself reflected in the mirror behind the bust, because I'm wearing a hat. That hat protects me of course, but also shields my eyes from the sun when taking photos. Or museum lights, which can be an infernal nuisance. It places me in that community of serious photographers who want to be somewhat anonymous. Hats hide as well as reveal, and in that, the hat is most important. So what about dreams? You might have a dream of wearing or putting on a hat. What kind is it? A bowler hat, a top hat, a baseball cap? Bowler hats are still connected to business and top hats reflect aristocracy. Wearing a top hat might indicate a tendency to inflation in the dreamer. Bowlers are about senior white-collar work. A cap like mine could be an association with teams - are you a team player? If you're looking for a job, I'd pay attention to that dream. A shaman's hat now, or even a church mitre - that indicates a state of spirituality. Perhaps the sacred is coming into your life.</div></div></div><p></p>COINNEACH SHANKS PSYCHOTHERAPISThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04937583939232645883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9152916928017358735.post-8155692640516193402023-12-01T16:34:00.001+00:002023-12-01T16:40:21.564+00:00The Colour Orange<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoF3JnF4716JaYZdRTc0yC2Navbe_mNLaQQ9nLBU3dNf9O-pDAvrTZp02rU5oNCg9RnmzONeeMIIWQNVkai6IN8ytOlGUtFHuk_WDYSoLFa90XfC_R73QJ2VhWWGYDkdWt6NfJloa2n5DhyphenhyphenI6YEK4UzOMyf_0ondy0Yqvy5fa6QtLYi4tKRJI5pUO2JGI/s2500/orange%20shop.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1667" data-original-width="2500" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoF3JnF4716JaYZdRTc0yC2Navbe_mNLaQQ9nLBU3dNf9O-pDAvrTZp02rU5oNCg9RnmzONeeMIIWQNVkai6IN8ytOlGUtFHuk_WDYSoLFa90XfC_R73QJ2VhWWGYDkdWt6NfJloa2n5DhyphenhyphenI6YEK4UzOMyf_0ondy0Yqvy5fa6QtLYi4tKRJI5pUO2JGI/w640-h426/orange%20shop.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>I chose this photograph because of the colour. It's a display in the shop window of Pasticceria Siciliana Svizzera. I like it because it shows people looking in the window. Maybe they're waiting on cakes, a great speciality there. Orange is the colour of seasonal change but also of warning. It is said that Buddhists originally wore saffron robes as a compassionate gesture to prisoners of the time. US prisoners wear orange jump suits when working outside. Rail workers are obliged to wear orange tabards when working on the lines so that they can be seen. But most of all, orange is the colour of change. Maybe it's the warning of change. When leaves begin to transition, the golden orange colour is distinctive. Even when leaves start to wither they're invariably orange. They're saying winter is on its way. Let's say you dream of leaves. Are you contemplating a change or is change being thrust on you? Maybe you're being warned of a dramatic change - home, health, partner, work? When the leaves are on the ground, do you kick your way through them? Are you dreaming of new paths? Shelley referred to leaves as pestilent multitudes, he was referring to the dispossessed who would forge a new path and change everything.<p></p>COINNEACH SHANKS PSYCHOTHERAPISThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04937583939232645883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9152916928017358735.post-89291112479135873212023-11-24T10:18:00.003+00:002023-11-24T10:18:48.485+00:00Under the Helmet<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs2IfJnHm2lKwGMQ2ug02t1O6i0_z4YSV2OdVHr27cwbhtz05vxBtoktINEUvY5fR2yXjdY3xpoMg5q93UNXwbsj-AnvJKzHFWBk_Tms_S3LrFrWRDr9K-If4lj5kyeeE_prH-wJXPEhvx8k9YJXOfSX7_Rxo_xpPmbZ05fLE8u1DBzMOmE8gcC4SDHnI/s5472/P1037564.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3648" data-original-width="5472" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs2IfJnHm2lKwGMQ2ug02t1O6i0_z4YSV2OdVHr27cwbhtz05vxBtoktINEUvY5fR2yXjdY3xpoMg5q93UNXwbsj-AnvJKzHFWBk_Tms_S3LrFrWRDr9K-If4lj5kyeeE_prH-wJXPEhvx8k9YJXOfSX7_Rxo_xpPmbZ05fLE8u1DBzMOmE8gcC4SDHnI/w640-h426/P1037564.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>I spotted this toy helmet in the local market. There are lots of these in Rome as you might expect. I particularly liked the brushed metal of the helmet and visor. Now the helmet has as many symbolic interpretations as the head that it covers. It's important that the head is hidden to protect the wearer - more symbols. The helmet is usually embellished and in this case, a plume of red feathers suggests the attributes of a bird - flight and speed. Feathers fluttering in the wind sought to impress the enemy. But in mythology, the helmet suggests invisibility. The wearers' identity cannot be recognised. The visor is snapped down before battle and the hidden warrior proceeds. Important for the unconscious, the hidden self is paramount. It can mean hiding from others or concealing oneself. Maybe even hiding the self from the self. Dreams of helmets might mean a multitude of things, but it really depends on who is wearing the helmet. You or your adversary. Who is hidden under the helmet? And what do you wish to conceal about yourself? <p></p>COINNEACH SHANKS PSYCHOTHERAPISThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04937583939232645883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9152916928017358735.post-71452617374918877952023-11-16T15:24:00.000+00:002023-11-16T15:24:51.492+00:00Enclosed Roadway<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit4lX_8j9ul7JLyf4nbOIwbuQgLu1SeDnYg5qaTkRvhnnhLce_cCjCj3fGU2VXj_AnwqNdF0zlRtpELM1s3HsTEBMFyFXDPAiWCstxC94Pea8daPLbM2Qw0yuICDAlpOjyn-825bHmJ2Jb8_50KeFzl7U4VZHCSpJrZ86GGdj3nTx0Tae_6u9dz498ZWw/s5472/enclosed%20roadway.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3648" data-original-width="5472" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit4lX_8j9ul7JLyf4nbOIwbuQgLu1SeDnYg5qaTkRvhnnhLce_cCjCj3fGU2VXj_AnwqNdF0zlRtpELM1s3HsTEBMFyFXDPAiWCstxC94Pea8daPLbM2Qw0yuICDAlpOjyn-825bHmJ2Jb8_50KeFzl7U4VZHCSpJrZ86GGdj3nTx0Tae_6u9dz498ZWw/w640-h426/enclosed%20roadway.