“I have often asked reproachfully, “Why does this damned unconscious talk such a difficult language? Why doesn’t it tell us clearly what’s the matter?” Now Jung’s answer was that it obviously can’t. It doesn’t speak the language of the rational mind. Dreams are the voice of our instinctual animal nature or ultimately the voice of cosmic matter in us.” 

Marie-Louise von Franz, The Way of the Dream, p. 217 (1994)
Program Description
​A meaningful life is one lived in relationship to the Self. Here, we explore the archetypal nature of life, love, and transitions through the eternal stories etched into our souls—stories told time and time again across cultures and generations. While this course focuses on the artistry of understanding the archetypal dimensions of stories and fairy tales, it is essential to begin with a prelude regarding the deep reverence for the interior life and the symbolic language necessary to truly appreciate the profundity of these messages.

Dr. Conforti speaks to this when he writes:

*“A first intimation of this process often happens when we are alone at night. Is the night a reminder that the days have now grown shorter, and there is less time to accomplish all that we have hoped to in this life? There is also a beauty and solitude that one finds in the dark. Often, we find a sense of peace in the silence, when the traffic and commerce of the day have ended, and homes and lives are illuminated by the glow of a gentle night. Then, too, there is the silence that allows internal voices, which have been drowned out during the day, to now be heard. What questions might they be asking? What are we now called to do…?
In this Silence, we find an intimation of another way of life, where we face our innermost thoughts, hopes, fears, and desires without illusions or distractions. We can then ask our heart and soul if this has been a good life, and what we can do to deepen our relationship to Psyche and soul. In these nocturnal moments, the time of veritas, we have to ask if we have the courage to live into our destiny.”*¹

These words capture a reverence for, and a welcoming of, Psyche’s voice. Dr. Rosaly Roffman reminds us that “mythology is the story of humanity’s relationships to the divine”, while Marie-Louise von Franz offers a profound understanding of the archetypal stories that continue to shape humanity. This is Psyche’s voice revealed through fairy tales—through stories of kings and queens, of loving and wicked mothers and fathers, and through the familiar motifs of the journey: leaving home, losing one’s way, and discovering life’s treasure.

The objective truth in these messages brings us to our knees in reverence for the unimaginable depth, wisdom, and—at times—the terror of facing the consequences of a life lived either in relationship with, or estranged from, the soul.

In this course, students will learn the art, love, and discipline of working with archetypal stories—stories whose profound meanings may reawaken a passion for these seminal narratives, reminding us that “once upon a time, in a land far, far away” is not merely a distant fairytale, but is alive here and now within our own psyches.

¹ Corbett, L., Swain, L., & Carbine, M. (Eds.). From Jung and Aging: Possibilities and Potentials for the Second Half of Life (2021). NC: Chiron Publications.


Course Objectives
  • Through an in-depth study of the work of Marie Louise von Franz, we will deepen our understanding of the archetypal significance of fairy tales and how they reveal the nature and dynamics of the Psyche.  
  • Draw on an archetypal, symbolic, and objective approach to fairy tale images and themes, as a way to discover the Wisdom of the Psyche.   
  • Become familiar with the development and structure of fairy tales from their archetypal underpinnings, motifs, cultural influences.
  • To examine patterns in fairy tales such as the archetypal elements of the story, recurring motifs and numbers. We will look at the components of the tale; title, exposition, characters, conflict, plot progression and lysis.   
  • We will examine how the actual beginning of the fairy tale, the initial condition, provides unique insights into the unfolding of the story. These early conditions reveal the central archetypal pattern expressed in the fairy tale, and as von Franz taught us, with this understanding, we can often “predict” how the story may progress through the conditions and themes unique to the archetype expressed in the story.  
  • Since many of the original features of fairy tales have been contorted to fit our collective preference for “living happily ever after”, we will reintroduce the original presence and purpose of the Shadow archetype in fairy tales.   
  • Deepen our awareness of how fairy tales are a vital portal for the presentation of archetypal material and how these themes are often found in film, literature, current events, and our own life experiences.


Course Highlights
  • Presentations from an international faculty of Jungian Analysts and Archetypal Pattern Analysts will demonstrate how myths, and fairy tales are filled with images and meaning that can guide us to greater wisdom.   Our approach to stories and sacred texts will honor the work of Marie Louise von Franz, Jung, and other seminal figures in this specialized field.  Students will have direct access to some of the foremost leaders in the modern-day study of archetypal patterns in stories.

