Anatomy of the Psyche: Alchemical Symbolism in Psychotherapy
Edward F. Edinger

Filled from cover to cover with rich visual and textual imagery, illustrating the seven stages of the alchemical opus, Edinger tracks the journey through the psychotherapeutic process alongside the alchemists’ formulae for the production of the ‘philosophical gold’. Drawing upon poetry and mythology from across recorded space-time, there is included enough material for anyone to find parallels between their own course through inner life and the suggested cross-cultural meta-narrative. One of the more intriguing aspects of this work is the author’s own attempt at mapping consciousness, depicted at the beginning of each chapter as diagrams of the experiential elements accompanying each operation of the alchemical system. This is a well thought out description of the healing process in the psychoanalytic tradition, with much inspiration and methodology drawn from the writings of Carl Jung. As it begins, “The process of psychotherapy, when it goes at all deep, sets into motion profound and mysterious happenings” - this book is of invaluable assistance to anyone seeking to plumb the depths of such an undertaking.