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>I chose this photo of a bus, which perfectly nice, but in other ways ordinary. It is where the bus is located that's important. This is my local bus stop. Unlike other streets this roadway is enclosed, separate from the rest of the traffic. It may carry buses, ambulances, police cars and taxis. I can tell you it's extremely useful. It shuts off other traffic. They may not enter there. If I was in a life threatening position, I'd want the ambulance to take this route. I'm not saying it's a sacred enclosure. Far from it. Yet it serves a useful purpose. And woe and betide the occasional cyclist or e-scooterist that sails down this road. They face a hefty fine. I'm wondering about dreams of such a structure. Imagine you are rolling down a road solo, protected from other road users. That would be a nice feeling. But like other symbols, it's ambivalent. This road can keep you in. It's restrictive. You can't go where you please. Don't you want to throw over the traces and break free? Or are you happy, feeling safe with the restriction? Like a rolling road, it's not going to get you far. Consider these factors. Safety and restriction. Maybe your life has become too regimented. You want to break free but there's safety in sticking where you are. Are you going to stay in a rut or make a run for it? It could be something as little as changing the way you go to work. <br /> <p></p>COINNEACH SHANKS PSYCHOTHERAPISThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04937583939232645883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9152916928017358735.post-85440092529390773702023-11-14T09:55:00.000+00:002023-11-14T09:55:20.111+00:00Head of Taxonomy<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3vIa6O40gfIoCvNqio34imQB60-ELRow6pfNoECgOkxDBq6ewfs5t7Diln8d1S83Xi2oY0OhbH2jcdaXaom91XOrSXhwDurt0zq9hPA_VB_5U7g0Em5LNpQ7U7uP2w-I90EPBFlMvSlQsrTm21IDVuscqG3xohnt9Ul5SzCnwRENsN1_WRSNvNA4GdwU/s1833/carol%20von%20linne.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1092" data-original-width="1833" height="382" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3vIa6O40gfIoCvNqio34imQB60-ELRow6pfNoECgOkxDBq6ewfs5t7Diln8d1S83Xi2oY0OhbH2jcdaXaom91XOrSXhwDurt0zq9hPA_VB_5U7g0Em5LNpQ7U7uP2w-I90EPBFlMvSlQsrTm21IDVuscqG3xohnt9Ul5SzCnwRENsN1_WRSNvNA4GdwU/w640-h382/carol%20von%20linne.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">This is the bust of </span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #111111; font-family: inherit;">Carl von Linné at Amsterdam Zoo. He was considered the father of Taxonomy. It's only in recent times that the head was considered the centre of reason. Before that it was the heart. I'm reminded that those that indulged in </span><span style="color: #111111;">psychedelics</span><span style="color: #111111;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> drugs were known as "heads" and I recall that someone once described a fellow as "a little head from </span>Rathfarnham". Sticks in the head that one! There are lots of phases involving heads. There's a price on his head. His head is on the block. A still tongue makes a wise head. When I hear people talking incessantly on their phones I think of that one. In the end, the head is a manifestation of power - so talking at length on telephones might be a dissipation of power. It also symbolises the spirit. When ghosts carry their own head, they have overcome their executioners' axes. They have been able to overcome death, because the spirit resides in the head. Dreams of heads could be about work. The head of department might be an idiot but the spirit of the enterprise is vested in his or his position. Are you in conflict with the boss at work? Off with his head I say. If it's your head that has been severed, this probably signifies a psychic disconnexion. That needs work, probably with your psychotherapist. </span></span> <p></p>COINNEACH SHANKS PSYCHOTHERAPISThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04937583939232645883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9152916928017358735.post-37444492079336865402023-11-12T08:48:00.002+00:002023-11-12T08:48:52.478+00:00The Face of the Market God<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYYuliEh30jXSHGYIWS7krajLqatT09hEIjXBNKxevIMR11uizYdf5u2Y_daTEn8ZIM4wtQZ95tRLN9npJ8Bts-0aei0qN8IbOieBij38FPsYgSk8bfJRonSNK4G5FMM1uGdnTu-lvRmq4oYXMiB4Hbn8WTEgJDAj5IK6VPfWDSmjI8whfMIxiKOI3wm0/s5472/testaccio%20clutter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3648" data-original-width="5472" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYYuliEh30jXSHGYIWS7krajLqatT09hEIjXBNKxevIMR11uizYdf5u2Y_daTEn8ZIM4wtQZ95tRLN9npJ8Bts-0aei0qN8IbOieBij38FPsYgSk8bfJRonSNK4G5FMM1uGdnTu-lvRmq4oYXMiB4Hbn8WTEgJDAj5IK6VPfWDSmjI8whfMIxiKOI3wm0/w640-h425/testaccio%20clutter.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>Testaccio market is a wonderful place for photographs. I wish other markets were like it. The design is modern but the flavour of the market it replaced is still there. I chanced upon this cartoon face. It must have been in my original photo composition, but I wasn't totally conscious of this face looking on to a scene of cheerful disorder. Amazing what a few lines can do. The face is the embodiment of the whole. "No man shall see my face and live," said God in Exodus. But this face belongs to a devil or an angel - perhaps both. Is it disdainful or merely curious? The Small Faces, a sixties Mod band, were small in stature but the reason for the name was a recognition that a face was something to be looked up to. In Mod argot, the Face had sharp clothes, pretty girlfriends, great records. He was someone to respect. The phrase "giving face," is originally Cantonese and means to offer respect. Loss of face is well known of course. Dreams of faces are another matter. Is there a problem? Do you have to face something down? Is there a debt to be paid? Or if it's a single face, this may represent something about the self that must be recognised. <p></p>COINNEACH SHANKS PSYCHOTHERAPISThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04937583939232645883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9152916928017358735.post-36263138622334510722023-10-31T17:14:00.003+00:002023-10-31T17:14:29.558+00:00Hallowe'en Ghouls<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeTlfp1qIxveHW9e2f8B451oP2p4YFnZnpT9T3DAzV-tsc_Thyphenhyphen7MWhmUxLfI7jhlOKLqBvThVYk84WuJfZXMt2xXhFCCeq3eiQMtl3ofIHyHISUH0XSR93pppt7dYo5IOruyP4JMiAfQrxkrswYUGVdvbtU_FhQyqFrXZDKX32JaT4-tJ3BScQDhtOVc0/s4672/skull.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3104" data-original-width="4672" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeTlfp1qIxveHW9e2f8B451oP2p4YFnZnpT9T3DAzV-tsc_Thyphenhyphen7MWhmUxLfI7jhlOKLqBvThVYk84WuJfZXMt2xXhFCCeq3eiQMtl3ofIHyHISUH0XSR93pppt7dYo5IOruyP4JMiAfQrxkrswYUGVdvbtU_FhQyqFrXZDKX32JaT4-tJ3BScQDhtOVc0/w640-h425/skull.