  • This certificate program will provide students not only with the opportunity to observe in-depth translations of fairy tales but will also allow direct learning through participation.  Several sessions will be dedicated to a real time learning experience. Students will enhance their ability to understand; initial conditions, identify the archetypal pattern, and discover the archetypal processes within the fairy tale. 
  • Students will learn how to work with fairy tales and the art and discipline of identifying key archetypal elements of the Feminine and Masculine; the Shadow, Anima/Animus, the Self, psychological functions, and symbols of the Self within the story.
  • We will be working with fairy tale images and themes as they relate to Archetypal Coherence in a story. In this light, the program will focus on archetypal structure and processes and the presentation of universal, archetypal patterns.


Online Course Format 
  • Classes are held live on Tuesday evenings from 7:30 pm - 9.00 pm US Eastern Time.
  • All sessions take place live via Zoom which allows all participants to see one another during the live classes.  
  • In addition, each session will be recorded and shared with all participants to ensure that those who may miss a class can access the recordings at any time. This also gives students an opportunity to review the content in their own time. 


Certification Course Class Dates 2025 
  • September 30
  • October 14, 28
  • November 11, 25
  • December 9
​The Assisi Institute’s Advanced and Master Fairy Tale Analysis Certification program begins January - May, 2026,
on alternate Tuesdays 7:30 pm -9:00 pm
Registrations for this course will open in the Fall.
Annual Fairy Tale Conference will be held virtually in May 2026 details to be published closer to the date.
Cancellation and Refunds Policy 
A full refund minus a $50 administrative fee, is given if cancellation is made prior to one week (by September 9th) before the beginning of the series. A 50% refund is given if cancellation is made less than one week before the series begins.
Please only complete your CE hour purchase after you have completed your
registration for the program.  CE hours are only available for program
participants.

Faculty

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Michael Conforti - USA, 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, he is actively investigating the workings of archetypal fields and the relationship between Jungian psychology and the New Sciences. 

He has presented his work at; The C.G. Jung Institute – Zurich, and Jungian organizations in Australia, Canada, Colombia, Denmark, Ecuador, Israel, Italy, Romania, 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 books have been translated into Italian, Russian, and Spanish.
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Rozan Christian​- USA 
She is a certified Archetypal Pattern Analyst and Senior Faculty at The Assisi Institute, where she teaches for our English-speaking students in addition to our students in the Former Soviet Union and in Latin America.   Dr. Christian maintains a private practice in Dallas, Texas, focusing on the identification of unconscious processes in her clients’ lives.  She specializes in understanding the archetypal meaning of fairy tales and their application today, offering seminars in Fairy Tale Interpretation in Texas.  

Dr. Rozan Christian is a licensed professional counselor in the state of Texas, with a doctoral degree in counseling from the University of North Texas as well as a master's degree in education from Southern Methodist University (SMU). She serves as an adjunct professor in the Master of Science in Counseling Program at SMU and supervises post-graduate interns seeking professional counseling licensure. In addition, she has published in professional journals, co-authored chapters in books, and presented at national conferences about the effects of life-changing events, including near-death experiences.
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Reena Baslica Moses - India
​​Reena Baslica Moses is an Archetypal Pattern Analyst and Jungian Depth Psychotherapist based in Bangalore, India. With a background in Mathematics and a career once rooted in education, Reena holds three Master’s degrees—in Mathematics, Education, and Psychology. Her passion for teaching eventually deepened into a calling toward Analytical Psychology, where she continue her formation as a Jungian router, currently training for a Diploma in Jungian Analysis.
Stories, myths, and fairy tales are especially dear to her, as they speak across time in the language of the soul. Much like dreams, she believes they carry guidance from beyond, offering symbols that reveal themselves when we adjust our gaze and learn to listen to their deeper meanings.

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Ekaterina Sazonova - Russia
Ekaterina Sazonova is trained in Jungian psychotherapy with a background in technology. She currently lives in Moscow where she works as an analyst under supervision. Ekaterina is creative in her psycho-educational projects using a Jungian approach. She regularly engages in analytic conferences and educational programs. Classic Russian fairy tales are a special interest where she finds the rich symbols and motifs to be a map of the psyche through the lens of the Russian culture. Completed 2-year program on Jungian psychotherapy at Moscow Association for Analytical Psychology 

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