Posts by Carl Greer
Working with the Archetypal Energy of Endings—The Death Principle
If you are resisting change, and you would like to overcome that resistance, you may benefit from using shamanic and Jungian techniques for working with the archetype of death, also known as the death principle. The death principle is the force or energy of endings. By engaging with it, you may find you are able…
Read MoreThe Gift of Letting Go of Perfectionism
The song “We Three Kings” and the image of the three wise men captured my imagination when I was a young boy, and influenced my thinking about gifts. I knew about gold but not about frankincense and myrrh. What were they that a baby would want them instead of Lincoln Logs or Tinker Toys? To…
Read MoreWhen You Feel Like a Leaf In the Wind: Writing a New Story
Have you ever felt like a leaf in the wind, blown about by powers beyond your control? Does it seem that other people, or your circumstances, have dictated the details of the story you are living? Do long-held, unquestioned beliefs about what you must accomplish make you feel that you are not the storyteller in…
Read MoreThe Secret of Sublime Living
When was the last time you watched the sunrise over the horizon or observed the changing colors of the clouds as the orange sun retreated at the end of the day? When was the last time you laughed with your best friend or felt the grass, earth, or sand underneath your bare feet? The Japanese…
Read MoreYour Journey Inward: A Review of The Inner Camino by Sara Hollwey and Jill Brierley
The overlaps between Jungian and shamanic ideas and principles are numerous. As a Jungian analyst and shamanic practitioner, I am always interested to find that other branches of psychology and other wisdom traditions incorporate similar concepts. The Inner Camino, from Findhorn Press, has much in common with Jungian and shamanic ideas I’ve written about in my own…
Read MoreStop Micromanaging People and Write a New Story Using Archetypal Energies
Once upon a time, there was a leader who could’t stop micromanaging people. This story is familiar to all of us because it is archetypal. We have all been there! When the outcome matters a great deal, any of us can get caught in the trap of worrying too much and starting to micromanage others.…
Read MoreYearning for Something Else
How much of your story has involved yearning for something else, versus working with what you have? When I was a teenager, I spent time in my grandparents’ house in Paris, Kentucky. It was a small house with one bathroom, which had a radio that was usually tuned to bluegrass music. One day, I heard…
Read MoreThe Power of Storytelling for Individual and Organizational Change
Many say casually, “You could write a book about what I’ve been through!” But how much time do we spend considering the stories of our lives? Being able to describe the story simply can help us to recognize the archetypal energies that are affecting us. A person who says, “I’m always the bridesmaid and never…
Read MoreBreaking Through Obstacles So You Can Write a New Story
What is your story? There’s the story you’d like it to be, but then there is the story as it really is. Is it satisfying to you, or do you want to write a new story? If you do, you may find that breaking through obstacles is difficult. To write a new story, you need…
Read MoreHealing from Within
Therapy patients are more likely to have successful outcomes when they see therapy as a tool for self-healing. Good physicians will ask their patients about their habits of mind and body and guide them to heal themselves through better lifestyle choices. Still, many of us continue to look outside ourselves for healing. We don’t trust…
Read More