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>A nice Hallowe'en image to cheer us all up. At this time of the year we externalise these lost ego images. They spring out from the unconscious to self consciously haunt us! We fear and reject some realities, and this is one of them. The howling banshee we might meet on the road is a manifestation of all the shadows you could ever imagine! I saw this one in Hamleys in Dundrum, sadly now closed. Hamleys toy shop was a place of good fun and I always enjoyed going there. Perhaps the ghost of Dublin Hamleys still play at Hallowe'en and mock ghostly customers. Do you ever dream of ghosts? I've had many, but the ones I recall are spectacular. They were not at all shadowy. I was once in a rocket ship in a tunnel, pursued by ghouls. In the dream I kept going because I knew if I touched the sides, I would be lost in the space time continuum. In another, I looked out the window and saw three vampires. Then they were coming up my stairs to my apartment and I woke up yelling. Something I'd put out of my mind? Perhaps. More likely predictive since someone I knew was going to take advantage of me. I didn't let them in anyway. One doesn't invite vampires into the house. The house in this case is the psyche. You done want vampires taking possession of the psyche. If you dream of ghosts, consider whether you have forgotten something or failed to acknowledge some important matter. Ghosts are disconnected from space and time. Or they might be just be ghosts!<br /> <p></p>COINNEACH SHANKS PSYCHOTHERAPISThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04937583939232645883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9152916928017358735.post-27392888728672828822023-10-03T16:54:00.001+01:002023-10-03T16:54:39.089+01:00The Stairway to the Unconscious<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9q4DrhPlmthZN0EE7_UMsJ5Obagg7AOOkxp_eWxZaLBS0AmkST-n5dPSKlJ6BnvD9UDRu1ymg0VwUYiOPLhVBXKZj_byG498Lsg57Sv5Qg4uWdQ5Vw5D_6JtpYxX70Wnl8URDF6vUteHAbuST6fbBrFmgFl8M_kOQBTZp5iTTRcCIzu0qoGI67M61elA/s5472/P1015621-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5472" data-original-width="3648" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9q4DrhPlmthZN0EE7_UMsJ5Obagg7AOOkxp_eWxZaLBS0AmkST-n5dPSKlJ6BnvD9UDRu1ymg0VwUYiOPLhVBXKZj_byG498Lsg57Sv5Qg4uWdQ5Vw5D_6JtpYxX70Wnl8URDF6vUteHAbuST6fbBrFmgFl8M_kOQBTZp5iTTRcCIzu0qoGI67M61elA/w640-h640/P1015621-2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>It's a bit of a cliche, however true, that a stairway leads both up and down. But possibly the most important aspect of stairs is that they lead to different levels. A famous dream of Jung's demonstrates that the levels are part of the psyche. He dreamed that a staircase led from a well-appointed level to a basement, then into cave with scattered bones - the primitive man within himself. Whether or not he discovered the concept of the collective unconscious through the dream, the stages are certainly transformative. Fixed order vanishes. Up and down lose their relational meaning. So the traditional view of ascent being positive and descent being negative must be be treated with absolute caution. "<i>As above, so below.</i>" This spiral staircase leads up to the top of Turin's film museum, an old Jewish temple. It was never consecrated. The Jewish community withdrew from the project due to rising costs. They asked the city to take over the structure, which it duly did. I will feature it another day. If you dream of a staircase, think about what kind it is. Is it a spiral or a straight staircase? What level are you on? Are you at the bottom, the top or somewhere in between. Are you stumbling or falling? Are you grabbing for a handrail? The latter might indicate a need for support! Maybe you're building a staircase? Handrails or none?<br /><p></p>COINNEACH SHANKS PSYCHOTHERAPISThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04937583939232645883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9152916928017358735.post-90584839707811199932023-08-09T16:10:00.000+01:002023-08-09T16:10:08.084+01:00Big Foot<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS-QWCiIopwHpeKehDKHOtvTpd4Ji8-IXYowXhi_-zuDDliOvk2gcbfen4X8V8jm003gJ1qpy6cqL61XeBCsdMwcB7o2x3tWLRxj9YB0nE4zJVJZm6JqXgEIOOM2iTdKtbhd-jjej2j32_xCuYtnSEHgNcZIC6ucKXZd0gm_JsCwJTwI-ypZmN3s4EsqQ/s3981/big%20foot%202.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3202" data-original-width="3981" height="514" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS-QWCiIopwHpeKehDKHOtvTpd4Ji8-IXYowXhi_-zuDDliOvk2gcbfen4X8V8jm003gJ1qpy6cqL61XeBCsdMwcB7o2x3tWLRxj9YB0nE4zJVJZm6JqXgEIOOM2iTdKtbhd-jjej2j32_xCuYtnSEHgNcZIC6ucKXZd0gm_JsCwJTwI-ypZmN3s4EsqQ/w640-h514/big%20foot%202.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>Feet have many connotations and sayings associated with feet are boundless. Put your best foot forward. I'll foot the bill. get off on the right foot. Feet connect us with the earth end many pilgrims walk barefoot for exactly that reason. They then set foot upon sacred ground. Leonardo said the foot was an engineering masterpiece. I'm also thinking of the great Socialist anthem Jerusalem. "And did those feet in ancient time. Walk upon England's mountains green." Feet know first when to escape an enemy and make a break away from danger. Even before the brain. And did not Jesus wash the feet of his disciples? Mary Magdalene washed the feet of Christ and dried them with her hair! That is erotic enough! Freud knew all about the eroticism of feet. "Put on your high heel sneakers, wear your wig hat on your head," sings Tommy Tucker. And so, to dreams of feet. Are you walking. climbing or dancing? Think of the context of the dream. Are you feeling any attachment to the earth? Are you putting shoes on? Maybe they are hiking boots and you're climbing a mountain. Perhaps they're not your feet. Are you washing them, drying them or kissing them? Your feet may have made their own decision and they're taking you on a journey. I wonder where?<p></p>COINNEACH SHANKS PSYCHOTHERAPISThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04937583939232645883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9152916928017358735.post-76364167206570321142023-08-03T14:16:00.000+01:002023-08-03T14:16:09.700+01:00Shattered Glass<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgebIVJc3vVy_Sv_D1nXTRXFG-lJArC4l64STc5O6N3GFcWmJkh7n6a_TQ1frYuxhxfKf6eBHWtTnO5HtqyZJ2CBWq2kHYHIYXfO4eiTCaCCE4JmkV7cR7z9OJJINsYcBj0queJ9ND8PdPlps7Wlht5i_rJtgEOIj2vvXGaW_Xf6Dk67y0eUGOKUlbQmFw/s4672/shattered%20glass.