"I love them… these sages and dreamers, ...because they spring from ordinary life and remain profoundly human, that is, though endowed with spiritual authority, they are subject to all the flaws and weaknesses that characterize the human condition." 

Elie Wiesel, Pg 13, Sages and Dreamers
Having the work of Marie-Louise von Franz guide our studies in The Assisi Institute’s Beginner Fairy Tale Analysis course, we learned that these sages and dreamers are present in our universal stories. By following the breadcrumbs left by von Franz, we came to an even richer appreciation for the wisdom found in these stories, and how each story speaks to an archetypal passage in life.

Continuing into the Advanced Fairy Tale Analysis Certification program allows for a deepening of our understanding of the archetypal meaning of these stories. Through an in-depth working with the themes and characters in the story, we will come to see how each carries a very specific, spiritual message from the Self, teaching us about life, love, destiny and individuation.

Adolph Portmann, a longtime collaborator of Jung, and former Director of the Eranos Lectures commented “that we are now inclined to agree with the mystics that the end is in the beginning, the beginning in the end.” 

Building on the profundity of this insight, a central focus in the classes will be the study of the opening scene of the fairy tale. Here one learns how the initial conditions of the story informs us about the nature of the archetype around which the story is configured, while also foretelling the nature of the journey. 

In addition, this study of the beginning of the tale allows us to see how each  image, scene and  subsequent  development, forms  part of a coherent, archetypal story, and how each element is integral in the journey and presentation of the particular story.  

To help students develop their craft and love of working with fairy tales, a number of classes are reserved for participants to present their work on a fairy tale and have this work supervised by Kevin Richard, our Chair of Fairy Tale Studies, who is teaching this course.

There will also be two very special  presentations given by highly regarded members of the international Jungian community: Jacqueline Dürmüller, a Jungian Analyst from Zurich, and Michael Conforti, Founder and Director of the Assisi Institute.
Please note: Although the Assisi Institute’s Beginner Fairy Tale Analysis Certification course would be a strong precursor for participating in this Advanced course, individuals who have not participated in our Beginner course can contact the Assisi Institute’s Chair of Fairy Tale Studies, Kevin Richard, to establish whether they qualify for enrollment. 
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If you have not completed our Beginner course but you feel you may qualify for this Advanced course, please email your enquiries to Kevin at krichard@assisiinstitute.com​ before enrolling and paying for this course.
What participants can expect from this course: 
  • To understand how each fairy tale speaks to a profound, and essential archetypal need for the journey through life.An in-depth study of the Exposition - the opening of a fairy tale.
  • Learning to understand the archetypal nature of each of the characters in the story and their role in the individuation process
  • Having the opportunity of presenting your own work with fairy tale analysis.
  • Learning the art and expertise of making a meaningful interpretation of a fairy tale.
  • Having the opportunity of hearing how two  senior members of the Jungian Community work with the archetypal nature of fairy tales.

Included in the Course: 
  • 10 Faculty-led sessions that include expert fairy tale translations and its respective methodology. A focus will be placed on comparative translations where several tales will be juxtaposed to emphasize the high degree of discernment in each translation.   
  • 3 Mentoring sessions: We’ll select three volunteers in the Program to present a tale of their choice. Participants will present to fellow students and will receive supportive and guided feedback by faculty.   
  • Offline assignments: Participants will be provided specific tales to be independently read and translated in order to enhance the learning experience. Guided questions and resources will also be provided to assist with helping students ground their individual work. 
  • Google Classroom: Participants can sign up to participate in a virtual Google classroom to have access to the syllabus, calendar of events, the tales being studied, and announcements. The classroom may also provide a format for student correspondence and peer support.

Classes & Mentoring Session Schedule:

Total of 10 regular classes and 3 group mentoring sessions= 13 total sessions. All sessions take place from 8pm - 9.30 pm (US Eastern Time) on the below dates.

Class Dates
    
TUESDAY    
March 14 and 28
April 11 and 25
May 9 and 23

THURSDAY
April 6 and 20
May 4 and 18
                    
Mentoring Session Dates
    
THURSDAY
March 30
April 27
May 25
Cancellations and Refunds

A full refund minus a $50 administrative fee, is given, if cancellation is made prior to one week (by February 21, 2023) before the beginning of the course. A 50% refund is given if cancellation is made less than one week before the course begins.
DOWNLOAD THE CE REGISTRATION FORM HERE
advanced_fairy_tales_ce_registration.docx
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Faculty
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Kevin Richard - Course Presenter & Chair of Fairy Tale Studies

Kevin has been part of the Assisi Institute since 1993 and has been certified as an Archetypal Pattern Analyst. He has served as the Institute’s Director of Studies and has assisted with programmatic design. He continues to serve as a speaker, student mentor, consultant, and as of 2021 serves on the Assisi Foundation’s Board of Directors. As a senior faculty member of the Assisi Institute, his presentations examine the interface of science and Jungian Psychology, initial conditions, and the objective role of images in art, stories and in the human condition.

Kevin also serves as an administrator in the Rhode Island (RI) Family Court system. Through several decades of working with the Court and its respective population, Kevin has overseen large judicial programs and departments; worked on policy and system reform; served as an advocate for children; and worked as a counselor. He has been appointed to numerous committees designed to address areas of child welfare, juvenile justice, and areas of mental health. In 2015, he was part of a three person delegation from Rhode Island invited to the White House in order to address the growing concern with child trafficking.
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Michael Conforti - Guest Presenter

Dr. Michael Conforti is a Jungian analyst and the Founder and Director of the Assisi Institute.  He is a faculty member at the C.G. Jung Institute of Boston, the C.G. Jung Institute of New York, and for many years served as a Senior Associate faculty member in the Doctoral and Master's Programs in Clinical Psychology at Antioch New England.  A pioneer in the field of matter-psyche studies, and for the past 40 years, has been actively investigating the workings of archetypal fields and the relationship between Jungian psychology and the New Sciences. 

He has presented his work to a wide range of national and international audiences, including the C.G. Jung Institute - Zurich and Jungian organizations in Australia, Canada, Colombia, Denmark, Ecuador, Italy, Russia, South Africa, Turkey, the Ukraine and Venezuela.

​He is the author of Threshold Experiences: The Archetype of Beginnings (2007) and Field, Form and Fate: Patterns in Mind, Nature and Psyche (2002).  His articles have appeared in Psychological Perspectives, The San Francisco Jung Institute Library Journal, Roundtable Press, World Futures: The Journal of General Evolution, and Spring Journal.  His books have been translated into Italian, Russian, and includes a soon to be released Spanish edition of his work. 
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Jacqueline Dürmüller - Guest Presenter
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Jacqueline Dürmüller is a Jungian Analyst who, for more than twenty (20) years, has worked with children and adults in a private practice and also includes the use of Sand-Play in her clinical practice. She graduated from The Adler Institut, Zürich, and from the Research and Training Centre in Depth Psychology according to C.G. Jung and Marie-Louse von Franz, Zürich. She is a published author and lectures internationally. Her main interest is in the symbolic understanding of inner and outer human experiences. Jacqueline is also a mother and grandmother. She and her husband - Jungian Analyst, Hansueli Etter - live in the former house of Marie-Louise von Franz and Barbara Hannah in Küsnacht, Zürich, Switzerland.
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