The Earth Has a Soul: C.G. Jung on Nature, Expertise & Fashionable Life

Well done.
There is a wealth of writing by and about Carl Jung, but this excellent book focuses on his ideas about nature, along with biographical notes and correspondence that reveal how deeply this subject entered his life. Not a long book, but a nice affirmation for anyone who has felt the same connections.

The door opens inward
You wouldn’t think that we’d need to read about the Earth having a soul. You’d think it would be obvious to us when we step outside and encounter sky, water, flora and fauna. Dr. Jung says, “Sometimes a tree tells you more than can be read in books.” This is true, but as he also explains, the development of consciousness caused an estrangement between the modern mind and the Earth, and most of us no longer understand the language of Nature. In addition to this communication breakdown, many of us step outside only to encounter soulless suburban enclaves or cityscapes of cement, glass, steel. So we are also physically and psychologically removed from essential connections.Dr. Jung was one of our “wise old men” and whether you agree with his findings or not, thinking about them will broaden your perspectives immensely. His approach–that the door to knowledge always opens inward–is not for everyone, and his language is not always crystal-clear. In some of his books, I’ve found myself floundering–not for lack of interest, but because of an often impenetrable density. (I have discovered that Marie Louise Von Franz is very good at decoding and clarifying his work.) However, the quotes in this book are well-chosen for easy access to Dr. Jung’s sometimes difficult thoughts, and each selection is clearly referenced so that you know where to look if you want to read further.Jung’s respect and devotion for the Earth are evident on every page, but this isn’t ecological finger-wagging about Man’s folly in pursuit of wealth, warfare and technology. It’s about understanding why we do what we do, and correcting existing imbalances. It’s about being more fully human, and looking into the depths of our humanity in order to reestablish intuitive processes and relearn the ability to follow instinct. The goal is not to return to a primitive state, but to evolve to a higher and more perceptive one.The energy of the Earth is always available to us. Jung repeatedly stresses that we are integral to the Natural world, that it is our source and our future. Whatever we do to it, we do to ourselves. We can wreak havoc and then try to repair these devastations, but until we heal ourselves, the profound imbalance will remain. Our psychological growth depends on redeveloping our connections with the Natural world. Likewise, the future of the Natural world depends on our integrity as we honor and implement those connections.Dr. Jung’s remarkable investigations of consciousness are well-known if not always well-understood. We can’t expect to immediately understand everything the wise old guide tell us. In his other books, as I’ve disentangled the threads of the mythic, the alchemical, the archetypal, the theological from the logical and the practical, I’ve been forced to arrive at my own interpretations and conclusions–a real education. With this book, Meredith Sabini did a lot of the hard work for me. Her introduction is helpful and her selections clearly reveal Jung’s almost heroic endeavor to understand what it is to be fully human. These glimpses into his thoughts are inspiring, humbling, and worthy of careful consideration.

An amazing collection
I wished for years to see what Jung wrote about the natural world and our relationship with it in one volume that would spare me the hassle of going through the Index to the entire Collected Works. This is that book. Check out the Table of Contents (click on the book logo above to see it) to get an idea of how clearly organized this book is. I use it in graduate courses for Jung and ecopsych students. Highly recommended.

+++ Getting to Know The Real Jung +++
This book reveals the real and very human Jung. In it one can see that his not is at all a coldly scientific mind.He speaks about many things—but one of those things that especially struck me is: “The greatest abstraction of all is the idea of God.” — “Abstract thought is always ruthless. It is the most dangerous one to think, AND it is the most marvelous.”I have gained much in the reading of this interesting book: it has become a part of me.

Muy buen libro, a veces un poco difícil de entender porque no estamos acostumbrados a un lenguaje tan locuaz, pero sin duda un conjunto de cartas, documentos y pensamientos de Jung imprescindibles.

A great place to start if you’re new to Carl Jung. Very accessible and a wonderful read