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3104" data-original-width="4672" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgebIVJc3vVy_Sv_D1nXTRXFG-lJArC4l64STc5O6N3GFcWmJkh7n6a_TQ1frYuxhxfKf6eBHWtTnO5HtqyZJ2CBWq2kHYHIYXfO4eiTCaCCE4JmkV7cR7z9OJJINsYcBj0queJ9ND8PdPlps7Wlht5i_rJtgEOIj2vvXGaW_Xf6Dk67y0eUGOKUlbQmFw/w640-h426/shattered%20glass.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>Glass is an interesting symbol. Over 4000 years ago humans made glass. Medieval alchemists had considerable fascination for glass and indeed it was a Prima Materia - an undifferentiated mass from which things began. It looks like a solid but it's more of a liquid. It's form and chaos. What would laboratory scientists do without it? No flasks! It's durable, yet under certain circumstances it can be shattered in an instant. As a child I had rather an unfortunate accident involving glass, and I'm uncomfortable with glass doors to this day. The picture depicts a window on a bridge over a canal. Why someone should choose to break it, I'll never know. But it gives me the shudders. It's magical nonetheless, throwing light hither and thither. The glass mountain is common in fairy tales and the princess imprisoned there might not get out but for the true love of a suitor. Yet glass signifies vision illumination and insight. It is much used cinematically to imply intelligence. Hemingway's glasses tossed casually down on the writing desk is symbolically connected with his story telling. If you dream of glass, it could mean many things. Naturally my dream would be coloured by experience, but you could have dream about scaling a glass building, picking up a framed photograph or gazing through the looking glass. In the latter case - watch out for a rabbit. Perhaps a surreal mystery awaits you!<br /><p></p>COINNEACH SHANKS PSYCHOTHERAPISThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04937583939232645883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9152916928017358735.post-71228175814552834972023-07-28T15:59:00.000+01:002023-07-28T15:59:03.760+01:00We are the Streets<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNZWy9phbcWiT3d4kgrIlKnagTEHklxFPQ1DisH-UOT5E2pqUl_v85khACSS-gutGYfRv7J1h3BzNf4i4H0TT_qx8VM6IyPn2Y8goc0Ifn-Gz7sH6pCFqxXkWpU48UUW73hYfxlwiqzs8dsMe42lBy4JV3r1ZCaA62caZhuIzIO_VUvqllqos25Ms68uU/s2897/street%20art%20sardinia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2877" data-original-width="2897" height="636" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNZWy9phbcWiT3d4kgrIlKnagTEHklxFPQ1DisH-UOT5E2pqUl_v85khACSS-gutGYfRv7J1h3BzNf4i4H0TT_qx8VM6IyPn2Y8goc0Ifn-Gz7sH6pCFqxXkWpU48UUW73hYfxlwiqzs8dsMe42lBy4JV3r1ZCaA62caZhuIzIO_VUvqllqos25Ms68uU/w640-h636/street%20art%20sardinia.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>This is a small street in a village in central Sardinia. Residents were given rejuvenation funds to decorate it with murals. They did well. Here you can see the direction of traffic, pavements and buildings. Walking, eating and all the facets of modern life are here. The street brings people together. Although this village looks sleepy, its houses hide a network of human relations. To be "of the streets" signifies a different level of meaning. It might mean belonging, but being out on the streets is another matter. Criminals hide out on the streets. The homeless sleep there. "I walk the streets. I know the streets. I am the streets." Miriam Lichtheim says: <i>"Lo, there is much hatred in the streets, The wise says "Yes," the fool says "No," The ignorant is satisfied."</i> [Ancient Egyptian Literature. Vol 1. The Old and the Middle Kingdoms] There is security in the street and also the opposite. The street brings people together, but those who live on the other side may see it differently. If you dream of streets, what is the first thing that strikes you? Is it from the past? Somewhere from your childhood perhaps. Are there houses or shops or both? Do you feel secure or threatened? Are there friends and neighbours - or are there wandering footpads, ghosts or ghoulies? The street has all the traffic. Perhaps you would like to feel the security of the known, but when it's a badly lit street, anything can happen - just round the corner. The quest for something new also bring worries. Are you worried about the unexpected?<p></p>COINNEACH SHANKS PSYCHOTHERAPISThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04937583939232645883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9152916928017358735.post-18064658813491540502023-07-21T11:15:00.003+01:002023-07-21T11:17:46.353+01:00The Giant Head<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg55WArZx0t6s2IxcrjiOCVPk0uo4Rtxbv_UjcL2KTCKdR9NbhlTufdz3STGBrVKrjDKheKOpOEpV1DB2MdLFnAAe-ejE_i4fr0mIp6y-AQZalIYxtt3Y4ibcAlC0jpZ4Lwbuz_AXvlyPODIX1ibdTs7Tiwo97fA-QAdjMFZ-wd8zwiz_avbpNISgC9xYM/s5472/giant%20head.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3648" data-original-width="5472" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg55WArZx0t6s2IxcrjiOCVPk0uo4Rtxbv_UjcL2KTCKdR9NbhlTufdz3STGBrVKrjDKheKOpOEpV1DB2MdLFnAAe-ejE_i4fr0mIp6y-AQZalIYxtt3Y4ibcAlC0jpZ4Lwbuz_AXvlyPODIX1ibdTs7Tiwo97fA-QAdjMFZ-wd8zwiz_avbpNISgC9xYM/w640-h426/giant%20head.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>This head is part of the recent excavations in Largo di Torre Argentina. I've been coming here for many years but could only look down at the site with the Roman theatre where Julius Caesar met his untimely end. Walkways now allow you see it at closer quarters. At the site, under the pavement excavations host statues of various sorts. This one is massive at around two to three metres. It must have been some statue. If you're in Rome, you will almost certainly pass it. There isn't much shade except at this spot, so do be careful. The head<span> symbolises transformation and the substance of life. I'm reminded that individuals who take magic mushrooms and other psychedelics to alter consciousness are known as "heads". Heads were, in certain circumstances, chopped off. In the French Revolution, the use of the guillotine was thought to disperse the energy of the hated aristocrat to the rest of society. And are we psychotherapists not sometimes known as shrinks? It's quite an ambivalent symbol with lots of meanings. So what if you dream of heads. I can hear Bob Dylan singing "them old dreams are only in your head." Would these dream heads be severed heads? Maybe it's your head of department? Would you see him as a daemon? When daemons take control of us, it's usually the head they go for!