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Ambassadors of the Galaxy: Uranus, Neptune and Pluto
December 6, 2025 @ 10:00 am - 1:30 pm PST
The three ‘classical’ modern planets—Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto, discovered by telescope in the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries respectively—are each associated with archetypal principles and powers of fundamental importance for understanding human life. Called by Dane Rudhyar “ambassadors of the galaxy,” they are especially essential for understanding both the underlying dynamics of the collective psyche, as visible in cultural and historical events and trends, and the deeper psychological and spiritual dimensions of our individual lives. In today’s workshop, Richard and Becca Tarnas will share their insights into these powerful archetypal principles informing both our collective evolution and our personal journeys of individuation. Numerous examples from history and the arts will be presented.
Related Lecture: The Inner Cosmos Meets the Outer Cosmos
Richard Tarnas, PhD, is Professor Emeritus at the California Institute of Integral Studies, where he was the founding director of the Philosophy, Cosmology, and Consciousness department. He has also frequently lectured on archetypal studies and depth psychology at Pacifica Graduate Institute, and was formerly the director of programs and education at Esalen Institute. He is the author of The Passion of the Western Mind and Cosmos and Psyche.
Becca Tarnas, PhD, is Assistant Professor in the Philosophy, Cosmology, and Consciousness program at the California Institute of Integral Studies. She received her doctorate from CIIS, with her dissertation titled The Back of Beyond: The Red Books of C.G. Jung and J.R.R. Tolkien. Her research interests include depth psychology, archetypal studies, literature, philosophy, and the ecological imagination. Becca is an editor of Archai: The Journal of Archetypal Cosmology and author of the book Journey to the Imaginal Realm: A Reader’s Guide to J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings. She is currently researching and writing a biography of Stanislav Grof, a co-founder of transpersonal psychology.
