Jung 107: Jung and Alchemy

In this course we explore C. G. Jung’s understanding of alchemical symbolism and its use in Analytical Psychology. Jung’s study of the ancient practice of alchemy reveals symbolic patterns of human development and the process of individuation.

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Discover how alchemy reveals the hidden structures of psychological transformation

Jung recognized that alchemical symbolism mirrors the individuation process – ancient practitioners encoded the drama of consciousness and the unconscious in their laboratory work, preserving archetypal patterns of change across centuries

This course explores Carl Jung's twenty-five-year engagement with alchemy as the Western mythological system par excellence. While working with patients' dreams in the 1920s, Jung encountered imagery he couldn't understand until discovering striking parallels in medieval alchemical texts. He came to see that alchemical operations were real – not physically, but psychologically. The alchemists projected their inner drama onto matter, unconsciously documenting the stages of psychological transformation through symbols of chemical change. This eight-module course examines alchemy from multiple perspectives: the history of science, the history of religion, and Jung's unique depth psychological interpretation. You'll explore Jung's major works including 'Psychology and Alchemy', 'Mysterium Coniunctionis', and 'The Psychology of the Transference'. The course covers essential alchemical concepts – the opus, prima materia, and operations including calcinatio, solutio, coagulatio, sublimatio, separatio, and coniunctio. You'll learn how these processes correspond to stages of individuation and discover techniques for applying alchemical symbolism to dream interpretation, active imagination, and understanding contemporary culture.

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Your instructor for each of these courses:

Senior Instructor

James R. Newell, Ph.D.

James Newell is an educator, counselor, personal coach, professional musician, and the director of the Depth Psychology Alliance. James earned his master’s degree in Pastoral Counseling and Theology from Vanderbilt University Divinity School, with a focus on Jungian psychology. He earned his doctorate in History of Religions from the Vanderbilt University Graduate School of Religion. James has taught online and face to face courses for Central Michigan University, Western Kentucky University, Excelsior College, Thomas Edison State University, and other institutions.
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What others are saying...

Dr. James Newell is a gifted teacher

Bonnie Bright, PhD, founder of the Depth Psychology Alliance

Dr. James Newell is a gifted teacher and scholar who has effectively organized an impressive amount of detailed research and information into a series of powerful classes and courses on Jung and Jung’s psychology, now available on Depth Psychology Academy. Students at all levels can gain a depth of understanding about how Jung’s ideas can change our lives and our world as Dr. Newell explains each topic very clearly and at exactly the right pace for students of all levels to take it in.

Dr. James Newell is highly knowledgeable in Jungian Psychology

Monica Flores, Ed.D

Dr. James Newell is highly knowledgeable in Jungian Psychology. I learned so much from him about Jung and Jungian psychology when I began taking courses in depth psychology from the Depth Psychology Alliance online courses. Dr. Newell is open-minded and consistent. He has a smooth voice that can hold anyone’s attention. I enthusiastically recommend taking these courses through the Depth Psychology Academy.

James is a knowledgeable and caring instructor with an engaging teaching style

Ann Amberg, MCS, Transpersonal Leadership Consultant

I highly recommend Dr. James Newell’s courses. Upon completion of my certificate in Depth Psychology I had gained the confidence, focus and knowledge to support my success in my current PhD program in Jungian and Archetypal Studies at Pacifica Graduate Institute. James is a knowledgeable and caring instructor with an engaging teaching style. All of the Depth Psychology Alliance courses I took: Introduction to Jungian Psychology, Active Imagination, Fairy Tales, Dreams, and many more, were phenomenal and I am most grateful for the opportunity to study with James.

The courses I have taken with Dr. Newell have perfectly prepped me for my graduate studies in psychoanalysis

Nirlap Bettenhauser, student

This is an outstanding educational program where one can learn multiple areas of Jungian Psychology. These courses are very well structured with an appropriate course load and high quality texts. Plus the price is incredibly reasonable. The courses I have taken with Dr. Newell have been intellectually engaging and have perfectly prepped me for my graduate studies in psychoanalysis. Not something I expected to receive from the academy, but very grateful I did.

An Investment in Your Future

Engage with the symbolic language that bridges matter and psyche

This course provides the historical and theoretical foundation for understanding why Jung considered alchemy essential to validating his psychology. Learn how alchemical projections reveal the collective unconscious at work, and discover why this ancient symbolic system offers richer amplification material than mythology or fairy tales alone. Through detailed exploration of alchemical operations and imagery, you'll develop tools for recognizing transformation patterns in dreams and psychological development.

