It’s a lovely day today, and it feels like summer is making one last bid to say goodbye. I was out in the garden, but not sunbathing – I had to mow the lawn! As tenants, these sorts of tasks are our responsibility. And now, after giving the flat a good vacuum, I thought it was a good time to write a post.
Tomorrow is Leonard Cohen‘s birthday, and I thought it would be a great chance to celebrate with a poem by Pablo Neruda as a tribute. The theme is human curiosity (the ‘Whys!’), how little we know, and, as Leonard Cohen suggests, why not stand on your own two feet and be your own individual?
There’s no doubt that they’re still alive, truly in our hearts, thanks to their lasting arts and wisdom.
Through a closed mouth, the flies enter by Pablo Neruda:
Why, with those red flames at hand, Are rubies so ready to burn?
Why does the heart of the topaz reveal a yellow honeycomb? Why does the rose amuse itself by hanging the colour of its dreams? Why does the emerald shiver like a drowned submarine?
Why does the sky grow pale under the June stars? Where does the lizard’s tail Get its fresh supply of paint? Where is the underground fire That revives the carnations?
Where does the salt acquire The transparency of its glance? Where did the coal sleep That it awoke so dark? And where, where does the tiger buy Its stripes of mourning, its stripes of gold?
When did the jungle begin to breathe its own perfume? When did the pine tree realise its own sweet-smelling consequence? When did the lemons learn The same laws as the sun?
When did smoke learn to fly? When do roots converse? What is water like in the stars? Why is the scorpion poisonous? Is the elephant benign?
What is the tortoise brooding on? Where does shade withdraw to? What song does the rain repeat? When are the birds going to die? And why should leaves be green?
What we know is so little, and what we presume so much, So slowly do we learn that we ask questions, then die. Better for us to keep our pride for the city of the dead on the day of the departed, And there, when the wind blows through the holes in your skull, It will unveil to you such mysteries, whispering the truth to you through the spaces that were your ears.
I shall forever remember those days when Al and I closed many doors one after another to society, and by listening to Cohen’s songs, we immersed ourselves in our solitude.
Does fantasy lead to escape, or to the embracing of a new perspective? In other words, does it support psychic growth or impede it? That distinction is often complicated by paradox, but it helps to ask ourselves, “Is concentrating on this fantasy or daydream opening my creative possibilities, or is this sapping my ego strength in the real world?” ~Marion Woodman
This excerpt begins Marion Woodman‘s foreword from Ann Yeoman’s book, Now or Neverland, which I read some time ago, thanks to Deborah Gregory‘s recommendation, and I am very grateful for it.
Frankly, when I began reading this book, I felt at home; I saw myself as a puer aeternus, struggling to stay balanced on life’s rollercoaster.
Traditionally, the term ‘puer aeternus’ (Latin for ‘eternal boy’) is used to describe a child-god who remains eternally young. In Carl Jung’s psychology, it refers to an older person whose emotional life remains stuck in adolescence, often referred to as the “Peter Pan syndrome”. Jung suggests that the puer lives a “provisional life” due to a fear of being trapped. They seek independence, resist boundaries, and find restrictions intolerable. In Greek mythology, the term ‘puer aeternus’ originates from the Metamorphoses, an epic poem by Roman poet Ovid (43 BC – c. 17 AD) that explores Greek and Roman myths. Ovid refers to the child-god Iacchus as “puer aeternus” and praises his role in the Eleusinian mysteries. Iacchus is linked to Dionysus and Eros. The puer represents a deity of vegetation, resurrection, and divine youth, similar to Tammuz, Attis, and Adonis.
Senex is a Latin term that literally means “old man.” It can also be used to describe: a wise, elderly person, an archetype. The wise older person (also known as senex, sage, or sophos) is an archetype outlined by Carl Jung, as well as a familiar literary figure, often portrayed as a stock character. Such a figure can be a profound philosopher renowned for wisdom and sound judgment.
