ORANGE COUNTY JUNGIAN CLUB

Makeda,

The Black Queen of Sheba

Presented by Tricia Harragin, Jungian Analyst

Sunday, March 26, 2023, 11 am - 1 pm PDT (UTC -7)

The Queen of Sheba inhabits a realm between myth and history. She has been described as “an explorer of heart” and there is no doubt she stirs the hearts of many who encounter her. In Jungian terms she represents an archetype that underlies the inner feminine nature of the heart’s desire and I believe has to be lovingly attended.

In this presentation, we will examine the legend of the Queen of Sheba in Ethiopia, where she is known as Makeda. We will follow images printed on an Ethiopian silk scarf that convey the legend of her visit to the court of King Solomon. References to her in the Old Testament Bible and other Abrahamic scriptures shroud her with obscurity. Using story, poetry, interpretation and the orientation of Jungian depth psychology, we will shed light on the Queen of Sheba’s mystery and allure. She is courageous as a lion and humble in her search for wisdom. The passion of her heart leads her to King Solomon - feminine nature ready to meet masculine spirit as equal. From their union, new life is born. Out of this legend arises a symbol of a nation’s spirit and hope.

Tricia Harragin is a Jungian Analyst trained at the Research and Training Centre for Depth Psychology according to C. G. Jung and Marie-Louise von Franz in Zurich. She lives in Stroud, Gloucestershire, England where she has a private practice.

Learning objectives:

• Identify and amplify, using the depth psychology of C.G. Jung, the archetypal symbols contained within the story of the Queen of Sheba.

• Explain the Jungian concept of coniunctio and how it is contained in the story of the Queen of Sheba.

• Through an understanding of the Queen of Sheba’s place in the sacred texts of multiple religions, challenge and transform the popular view reflected in the dismissive phrase “Who does she think she is, the Queen of Sheba?” ​

FAIRY TALE DISCUSSION GROUP

If you are interested in attending a fairy tale or reading group, please get in touch.

“Fairy Tales are the purest and simplest expression of collective unconscious psychic processes…They represent the archetypes in their simplest, barest, and most concise form…In myths or legends, or any other more elaborate mythological material, we get at the basic patterns of the human psyche through an overlay of cultural material. But in fairy tales there is much less specific conscious material, and therefore they mirror the basic patterns of the psyche more clearly….

We interpret for the same reason as that for which the fairy tale and myths were told: because it has a vivifying effect and gives a satisfactory reaction and brings one into peace with one’s unconscious instinctive substratum, just as the telling of fairy tales always did.”

- Marie Louise von Franz, The Interpretation of Fairy Tales.

Fairy tales were told orally to adults in all cultures way before they were written down. There are many different approaches to the study of fairy tales. C. G. Jung was drawn to fairy tales and used them to support his theoretical ideas and Marie Louise von Franz initiated a way of interpreting them to reveal the healing effect that they have always held. We will use this method of interpretation to focus on a selected fairy tale that I will send out to you.

This group is an opportunity for those interested in Analytical Psychology, as we will look at basic principles of Jungian psychology. This will include amongst many other things amplifying symbols, recognising different motifs including the shadow, the anima, and animus and looking at archetypal patterns in the tale.

If you are interested in attending a fairy tale or reading group, please get in touch.