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Course curriculum

1

Welcome to Jung 107: Jung and Alchemy!
2

Module 1: Alchemy from the Perspective of the History of Science
- M1/1: Learning and Assessment Activities
- M1/2: Video Lesson: Alchemy from the Perspective of the History of Science
- M1/3: Video Lesson Quiz
- M1/4: Readings Quiz - (All questions are based on pages 1-24 and chp. 1, p. 44-59 in the textbook)
- M1/5: List of Additional Resources
- M1/6: Additional, Optional Reading Resource for Study
- M1/7: Additional, Optional Reading Resource for Study
- M1/8: Additional, Optional Video
- M1/9: Additional, Optional Video
- M1/10: Reviewing Module 1
3

Module 2: Alchemy From the Perspective of the History of Religions
- M2/1: Learning and Assessment Activities
- M2/2: Video Lesson: Alchemy From the Perspective of the History of Religions
- M2/3: Video Quiz
- M2/4: Readings Quiz - (All questions are based on chapter 5, pages 116-138, in the textbook)
- M2/5: List of Additional Resources
- M2/6: An Additional, Optional Resource for Study
- M2/7: An Additional, Optional Resource for Study
- M2/8: An Additional, Optional Resource for Study
- M2/9: An Additional, Optional Resource for Study
- M2/10: An Additional, Optional Video Resource
- M2/11: An Additional, Optional Video Resource
- M2/12: Reviewing Module 2
4

Module 3: C.G. Jung's Work with Alchemy
- M3/1: Learning and Assessment Activities
- M3/2: Video Lesson: C.G. Jung's Work with Alchemy
- M3/3: Video Quiz
- M3/4: Readings Quiz - (All questions are based on chapter 8, pages 180-216 in the textbook)
- M3/5: List of Additional Resources.
- M3/6: An Additional, Optional Reading Resource for Study
- M3/7: An Additional, Optional Reading Resource for Study
- M3/8: Reviewing Module 3
5

Module 4: The Historical Alchemical Paradigm: Psyche, Matter, and the Rejection of the Feminine
- M4/1: Learning and Assessment Activities
- M4/2: Video Lesson: The Historical Alchemical Paradigm: Psyche, Matter, and the Rejection of the Feminine
- M4/3: Video Lesson Quiz
- M4/4: Readings Quiz - (All questions are based on pages 25-41 in the textbook)
- M4/5: List of Additional Resources
- M4/6: An Additional, Optional Reading Resource for Study
- M4/7: An Additional, Optional Reading Resource for Study
- M4/8: An Additional, Optional Reading Resource for Study
- M4/9: An Additional, Optional Reading Resource for Study
- M4/10: An Additional, Optional Video Resource
- M4/11: Reviewing Module 4
6

Module 5: The Basics of Alchemical Symbolism
- M5/1: Learning and Assessment Activities
- M5/2: Video Lesson: The Basics of Alchemical Symbolism
- M5/3: Module 5 Video Quiz
- M5/4: Module 5 Readings Quiz - (All questions are based on Jung’s Psychology and Alchemy, p. 227-241; and Edinger’s Anatomy of the Soul, intro, p. 1-15.)
- M5/5: Additional, Optional Reading Resource for Study
- M5/6: Additional, Optional Reading Resource for Study
- M5/7: Reviewing Module 5
7

Module 6: Dreams and Alchemical Symbolism
- M6/1: Learning and Assessment Activities
- M6/2: Video Lesson: Dreams and Alchemical Symbolism
- M6/3: Module 6 Video Lesson Quiz
- M6/4: Module 6 Readings Quiz - (All questions are based on chapter 2, p. 60-75, in the textbook)
- M6/5: Additional, Optional Reading Resource for Study
- M6/6: Reviewing Module 6
8

Module 7: Alchemical Symbolism and Individuation: Transformation and the Union of Opposites
- M7/1: Learning and Assessment Activities
- M7/2: Module 7 Video Lesson: Alchemical Symbolism and Individuation
- M7/3: Module 7 Video Lesson Quiz
- M7/4: Module 7 Readings Quiz (All questions are based on chapter 4, p. 99-113; and chp. 7, p. 156-172 in the textbook).
- M7/5: An Additional, Optional Reading Resource for Study
- M7/6: An Additional, Optional Reading Resource for Study
- M7/7: An Additional, Optional Reading Resource for Study
- M7/8: Reviewing Module 7
9

Module 8: The Cultural Significance of Alchemical Symbolism
- M8/1: Learning and Assessment Activities
- M8/2: Module 8 Video Lesson: The Cultural Significance of Alchemical Symbolism
- M8/3: Module 8 Video Lesson Quiz
- M8/4: Module 8 Readings Quiz - (All questions are based on chapter 2, chp. 2, pages 60-75, in the textbook)
- M8/5: Additional, Optional Resource for Study
- M8/6: Reviewing Module 8

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Learn at your own pace

This course serves Jungian analysts and therapists, students of depth psychology, historians of science and religion, and anyone pursuing serious engagement with symbolic transformation. Jung spent a quarter century studying alchemical texts because he found they scientifically validated his psychology and placed it on historical footing. The alchemists' quest to transmute base metals into gold parallels the psychological work of transforming unconscious material into consciousness – what Jung called individuation. Whether deepening clinical practice, enriching scholarly understanding, or pursuing personal transformation, this course reveals how alchemy functions as both the shadow of modern science and a bridge to the archetypal realm. Enroll now to explore the opus that consumed Jung's later years and unlock the transformative wisdom encoded in alchemical symbolism for yourself.

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