Marie-Louise Von Franz summarised her view of the puer as follows: None of his reactions are particularly personal or special. He becomes a type—the type of the puer aeternus. He becomes an archetype, and if you become that, you are not at all original… He is merely the archetype of the eternal-youth god, and, therefore, he has all the features of the god: he has a nostalgic longing for death, he thinks of himself as being something special, and he is the one sensitive being among all the other tough sheep. He will have a problem with an aggressive, destructive shadow that he will not want to live with and generally projects. There is nothing special whatsoever. The worse the identification with the youthful god, the less individual the person, although he himself feels so special. (Puer Aeternus, pp. 121f) Another type of puer that does not display the charm of eternal youth, nor does the archetype of the divine youth shine through him. On the contrary, he lives in a continual sleepy daze, and that, too, is a typical adolescent characteristic… The sleepy daze is only an outer aspect, however, and if you can penetrate it, you will find that a lively fantasy life is being cherished within. (Puer Aeternus, p.2)
Reflecting on my childhood, after my father passed away and my mother kept it a secret from my brother Al and me, I became very introverted. Once I learned the truth, I simply didn’t want to grow up. Al and I drew closer because of our mother’s lie, and over time, during our youth, we swapped roles as eternal children. Initially, I wanted to remain a child forever, while Al, aware of our father’s death almost from the moment it happened, tried to act as a mature older brother to look after me.
As we entered puberty, our roles underwent significant changes. I developed a strong sexual desire much earlier and believed I had to act like a man to attract girls, while Al began creating his own solitary world. For many years, this condition persisted. Although I was accepted into Al’s world and was part of it, I was the one who had to maintain contact with the outside world. As a result, I assumed the role of the senex, but I longed for my puer aeternus and tried to keep it concealed yet protected.
Let’s conclude this now, and I look forward to discussing this topic further in the next part. 🖖🙏
These earrings are the most striking of the four pairs found in Tutankhamun’s tomb. The ducks with outstretched wings create a circular shape, and their feet hold the shen symbol. The head is made of translucent blue glass, while the wing is crafted in cloisonné.
Hanging below the duck are gold and blue glass beads, each featuring five uraei (rearing cobras). The earrings show a high level of aesthetic sophistication, and the duck held a particular erotic significance.
Let’s appreciate and enjoy Marie Grillot‘s vivid portrayal of this captivating divine gem.
(It’s clear I am not happy about naming a character in this article, but I am committed to getting the translation right; just to mention!)
Bluebird Earrings – Gold, glass, quartz, travertine, faience – 18th Dynasty From the treasure chamber of Tutankhamun’s tomb, discovered in November 1922 by Lord Carnarvon and Howard Carter in the Valley of the Kings (KV 62) Ref.: Carter 269a(1) – JE 61969-a – GEM 485
These “bluebird earrings,” as Christiane Desroches Noblecourt aptly called them, and these “gold-encrusted earrings in the shape of an ousekh necklace with a blue glass falcon,” as Zahi Hawass describes them, are one of five pairs found in Tutankhamun’s treasure.
The “Blue Bird” Earrings – gold, glass, quartz, travertine, faience – 18th Dynasty In the rectangular box 269a, placed in chest 269 From the treasure chamber of Tutankhamun’s tomb, discovered in November 1922 by Lord Carnarvon and Howard Carter in the Valley of the Kings (KV 62) Ref.: Carter 269a(1) – JE 61969-a – GEM 485-a The Griffith Institute – Tutankhamun: Anatomy of an Excavation The Howard Carter Archives – Photographs by Harry Burton
They had all been deposited in a rectangular box (number 269a) placed in a charming wooden chest (number 269). Shaped like a cartouche, it is topped with a flat lid, decorated with the king’s birth name written in delicate colored hieroglyphs. It can be identified, “in situ”, in the photos taken by Harry Burton in the “Treasury Room” whose “official opening” took place on February 17, 1923.