</span><br /><p></p>COINNEACH SHANKS PSYCHOTHERAPISThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04937583939232645883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9152916928017358735.post-59483304533288268912023-07-18T11:11:00.000+01:002023-07-18T11:11:14.642+01:00Let Armour protect You<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9UzKWCC9XZZzfeartdYUz-7BWeTMTYktVPZO4Xhz-njzMjzyttmezRbQcA6pEmjAqvYLhPpj3-seqXApMXsirNuiBl7YAU714e-OdrXt1Hh-Pb5_ndW5qR-RLOufctoIbiiP0M5Lkrq3pO9fQxg2Ut78--eqj6eh_IGvO7k8ELs5ua6pww-hst39a5vg/s5472/swiss%20guard%20armour%20suit.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3648" data-original-width="5472" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9UzKWCC9XZZzfeartdYUz-7BWeTMTYktVPZO4Xhz-njzMjzyttmezRbQcA6pEmjAqvYLhPpj3-seqXApMXsirNuiBl7YAU714e-OdrXt1Hh-Pb5_ndW5qR-RLOufctoIbiiP0M5Lkrq3pO9fQxg2Ut78--eqj6eh_IGvO7k8ELs5ua6pww-hst39a5vg/w640-h426/swiss%20guard%20armour%20suit.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>Weapons subsume armour. <i>Put on the whole armour of God that ye may be able to withstand the wiles of the devil</i>. (This armour belongs to the Swiss Guard armoury and my thanks to the Vatican tailoring department who organised our visit.) Protective but heavy, armour is the essential for military forces, whether made of steel, iron. leather or modern Kevlar. Like most symbols they are ambivalent. Made to defend against monsters, they can transform into monsters too. Blacksmiths were regarded as magicians and all materials they used in armour have their own symbolism. But if you dream of armour, you may have an inner conflict. The type of armour (and weapons used against it) will give you a clue as to the nature of your conflict. But there is good news. The breastplate symbolises justice and purity. And likely your position is righteous. You should stand and let the armour quench the wicked and their fiery darts. Maybe you have a conflict at work - the most common of all clients' problems. Your dream is probably telling you to be firm. Gird your loins, strap on your armour and proceed with confidence.<p></p>COINNEACH SHANKS PSYCHOTHERAPISThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04937583939232645883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9152916928017358735.post-44286206777071166182023-07-11T15:29:00.001+01:002023-07-11T15:29:29.977+01:00Annie Get Your Gun<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi88F1fyWBOT_xtLeIPkp9_ZWEiI02zAHo_YL-zejL7_sN3zi0oCDw-l5mvR8UhrtYY8rm6u83B0BERI-KmOPLW7uk5IX2gGA6NhQjG1etGf-4wTeQBTtgLo-i9t3ar4DWkUNYsFC6zaJRARTM0RxxGYXrg8G0tG0kK5TMa6LUOOHjF71M4M1cpZv54Bhg/s5472/P1014163.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3648" data-original-width="5472" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi88F1fyWBOT_xtLeIPkp9_ZWEiI02zAHo_YL-zejL7_sN3zi0oCDw-l5mvR8UhrtYY8rm6u83B0BERI-KmOPLW7uk5IX2gGA6NhQjG1etGf-4wTeQBTtgLo-i9t3ar4DWkUNYsFC6zaJRARTM0RxxGYXrg8G0tG0kK5TMa6LUOOHjF71M4M1cpZv54Bhg/w640-h426/P1014163.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>I was invited to see the armoury at the Vatican by a close contact. He works as the head tailor for the Swiss Guard. It was something of an honour and I'm well pleased. The gun is an interesting symbol. It is often associated with men - but this isn't exclusive. The 1946 musical <i>Annie Get Your Gun</i> was a smash hit and so was <i>Calamity Jane</i>. Both are legitimate historical characters. (I find myself humming the Deadwood Stage is a coming on over the Crest). It's the direct descendant of the spear, catapult and projectile stone throwers - but its accessibility makes it one of the most dangerous weapons known to humanity. All the same, I compare it with the spear. It was thought to have healing powers as well as inflicting lasting damage. It was symbolically the sun ray, and you could say the gun is too, with its death-dealing bullet blast of fire. The spear was thrust into Christ's side. It's not hard to imagine Christ shot with a gun, like Martin Luther King Jnr or Gandhi. But if you dream of guns how does it feel? Are you holding the weapon or being threatened by another? Is it a pistol or a rifle? It is fundamentally a male symbol, so if you're female, check out your animus! Or maybe you are target shooting? This suggests that our innate desire for violence can be contained and reduced to an accuracy test. Or does it? <br /><p></p>COINNEACH SHANKS PSYCHOTHERAPISThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04937583939232645883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9152916928017358735.post-3717145529077439932023-07-11T10:34:00.001+01:002023-07-11T10:36:23.333+01:00Don't go chasin' Waterfalls<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRLdDXjmLXmlOfY_DGTZokoCz-FnxPIw3UG84_qYmX2I5HQRxqY5BYfxBeA_h1IE_VF7KvVTsoXlVXvRNzPmlY4w28afRiVq1oEwVgDy_v8p5_VwZ2gIQE94qR7OLQ4TTHb8ePPb2BN3DtR59CtPKVyQoXOBMzUOOwxtZr0iP-PcMAxM6_VIX0WdHLXeQ/s5472/P1014485.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3648" data-original-width="5472" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRLdDXjmLXmlOfY_DGTZokoCz-FnxPIw3UG84_qYmX2I5HQRxqY5BYfxBeA_h1IE_VF7KvVTsoXlVXvRNzPmlY4w28afRiVq1oEwVgDy_v8p5_VwZ2gIQE94qR7OLQ4TTHb8ePPb2BN3DtR59CtPKVyQoXOBMzUOOwxtZr0iP-PcMAxM6_VIX0WdHLXeQ/w640-h426/P1014485.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>What a magnificent thing is a waterfall! This is Tivoli and it's quite a place. Much recommended. If you're in Rome, it's not far so get on a coach and take yourself up there. OK, I'll subject you to photography talk first. My compact camera works best on f/4 - f 5.6. On a day like yesterday, which reached 38', this meant a high shutter speed. Great effect though. Water is in continuous motion and never the same twice. The design was ingenious. It powers itself. The whole effect makes you gasp, and the site was famous even in antiquity. Water is a symbol of unconscious energy and here you can see it. Continuous motion and dynamism. I'm reminded of the song popularised by TLC, <i>Don't go chasing waterfalls.</i> This is a cocaine song and a warning. Stick to the rivers you know. Don't go too fast. Some people like me, like to stand and watch at the back of a waterfall, in that subdued and safe space in the rocks. So if you dream of waterfalls, what's your position? Are you caught in the torrent being borne along to meet an uncertain landing in the waters below. Or are you looking through the spray? Your unconscious is telling you something. There's a lot of energy there. You can either harness it or give yourself up and be swept away.