The Wizard of Oz: The Problem of Power and Innocence in the Struggle for Wholeness

Oregon Friends of Jung, in partnership with the Pacific Northwest Society of Jungian Analysts (PNSJA), continues our series of seminars designed to deepen your knowledge of Jungian psychology. You will have an opportunity to learn from and engage with analysts who are experts in their fields.

Beginning in October, appropriate to the season of the witch, analyst Diana Oxley will lead seminar participants in an extensive exploration of the story of the Wizard of Oz and its key figures, the wizard and evil witches who pose obstacles to Dorothy’s journey to return to the ones she loves. According to Jung, a journey such as this leads to “the supreme realization of the innate idiosyncrasy of a living being. … an act of high courage flung in the face of life.” (1953, CW 17, ¶289). Using a fairy tale of modern vintage, participants will grapple with the timeless archetypal forces that make the story so compelling and with the power to leave an indelible mark on our psyches.

Presenter: Diana Oxley, Ph.D., LPC, received her diploma in Jungian psychotherapy from the C.G. Jung Institute, Zurich in 2019 and has been in practice since 2015.

According to the Library of Congress, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is America’s greatest and best-loved home-grown fairytale. Written in 1900 and made into a movie in 1939 with spin-offs The Wiz and Wicked, it remains ever popular. As Jungians we suspect its enduring popularity is due to the archetypal wisdom it contains. A young girl, meek and mild, goes up against a powerful wizard and evil witch. How she is able to transform and integrate these unconscious elements reveals deep insights into the threat that a power complex poses to individuation. Salman Rushdie sees in the film’s theme song “Over the Rainbow” the wish for escape from the inadequacies of one’s present circumstances, a pretty tidy explanation of our susceptibility to the attraction of power. This human weakness applies to all individuals and also relates to American culture, its history and complexes as context of our own necessarily idiosyncratic, often wayward journey toward wholeness.

Materials. A few copies of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz are available in our library for participants to borrow. The book is also available to purchase online or at your local bookstore.

Dates and Times

• Sundays from 1:00—3:00pm PST In-person attendance only – no Zoom
  

Schedule

• October 12
• October 19
• November 2
• November 16
• November 23

Location

OFJ Library, 811 NW 20th Ave, Portland. Click here to see a map. There is no Zoom option for this seminar.

Cost

• 10 hours of instruction: $205 (OFJ members: $195)
• Sorry, we are unable to offer refunds.
• Continuing Education Credits are available from PNSJA, with one hour of CE credit for each hour of attendance. CEUs will be available for purchase, at a cost of $15, which will cover all CEUs earned over the six-session seminar.

Reading

Reading assignments and material will be sent to participants in advance of the start of the seminar, and may be supplemented during the seminar.

Seminar Size

• Attendance is limited to 15 people
• If the seminar fills, and you would like to be added to our wait-list, please write us at [email protected]. If you have any questions, please call 503-223-3080.

Seminar Leader

Diana Oxley, Ph.D., LPC, received her diploma in Jungian psychotherapy from the C.G. Jung Institute, Zurich, in 2019 and has been in practice since 2015.