With a height of 12.1 cm and a width of 4.4 cm, these earrings are made of “gold, glass paste, translucent blue glass and pale orange-white-blue melted glass” for Christiane Desroches Noblecourt. At the same time, Zahi Hawass sees, instead, in the gold inlays, besides the glass, quartz, travertine and earthenware…
Bluebird Earrings – Gold, glass, quartz, travertine, faience – 18th Dynasty From the treasure chamber of Tutankhamun’s tomb, discovered in November 1922 by Lord Carnarvon and Howard Carter in the Valley of the Kings (KV 62) Ref.: Carter 269a(1) – JE 61969-a – GEM 485-a Published here in the exhibition catalogue “Tutankhamun and His Time” (1963)
Their heavy and imposing suspension system consists of two tubes, one sliding inside the other, which are passed through the lobe involving an extensive “perforation”. These two elements “are decorated on both sides: at the rear, a hemispherical boss (0.85 cm, diam.) of translucent quartz lined with pigment; at the front, a hemispherical boss (0.95 cm, diam.) of translucent quartz supported by a pigment, forming a solar disk, with two uraei” specify Howard Carter and Alfred Lucas.
The central element consists of a bird with outstretched wings curved inwards, which makes them meet almost forming a circle. They are, like the body, worked according to the cloisonné method… For Zahi Hawass: “The wings of the falcon, and the details at the place where they meet, form a large collar called usekh”.
Bluebird Earrings – Gold, glass, quartz, travertine, faience – 18th Dynasty From the treasure chamber of Tutankhamun’s tomb, discovered in November 1922 by Lord Carnarvon and Howard Carter in the Valley of the Kings (KV 62) Ref.: Carter 269a(1) – JE 61969-a – GEM 485-a
The bird’s head, which does not resemble that of a falcon, cannot but raise questions, just as it raised questions for Howard Carter: “It is interesting to note that the sun falcon, Herakhtes, has, for some inexplicable reason, the head of a mallard (Anas boscas) in semi-translucent blue glass”…
The bird’s legs are almost horizontal and the talons enclose a shen sign, a symbol of eternity…
The “Blue Bird” Earrings – gold, glass, quartz, travertine, faience – 18th Dynasty – at the time of their discovery from the treasure chamber of Tutankhamun’s tomb, discovered in November 1922 by Lord Carnarvon and Howard Carter in the Valley of the Kings (KV 62) ref.: carter 269a(1) – JE 61969-a – GEM 485-a The Griffith Institute – Tutankhamun: Anatomy of an Excavation The Howard Carter Archives – Photographs by Harry Burton
Under its tail, a slightly curved gold plate, decorated with pellets, serves as a hook for the lower part of the loops. It is composed of curious “flexible hanging appendages, composed of openwork plates with a geometric pattern interlaced by five rows of blue and gold cylindrical beads, ending in five uraei heads” (“Tutankhamun and his era”)… When discovered, as Harry Burton’s photos show, these “tassels” were fragmentary and in poor condition… A successful restoration has restored them to their original appearance.
Howard Carter noted that these ear ornaments had signs of wear, indicating that they had been worn, most likely until adolescence, by the young king… He did note, during the examination of Tutankhamun’s mummy, that his earlobes were pierced. In “The Tomb of Tutankhamun – The Annexe and Treasury”, he adds this interesting detail: “The gold mask that covered his head also had pierced earlobes, but the holes had been carefully filled with small discs of thin gold leaf, suggesting a desire to conceal this fact”…
Bluebird Earrings – Gold, glass, quartz, travertine, faience – 18th Dynasty From the treasure chamber of Tutankhamun’s tomb, discovered in November 1922 by Lord Carnarvon and Howard Carter in the Valley of the Kings (KV 62) Ref.: Carter 269a(1) – JE 61969-a – GEM 485-a The Griffith Institute – Tutankhamun: Anatomy of an Excavation The Howard Carter Archives – Photographs by Harry Burton
This pair of earrings, Carter 269a(1), has been transferred to the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, where it was recorded in the Journal of Entries under the reference JE 61969. Its new reference at the Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza is GEM 485-a.
It should be noted that one of the earrings was featured in the exhibition “Tutankhamun, the Pharaoh’s Treasure”, whose initial worldwide tour, which began in 2018, was reduced to Los Angeles, Paris, and London due to the pandemic.