<p></p>COINNEACH SHANKS PSYCHOTHERAPISThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04937583939232645883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9152916928017358735.post-53745136492693002582023-07-06T16:56:00.000+01:002023-07-06T16:56:05.522+01:00The Vatican's Pilgrims<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg8RcS9PUfSN3LEA5E4O3TpVbOmG2IcxgemT_pjWB-W4YUXgBuQLSQwaCMQtRij1oDvTVt_ssaHqUT3MjrbpsxV90PUk5WzDbreGtfFxGe2UGy-uKyhj9C8SwJKSVV2Zkqbmb_ABlHU1sHs3lK4juh4oUW8ZPBbNPSQIXphTrlVpNAZoxE88v3I1pA70M/s5184/Vatican%20sunrise%202.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="5184" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg8RcS9PUfSN3LEA5E4O3TpVbOmG2IcxgemT_pjWB-W4YUXgBuQLSQwaCMQtRij1oDvTVt_ssaHqUT3MjrbpsxV90PUk5WzDbreGtfFxGe2UGy-uKyhj9C8SwJKSVV2Zkqbmb_ABlHU1sHs3lK4juh4oUW8ZPBbNPSQIXphTrlVpNAZoxE88v3I1pA70M/w640-h426/Vatican%20sunrise%202.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />This is an unusual view of the Vatican dome. It's the one I see from my kitchen window and often in the summer it greets me like this. It's a longish shot so there are some TV aerials there. Time has passed them by, but I suppose people cannot be bothered to take them down. So we have the sacred and the profane in the same picture. I often think how lucky I am to have this view - St Peter's with the mountains behind and the sun slowly rising in the east. We're going there tomorrow, having been invited by an acquaintance who administers the tailor's workshop for the Swiss Guard. I'll also get to see the museum and gardens. It's quite a place, so I'm looking forward to it. Some good friends are joining us from Ireland too. I could pick just about any symbol I wanted from this picture. Many people come on a pilgrimage to this spot, although I'm not sure they could correctly be regarded as pilgrims. I don't know how devout they are, but I guess they made an effort to get there from far away places. (The pilgrim is supposed to make his journey in poverty, in preparation for the enlightenment he or she will achieve when they get to their destination.) Supposing you dream about being a pilgrim, maybe in the manner of John Bunyan's <i>A Pilgrim's Progress,</i> itself a dream sequence<i>.</i> You might have fallen into the Slough of Despond. By that I don't mean you're a sinner, but may have been overcome by melancholy. You could try a psychotherapist. Let's call him or her by the Bunyan nomenclature, Help. They can help pull you out and get you to the Wicker Gate. Relieved of your burden you'll be on the straight and narrow. But like Christian you must do some work yourself! In your dream, figure out who your helpers are. Do you have a staff - or equivalent? How murky is that swamp? <p></p>COINNEACH SHANKS PSYCHOTHERAPISThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04937583939232645883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9152916928017358735.post-3939792299192350762023-06-27T18:02:00.002+01:002023-06-27T18:04:53.158+01:00Pillars at School<p></p><div style="text-align: center;"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB-J0rSTUfy4NlM0tUru_vNHuUcAtrvWXPfNX2Dc8XWVUveWniGGPDsl8crSb7QwZWOK9yp24IU8aTfyMPN_6cbH7hmwqAlx9piy5wtY3ku4ttOt06ByCeT6fP-pK17q4dodStPN5fcqtHXDArAn92qX2uavixvW1km8V0thu-43-_N8--TZFHHAAjrTA/s2048/Bitish%20Institute.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB-J0rSTUfy4NlM0tUru_vNHuUcAtrvWXPfNX2Dc8XWVUveWniGGPDsl8crSb7QwZWOK9yp24IU8aTfyMPN_6cbH7hmwqAlx9piy5wtY3ku4ttOt06ByCeT6fP-pK17q4dodStPN5fcqtHXDArAn92qX2uavixvW1km8V0thu-43-_N8--TZFHHAAjrTA/w640-h425/Bitish%20Institute.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">I took this photo the other evening on my way home from an interesting lecture by Stephen Shapiro from the University of Warwick - Gramsci's Anthropocene. It was held in this fabulous building, the <a href="https://bsr.ac.uk/visit-verve-30-june/" target="_blank">British School at Rome</a>. The school runs as a charity and dates from 1901. But this seems like an opportunity to talk about columns. Columns are taken as the sum of the whole. To undermine them is to risk the whole structure - remember Samson? He destroyed the temple of the Philistines and since the column symbolises power, he achieved victory. The column is heaven and earth, God's power in man and the power of man under God. There are some famous pillars. The Pillars of Hercules denoted and defended the passage of the Mediterranean. Yet whatever culture they appear in, they always have the same symbolism. They mark the passage of worlds. Let's look at dreams now. Maybe you dream of passing through or under pillars - transitioning from one world to another. New course, new job or new life? Perhaps you see a pillar of smoke or fire as did the Israelites escaping from Egypt. It's guiding you somewhere. Consider where that might be. If you pass under the columns of this building you will achieve knowledge at one of the many lectures - and in any case you're in for a treat. If you look up, celebrated artist Bridget Riley recently designed the ceilings. Well worth a visit. </div></div><br /><p></p>COINNEACH SHANKS PSYCHOTHERAPISThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04937583939232645883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9152916928017358735.post-60728520777342061722023-06-25T11:24:00.002+01:002023-06-25T11:24:53.238+01:00The Wandering Compass<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrQBRVyBeRceNgQx38BsaV-875vGUdAdYx_W6Y91gAS-SyLasTZizOsiXbQHk8MGZVbbG26wIB_ipY1tkemGpKwKdSdqvwvhzxChhjC8U311FY5c2NtKhF3K5olwrijm1DOz0QUYQFRlX1d2wr0ZUJZmquiaGsFwigjFlzfsxS5EGMcZ5Ne4VBGW0Ofvg/s2048/compass%20(2).