The Griffith Institute – Tutankhamun: Anatomy of an Excavation – The Howard Carter Archives – Description in Murray-Nuttall Handlist – Pair of ear-rings – JE 61969; Card/Transcription No.: 269a1-1 http://www.griffith.ox.ac.uk/gri/carter/269a(1)-c269a1-1.html http://www.griffith.ox.ac.uk/gri/carter/269a(1)-p1471.html Christiane Desroches Noblecourt, Life and Death of a Pharaoh, Hachette, 1963 Christiane Desroches Noblecourt, Tutankhamun and His Time, Petit Palais, Paris, 17 February-July 1967, Ministry of State for Cultural Affairs, 1967 Cyril Aldred, Jewels of the Pharaohs, ed. Thames & Hudson Ltd., London, 1978 Nicholas Reeves, Tutankhamun: Life, Death, and Discovery of a Pharaoh, Editions Errance, 2003 Howard Carter, The Tomb of Tutankhamun, Volume 3: The Annexe and Treasury, Bloomsbury, London, 2014 Marc Gabolde, Tutankhamun: Pygmalion, 2015 Zahi Hawass, Exhibition Catalogue “Tutankhamun: Treasures of the Golden Pharaoh,” IMG Melcher Media, 2018
The first layer we encounter in the unconscious is what Jung called the shadow, usually those parts of ourselves we don’t like, don’t know, or don’t want to know. The shadow can be repressed within us, like a cancer, or projected outward onto others as qualities we dislike most in a person or group. The negative shadow can present us with a shortcoming to be overcome. The positive can show us a meaningful part of ourselves that we should recognise and live out.
~Carl Jung, Wounded Healer of the Soul, Claire Dunne
Honestly, I hadn’t intended to post today, but lately I feel like a stranger in the visual world, whether among Iranians and their struggles for freedom or here, among friends. This isn’t because of feelings of abandonment or being unwelcome; it’s simply due to the constant activity by you and others, which I observe every day, and I can’t keep up! Certainly, I’m referring to those who post every hour, and I wonder how they manage their real lives. I’d love to hear some tips on that.😉 Anyway, while feeling like a stranger, I was inspired to find a beautiful poem by Bella Grim (even though I am not particularly poetic!), and I thought I would share it with you, along with a masterful song by Leonard Cohen. I hope you will enjoy it.
Feeling like a Stranger
By Bella Grim
When I’m me. I’m right here. It’s quiet, unless I do something about it. It’s boring, unless I fill the air. It’s humiliating if I let it be. It’s complicated. Unless I solve the problem
When they see Non believe It’s loud unless I share But they frown around
It’s me. Just me to do something about Just a little way above
It’s fun when I’m me It’s like flying in the sea It’s freeing if I want it It’s exciting if I let it be.
Hello everyone! Today, I want to share some thoughts that have been on my mind for a while about our world—a chaotic place—and explore the reasons behind it.
Many ideas and thoughts were swirling in my mind, and since I am not sufficiently professional to keep them all there, I hesitated to write this. However, after reading an article by The Borderline Crisis, a highly recommended blog, it encouraged me to share my thoughts.
As we watch and ponder, the world and its inhabitants hurriedly head towards an abyss filled with wars and violence, driven by an unknown purpose. The wealthy continue to grow richer, while the poor become increasingly poorer. Every compassionate person wonders about the cause and reason. That was also my question, and I realised it all comes down to money. Or, more accurately, it can be best described as capitalism. Hold on!!! Please don’t walk away; I am not a communist and have no intention of promoting such ideas. I fully agree with Bertrand Russell, who stated:
“I dislike Communism because it is undemocratic and Capitalism because it favours exploitation.“ — Bertrand Russell, Unarmed Victory (1963), p. 14
Thus, concerns regarding communism and its foundational principles have diminished, while capitalism continues to gain greater influence. Why is that? Essentially, communism has shot itself in the foot by taking on a form of dictatorship, which has contributed to its decline throughout history. On the other hand, after World War II, capitalism managed to contain communism by offering people equity capital through the conventional bourgeois approach, thereby generating a fear of communism.
They created opportunities for the lower class by enabling partial instalment payments, allowing them to own possessions, and helping to dispel the notions that deprived them of their belongings. They might be burdened with their mortgage for life, but they have some possessions, such as their own house, car, TV, washing machine, etc. This approach gained popularity worldwide, including in Europe and even in Iran before the 1979 revolution. We adopted an American-style lifestyle, characterised by luxury and instalment-based spending!
This approach has been cleverly devised to encourage pride in possessions and stimulate a desire for more. I see it as a fundamental aspect of capitalism, as it drives competition among neighbours, cities, or nations to increase their assets. Consequently, people become fixated on winning more and acquiring larger and better possessions.
I call it Greed! This trait isn’t found in nature but only among humans. I noticed it wasn’t present in the communist world, as I observed when interacting with my East German customers, whom I took to visit doctors during my daily work. They all expressed satisfaction with their lives in the former GDR. One of them, a tiny older woman, told me she lived peacefully with her neighbours, free of stress, feeling a genuine sense of community and helpfulness among friends and comrades. Even one of the younger people I met at a disco one evening, who recently escaped to the West, told me that everything wasn’t too bad there. She mentioned that travelling abroad was somewhat challenging due to restrictions, but she was eager to experience and connect with different cultures.
Nevertheless, the actual outcome of reunifying East and West Germany has shown how capitalism can significantly disrupt the peaceful life of a population, exposing them to the allure and splendour of Western society, yet leaving them in a state of longing. You may be aware that after the USSR’s withdrawal from East Germany, Western investors closed all remaining factories and manufacturing facilities. This was done to conceal from the capitalist world that factories in the communist system were still operational and that life was proceeding normally there. By the way, the education system has failed under the communist dictatorship, as shown by how individuals in East Germany can swiftly adopt fascist tendencies from a corrupt communist system.
Yes! Capitalism seeks to make you see and believe only in its world and nothing else. Accordingly, the modern bourgeoisie wields enormous power to keep people conservative and instils in them a fear of losing their possessions.
Capitalism is like a worm lurking in every part of our lives, often unnoticed. This allows it to operate while we concentrate on our own concerns, such as increasing profits! Even within the art world, artists are rarely solely focused on creating their work without also considering its sale and marketing. The traditional model, where an artist creates and a manager handles everything else, is outdated. I don’t mean to suggest that all managers are honest, but it does help artists who need a quiet life to focus on their art. You are all artists, aiming to display your work here. However, if you look around, you might realise that this way of life has consumed your thoughts so completely that you no longer feel longing or curiosity about the world’s happenings. You have been completely absorbed in your own concerns related to your personal domain.
On the other hand, the craving for increased luxury and comfort remains constant. Capitalism knows no limits and is frequently used by millionaires to display wealth, which can lead middle-class individuals to develop an excessive obsession. Since not everyone can achieve millionaire status, this seemingly out-of-reach desire often results in anger, frustration, dissatisfaction, and sometimes depression. This may lead to feelings of impatience, envy, increased sensitivity, and an abrupt loss of patience. You might have observed that people in the streets shout at each other over trivial matters, drive aggressively, and honk their horns frequently. I believe this behaviour stems from capitalism.
Here is an excellent explanation of capitalism I came across, not on X but somewhere else I can’t recall.
The key question is: what steps should we take? I believe our initial move should be to build a society rooted in accessible, high-quality education and robust, free healthcare, as many societal problems originate from these sectors. Following that, we need to develop a proper social democratic system—one that Rosa Luxemburg aimed to reinforce in the early 20th century, not the shallow versions currently promoted by some political parties.
I’m not discussing a proletariat dictatorship; a free society is the most important of all. I referenced Rosa Luxemburg to demonstrate my commitment to freedom, as Luxemburg followed a similar path:
She celebrated the Russian Revolution, but in a posthumously published manuscript, she sharply criticised the authoritarian policies of the Bolsheviks, advocating for democratic freedoms and famously stating, “Freedom is always and exclusively freedom for the one who thinks differently.”
She has been revered by many on the left as a martyr for the revolution. At the same time, her theories, particularly her emphasis on spontaneity and democracy, were strongly criticised by the Leninist and Stalinist traditions of orthodox communism.
In a genuine social democracy, we can devalue prices and quantities, thereby promoting a more quality-oriented lifestyle. In the capitalist world, we observe every day that prices are steadily rising, and I wonder why!
We don’t require a luxurious, speedy car or a mansion to live; these are just materials that our souls don’t need. If we carefully reflect on our lives, we will surely identify moments of genuine relaxation. I think those times are when we need fewer things and find happiness with less. Lao-Tzu offered some insightful thoughts on living with less:
“One who is content is rich.”