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1365" data-original-width="2048" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrQBRVyBeRceNgQx38BsaV-875vGUdAdYx_W6Y91gAS-SyLasTZizOsiXbQHk8MGZVbbG26wIB_ipY1tkemGpKwKdSdqvwvhzxChhjC8U311FY5c2NtKhF3K5olwrijm1DOz0QUYQFRlX1d2wr0ZUJZmquiaGsFwigjFlzfsxS5EGMcZ5Ne4VBGW0Ofvg/w640-h425/compass%20(2).jpg" width="640" /></a></div>This is floor decoration at the National Museum of Ethnography and Prehistory in EUR. Rome. It was impossible to avoid the light, so I made a feature of it. I love the light descending vertically in the west. The magnetic compass is used as an essential tool on the sea. Invented by the Chinese, it was originally used for divination. It divides the world into directions and like the architect's compasses it recreates the world. The circles start with the centre, the origin of the cosmos - and in its entirety, distinguishes the inside from the outside. Electrically charged iron identifies north and south and it's possible to navigate a course using it. But the closer you get to a pole, the less likely it is to work. It wanders to the east and west. Likewise, the internal compass may be disorientated and need revision. I wonder if dreams might indicate that your compass is wandering. It suggests a need for re-orientation. Maybe your dream places you at the wheel of a ship on a storm-tossed sea. In psychological terms you could be somewhere between consciousness and unconsciousness. I frequently dream of ships and shipwrecks, beaches, tsunamis and the like. In one major dream I was shipwrecked on the rocks and retrieving items. I'd lost my bearings and had to salvage what I could. There are periods in life where we have to do exactly that. <br /><p></p>COINNEACH SHANKS PSYCHOTHERAPISThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04937583939232645883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9152916928017358735.post-58800303011958592892023-06-22T11:31:00.000+01:002023-06-22T11:31:11.827+01:00The Wind's Eyes<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgedoRVl2Guon1GcuAu22PsBeQrEezH-KCitWJEHhexRfMJSb5sDgiAj7XhA9YHkcg5sgUy5KFmI73jvqmSIrKWJksY_Hv8QMf5Sq-kx1v7bmRqrrJlQTX6DEbycxGLvkAMaVxETTkQo06uiSILEMmGa80I7YZLqBp-PPfFuhwTOheZwGJzQGCkTYNBh5U/s2388/Torino%20palace%20tower%20window.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2388" data-original-width="2388" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgedoRVl2Guon1GcuAu22PsBeQrEezH-KCitWJEHhexRfMJSb5sDgiAj7XhA9YHkcg5sgUy5KFmI73jvqmSIrKWJksY_Hv8QMf5Sq-kx1v7bmRqrrJlQTX6DEbycxGLvkAMaVxETTkQo06uiSILEMmGa80I7YZLqBp-PPfFuhwTOheZwGJzQGCkTYNBh5U/w640-h640/Torino%20palace%20tower%20window.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>I chose these windows because of the variety. Window derives from the Icelandic. <i>Windr </i>(wind) and <i>Auga </i>(eye). It's a threshold where inside and outside meet - but it's more than that. If it's round it corresponds to the eye's receptivity and consciousness. But a square window is said to be terrestrial, gathering the light of the heavens. We use the word window in many ways. A window of opportunity is famously parodied in the comedy show, Minder. <i>I saw a window of opportunity and I jumped right through it. </i>A launch window in space denotes a period of time where something is possible. Ancient prostitution was denoted by a picture of a woman in a window - fulfil your erotic desire. The movie Woman in the Window is a film noir starring Edward G. Robinson - looking and desire defined film noir as a genre. Dreams, memories and reflections are all windows looking into the psyche. I like the heavily ornate dome of the church in the background where windows of all shapes and sizes abound. So what about a dream of windows? Are you looking out or in? What do you see? Are you spying or merely observing? If you're inside a religious building, the stained glass designs all mean something. And of course, you cannot look out, they're contemplative windows. But what colour are they? This might be a vital clue in interpreting your dream.<p></p>COINNEACH SHANKS PSYCHOTHERAPISThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04937583939232645883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9152916928017358735.post-41232280813130077242023-06-21T10:51:00.001+01:002023-06-21T10:51:15.345+01:00Float like a Butterfly<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX2XA90YLWyEWF-lt0qIc66vP6Xs3lZjAgRBCVY-MMSZkl01MPyDVOYAhKZhJ1Hud5Pq7vnHk4TeDN0tD5aaYjg5T886hGQuH_X-CHCnihXyIq7e6mpRbvutSYo22if9AKn40LkcZBVyShiElwKLgCizTJFB25AT2a3-JHfaTDjr4933BX6dTG4cMutr8/s2000/butterfly%20wings.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1420" data-original-width="2000" height="454" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX2XA90YLWyEWF-lt0qIc66vP6Xs3lZjAgRBCVY-MMSZkl01MPyDVOYAhKZhJ1Hud5Pq7vnHk4TeDN0tD5aaYjg5T886hGQuH_X-CHCnihXyIq7e6mpRbvutSYo22if9AKn40LkcZBVyShiElwKLgCizTJFB25AT2a3-JHfaTDjr4933BX6dTG4cMutr8/w640-h454/butterfly%20wings.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>Butterflies are the most beautiful creatures, are they not? They are awfully fragile and may live only for a day or maybe a month. I once tried to photographically capture a blue butterfly in Turin and it gave me every opportunity, but despite several tries I never got it in focus. That's the way they are, always floating with wings always moving. They are the renewal of the psyche even after tragedy and the Aborigines say that they are returning souls. For the Aztecs they could be the souls of women who died in childbirth. The connection between the butterfly and the soul is very strong. It is also very much about change. The caterpillar must feed to sustain the life of a butterfly, which drinks only nectar. All the protein and fat it needs comes from the caterpillar. Dreams of butterflies suggest something of that transition. The path of individuation needs that psychological store of food, locked hidden within the self, ready to be freed. The butterfly is a very dynamic symbol. So what if you dream of a butterfly? Is it emerging from the chrysalis or fluttering from flower to flower? Where does it land? Maybe you are in therapy and emerging as the butterfly. The life of the butterfly mirrors that of human beings so where are you in life? Perhaps the dream is saying something about life stages.<br /><p></p>COINNEACH SHANKS PSYCHOTHERAPISThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04937583939232645883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9152916928017358735.post-56740995712912358902023-06-20T14:50:00.000+01:002023-06-20T14:50:00.242+01:00A Cleaner Path?<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyIVwGbMn8bZNzRq-fOniGNZVqYLkR5Bv3qhhY2_ohw-EsvhjdoTHOqtjGyWa3ZjFpsjj7qrs-JBaw16-nTQkPRo8aZoP8wg-Mnp0y3QvjtfbqroyeRpsFPub9ztrLEnLjd0q_ME1SMXhHMsmf08DSUG4_lhZcNDl2opGzD9BY-QIPx5pQ7FCPHyoZnsA/s4000/washing%20machines.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2672" data-original-width="4000" height="429" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyIVwGbMn8bZNzRq-fOniGNZVqYLkR5Bv3qhhY2_ohw-EsvhjdoTHOqtjGyWa3ZjFpsjj7qrs-JBaw16-nTQkPRo8aZoP8wg-Mnp0y3QvjtfbqroyeRpsFPub9ztrLEnLjd0q_ME1SMXhHMsmf08DSUG4_lhZcNDl2opGzD9BY-QIPx5pQ7FCPHyoZnsA/w640-h429/washing%20machines.