“He who accumulates much treasure has much to lose.”
“The greatest gift is contentment.”
Here is an excellent explanation I took from my esteemed teacher and friend, Jean Raffa, from her recent article, concerning the essence of our existence.:
Our culture profits from our yearning by promising surface solutions like money, power, safety, appearance, possessions, and sex. These things satisfy your instincts for the short term. But beneath the world’scacophonous clamour, the yearning remains. Who, amidst the hubbub, can hear the quiet voices of those who would direct you to the inner world? It’s hard to believe anything there could fulfil your needs. Harder still to pull yourself away from outer demands you’re trying desperately to fulfil. You have no time. And even if you did, how would you begin? You don’t know the way. Who would guide you? It’s too humiliating to ask for help. “I was not looking for my dreams to interpret life, but rather for my life to interpret my dreams.” ~Susan Sontag
And finally, who could articulate it more eloquently than Carl Jung:
“Your vision will become clear only when you can look into your own heart. Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes.”
~Carl Jung, Letters Volume I, Page 33.
Image credit at the top; snugsomeone (Maciej) | DeviantArt
Ancient Egyptian history is undeniably captivating, and exploring it with a hint of femininity makes it even more alluring.
By Myrtle Florence Broome (Self Portrait). Original publication: unknown immediate source- Wiki. Fair use!
Myrtle Florence Broome (22 February 1888 – 27 January 1978) was a British Egyptologist and artist renowned for her illustrated collaboration with Amice Calverley on the Temple of Seti I at Abydos, as well as her paintings that captured the essence of Egyptian village life during the 1920s and 1930s. She was born on 22 February 1888 in Muswell Hill, London, to Eleanor Slater and Washington Herbert Broome. Broome studied art at a school in Bushey founded by Sir Hubert von Herkomer. From 1911 to 1913, she attended University College London, where she earned a Certificate in Egyptology under the guidance of Sir Flinders Petrie and Margaret Murray.
I was pleasantly surprised to come across this old post from the égyptophile site, and am excited to share this beautiful story about two women and their love for ancient Egyptian magic with you.
Therefore, I included the slogan of the Iranian women’s and men’s revolution, #WomanLifeFreedom, in this post, as it symbolises not only the struggle for freedom in Iran but also resonates worldwide.
Florence Broome, Egyptologist and Painter London, February 22, 1888 – Bushey, January 27, 1978 – Self-portrait on the right and, on the left, a copy of her extraordinary work at Abydos: “King Sethos receives life and dominion from the goddess Saosis” (detail)
Along with Nina de Garis Davies, Marcelle Baud, and Amice Calverley, Myrtle Florence Broome is undoubtedly one of the most gifted copyists to have worked in Egypt during the first half of the 20th century.
Myrtle was born in London’s Muswell Hill neighbourhood on February 22, 1888, into a family of music book publishers. However, it was in Bushey, Hertfordshire, that she spent much of her life, and it was there that she studied at the Beaux-Arts, developing her talents for drawing and painting.
In 1911, she joined University College London, where she studied Egyptology under the guidance of two eminent professors, Flinders Petrie and Margaret Murray, who would become the first female Egyptologists.
During the two years of classes taught by Margaret Murray, what she ironically called “the gang” was formed: it included Myrtle Broome, Guy and Winfried Brunton, Reginald (Rex) Engelbach, and Georginan Aitken, all of whom went on to have distinguished careers in Egyptology (Rex would become curator of the Cairo Museum of Antiquities).
Margaret Murray’s influence on Myrtle was undoubtedly significant, and it seems likely that she encouraged her to develop and exploit her artistic talents professionally.
Myrtle Florence Broome (left) and Amice Calverley posing in front of their “copies”
In 1927, Myrtle was at the Qau el-Kebir site, where she conducted epigraphic surveys of Middle Kingdom tombs and copied their scenes.
In 1929, she was recruited by the Egypt Exploration Society and joined Amice Calverley at Abydos. This marked the beginning of a fruitful, beautiful, and enriching collaboration that would culminate in a deep and lasting friendship.
They will spend eight seasons together, eight excellent seasons in the temple and the Osereion. The task is complex, and the concentration is extreme because recording the scenes requires very particular attention, with no room left for personal interpretation. All this in rather “primitive” working conditions, sometimes perched on ladders more than 10 m above the ground and in often oppressive heat! The Abydos team is very quickly enriched by a Canadian Egyptologist and an Austrian photographer who also do excellent work, while good humour reigns.
James Henry Breasted was at a loss for words to praise their talent and admitted that it seemed impossible to find more expert and brilliant women.
The result was published in four volumes edited between 1933 and 1958 by the Egypt Exploration Society of London and the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago, with the financial support of John D. Rockefeller Jr. A remarkable work, of unparalleled quality, and—but?—so beautiful that it remained, in a way, almost confidential for fear of damaging the plates!
Myrtle Florence Broome’s house during her work at Abydos
The time spent in Abydos was undoubtedly one of the happiest periods of Myrtle’s life. In the small, low-rise house she lived in—and which we can see in one of her paintings—she had: “a housekeeper whom she nicknamed Nannie and a villager, called Sadiq, who served as her advisor, bodyguard, and personal assistant. Life was frugal, however, and Myrtle took great care not to exceed their allotted budget.”
Accompanied by Sadiq, Amice, and Myrtle, they took several short trips in Amice’s car to the Red Sea, Kharga, and Dakhla. Myrtle’s paintings vividly depict the desert’s colours, with shades of pink, brown, and subtle hints of golden beige.
Amice Calverley on a painting by Myrtle Florence Broome, created during one of their many “expeditions” to Egypt (c) Bushey Museum and Art Gallery; Supplied by The Public Catalogue Foundation
We feel that she loved these landscapes infinitely, that she was imbued with their colours and their light. One of her paintings is particularly touching and gives a beautiful idea of what their escapades must have been like: we see Amice sitting on a mat, near her car, taking notes in the middle of the desert! We must put ourselves in context: these two women were adventurers and pioneers!
Myrtle Florence Broome, “The Pharaoh Seti I worshipping the god Osiris from the Temple of Seti I at Abydos”
Their joint mission to Abydos ended due to World War II, but they remained close until Amice’s death in April 1959.
During these seasons away from home, Myrtle wrote many letters to her family; they constitute a beautiful testimony to her life, her perspective on things, and her way of sharing them. Some of her correspondence has been deposited at the Griffith Institute in Oxford.
Myrtle Florence Broome and her dogs at Abydos
From Egypt, she brought back not only paintings, but also photographs from which one can only realise that, in addition to her immense talents and her incredible intelligence, she was also a charming woman. Her very successful self-portrait confirms this, showing us a regular face with a certain nobility in its bearing and an expressive, frank gaze. Of her love life, we know little except for a barely sketched romance with a policeman, which she immediately renounced, convinced that “in any case, it could not have worked.”
Upon her return to England in 1937, she apparently devoted herself entirely to her parents, and especially to her ailing father…
Myrtle “passed away” on January 27, 1978… And suppose you still want to know more about this artist. In that case, you can consult her archives on the Griffith Institute website or refer to the book, published in November 2020 by AUC Press: “An Artist in Abydos: The Life and Letters of Myrtle Broome” by Lee Young, with a preface by Peter Lacovara.