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>This shop has always fascinated me. The entrance is minimally covered and hosts a corridor of washing machines. On this day it was raining and so there were many reflections. I thought it was fitting that the rain set off the washing machines so well. What is today's symbol? It would be washing, water, rain or even flood. Let's start with water. The cleanliness of skin or clothes isn't the same thing as purity. The seas cannot wash us free from sin! Washing merely symbolises the process. But water also passes its powers to the person - the virtues of the spring - healing, cleanliness or fecundity - are communicated. In the picture the floor is wet and the roof hasn't quite protected the corridor. But any more rain that day and the shop would have flooded. That might have meant an unfortunate new beginning for the owners. Dreams of washing and of floods are common enough. So maybe you've had one. I have. The house is caught in a downpour and there's water everywhere. I feel it signifies a new beginning but not the one we imagine for ourselves. It's overwhelming.<p></p><p><i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: markazi; text-align: justify;">"T</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: markazi; text-align: justify;">here is a tide in the affairs of men, Which taken at the flood, leads on to fortune. Omitted, all the voyage of their life is bound in shallows and in miseries. On such a full sea are we now afloat. And we must take the current when it serves, or lose our ventures."</span></i></p><p></p><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: markazi;">In Shakespeare's Julius Caesar, Brutus is urging Cassius to take a particular course of action, He's saying go with the flow. It's now or never. In your dream, the water is flooding in. Is it cleansing or does it demand action? Or are you washing yourself down in the water, ridding yourself of perceived guilt. Pilate washed his hands to absolve himself of responsibility. But it did not.</span><span style="text-align: left;"> </span></div><p></p>COINNEACH SHANKS PSYCHOTHERAPISThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04937583939232645883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9152916928017358735.post-86339373435697367702023-06-13T14:54:00.002+01:002023-06-13T14:55:34.381+01:00Clouds in my Coffee<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqvJ-aC_Ooa7Qgf9lh0nI-6ZD5JCggosJz7AIBzm32Y5ydfoifVoHSNgCPU-X-SSk5hvsYstNMBNj9Fm3r8-QpsVPEzjHJx443sPN2seqKSJbZ5znLY4Wc66UBTmYCfxT-e1g1SplYMGWGnMoNdHPXfSYj2GYQcz2YkKSbVkP4bP445klWGuZe4CQz/s4080/cinema%20trASTA-3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2720" data-original-width="4080" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqvJ-aC_Ooa7Qgf9lh0nI-6ZD5JCggosJz7AIBzm32Y5ydfoifVoHSNgCPU-X-SSk5hvsYstNMBNj9Fm3r8-QpsVPEzjHJx443sPN2seqKSJbZ5znLY4Wc66UBTmYCfxT-e1g1SplYMGWGnMoNdHPXfSYj2GYQcz2YkKSbVkP4bP445klWGuZe4CQz/w640-h426/cinema%20trASTA-3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>Clouds are weird. Never the same thing twice. Now this was a storm cloud picture before I filtered it. The filter was called 'cinema' as I recall! I think it looks apocalyptic, like these images they use in a nuclear landscape - rain, hail, snow or all three at once. They are primal and undifferentiated like Allah himself before he came into being. In these times, the cloud has come to mean a tangible thing when it's really what's on everyone else's computer. On the Internet of Things, I suppose that turns into a shadowy mass. "I'll put it on the cloud," meaning it's safe and can be downloaded later. Or perhaps it's available to other people. I like to think of the mass digital world as like the Cloud of Unknowing proposed by early Christians. It closes us off from God in its nebulousness. It's oppressive if you think about it. Imagine everything stored on the Cloud was downloaded at once. If you dream of clouds, where are you situated? Are you on a grassy bank looking up - or above the clouds looking down. Maybe you're in the clouds, grasping around ungrounded and remote from the terrestrial. Joni Mitchell as a passenger in a plane saw a cup of coffee in which the sky was reflected - a real joining of heaven and earth. Maybe there's a dark cloud hanging over you? Try to image the dream of clouds to something that strikes a chord in your psyche. There may be a silver lining there.<p></p>COINNEACH SHANKS PSYCHOTHERAPISThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04937583939232645883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9152916928017358735.post-18782677961723939502023-06-09T09:51:00.001+01:002023-06-09T10:01:52.477+01:00The Mermaid<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieO0o1UjmQ-Sz8HQu3yxP2Y2KN7ZIz0cwzJGUyUglDPvM0tlpTYDGEo6QNvW0oSrvW69RczZJfqfTNNV_DDQ72j-PFGlDH591JgAk9T_PcCIBDCAgwz2mUxDDICU-cvqjv9RUbYYjUEIrzI3N0Tk7UABKgLVnxL7Kih9ydX-TfX8o9j_GZKNG33Fst/s4000/artichoke%20merrmaid.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieO0o1UjmQ-Sz8HQu3yxP2Y2KN7ZIz0cwzJGUyUglDPvM0tlpTYDGEo6QNvW0oSrvW69RczZJfqfTNNV_DDQ72j-PFGlDH591JgAk9T_PcCIBDCAgwz2mUxDDICU-cvqjv9RUbYYjUEIrzI3N0Tk7UABKgLVnxL7Kih9ydX-TfX8o9j_GZKNG33Fst/w480-h640/artichoke%20merrmaid.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>This is the quintessential mermaid. A beautiful young woman with fish scales made from the rather scaly outer leaves of the artichoke. Generally, her upper half would be naked but propriety and a chilly day demanded some clothing. Partially mortal she belongs to the Gods. Another relation of Aphrodite, she embodies the unconscious, fluid, feminine and instinctual enticements of the flesh. She is said to be descended from that whale we talked about in my last blog and was the one who tempted Beelzebub into witchcraft. Yet she longs to be human with a soul. She is enchanting and lovely but she is not of the conscious world. Her duality is obvious. She is both within touching distance yet remote. Suppose you dream of a mermaid. Can you touch her tail? You might achieve that, but she will squirm away. She is something you would like to humanise, bring to consciousness. But her siren song is elusive. She's so out of reach that in all probability, you will retreat into your unconscious - or lose yourself in desire.<br /><p></p><div><span style="font-size: x-small;">[Photo: Camilla Galli da Bino]</span></div>COINNEACH SHANKS PSYCHOTHERAPISThttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04937583939232645883noreply@blogger.com