Sources : M.L. Bierbrier, editor, “Who Was Who in Egyptology”, third revised edition, London, 1995. Calverley, Amice Mary (1896-1959)” “Obituary notice: Myrtle Florence Broome (1887-1978)”, by John Ruffle “The Temple of King Sethos I at Abydos copied by Amice M. Calverley, with the Assistance of Myrtle F. Broome and edited by Alan H. Gardiner”, London: The Egypt Exploration Society; Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1933-58, Vols. 1-4 “The Life of Margaret Alice Murray: A Woman’s Work in Archaeology”, Kathleen L. Sheppard “Amice Calverley”, Journal of Egyptian Archaeology 45 (1959),85-87, Janet Leveson-Gower
What fascinates me about Jung is his commitment to self-exploration and his use of analysis to discover his Self through the interpretation of dreams. He dedicated his life to this pursuit with genuine honesty and sincerity. Today, I present another section of The Red Book, Liber Novus, by Carl Jung, from Sonu Shamdasani’s Reader’s Edition.🙏
The following month, on a train journey to Schaffhausen, Jung experienced a waking vision of Europe being devastated by a catastrophic flood, which was repeated two weeks later, on the same journey. Commenting on this experience in 1925, he remarked: “I could be taken as Switzerland fenced in by mountains and the submergence of the world could be the debris of my former relationships.” This led him to the following diagnosis of his condition: “I thought to myself, ‘If this means anything, it means that I am hopelessly off.’ ” (Introduction to Jungian Psychology, pp. 47-48). After this experience, Jung feared that he would go mad. (Barbara Hannah recalls that “Jung used to say in later years that his tormenting doubts as to his own sanity should have been allayed by the amount of success he was having at the same time in the outer world, especially in America” [C. G. Jung: His Life and Work. A Biographical Memoir/ New York: Perigree, 1976/, p. 109]. ) He recalled that he first thought that the images of the vision indicated a revolution, but as he could not imagine this, he concluded that he was “menaced with a psychosis.” (Memories, p. 200). After this, he had a similar vision:
In the following winter, I was standing at the window one night and looked North. I saw a blood-red glow, like the flicker of the sea seen from afar, stretched from East to West across the northern horizon. And at that time, someone asked me what I thought about global events in the near future. I said that I had no thoughts, but saw blood, rivers of blood (Draft, p. 8).
In the year directly preceding the outbreak of war, apocalyptic imagery was widespread in European arts and literature. For example, in 1912, Wassily Kandinsky wrote of a coming universal catastrophe. From 1912 to 1914. Ludwig Meidner painted a series of works known as the Apocalyptic Landscapes, featuring scenes of destroyed cities, corpses, and turmoil (Gerda Bauer and Ines Wagemann, Ludwig Meidner: Zeichner, Maler, Literat 1884-1966 / Stuttgart: Verlag Gerd Hatje, 1991). Prophecy was in the air! In 1899, the renowned American medium Leonora Piper predicted that in the coming century, a terrible war would erupt in various parts of the world, purging the world and revealing the truths of spiritualism. In 1918, Arthur Conan Doyle, the spiritualist and author of the Sherlock Holmes stories, viewed this as prophetic (A. C. Doyle, The New Revelation and the Vital Message / London: Psychic Press, 1918, p. 9).
In Jung’s account of the fantasy on the train in Liber Novus, the inner voice said that what the fantasy depicted would become completely real. Initially, he interpreted this subjectively and prospectively, that is, as depicting the imminent destruction of his world. His reaction to this experience was to undertake a psychological self-investigation. In this epoch, self-experimentation was used in medicine and psychology. Introspection had been one of the main tools of psychological research.
Jung came to realise that Transformations and Symbols of the Libido “could be taken as myself and that an analysis of it leads inevitably into an analysis of my own unconscious processes” (Introduction to Jungian Psychology, p. 28). He had projected his material onto that of Miss Frank Miller, whom he had never met. Up to this point, Jung had been an active thinker and had been averse to fantasy: “as a form of thinking I held it to be altogether impure, a sort of incestuous intercorse, thoroughly immoral from an intellectual viewpoint” (Ibid.). He now turned to analyse his fantasies, carefully noting everything. He had to overcome considerable resistance in doing this: “Permitting fantasy in myself had the same effect as would be produced on a man if he came into his workshop and found all the tools flying about doing things independently of his will” (Ibid.). In studying his fantasies, Jung realised that he was examining the myth-creating function of the mind (MP, p. 23).
Jung picked up the brown notebook, which he had set aside in 1902, and began writing in it (The subsequent notebooks are black, hence Jung referred to them as the Black Books). He noted his inner states in metaphors, such as being in a desert with an unbearably hot sun (that is, consciousness). In the 1925 seminar, he recalled that it occurred to him that he could write down his reflections in a sequence. He was “writing autobiographical material, but not as an autobiography” (Introduction to Jungian Psychology, p. 48). From the time of the Platonic dialogues onward, the dialogical CE, St. Augustine wrote his Soliloquies, which presented an extended dialogue between himself and “Reason,” who instructed him. They commenced with the following lines:
When I had been pondering many different things to myself for a long time, and had for many days been seeking my own Self and what my own good was, and what evil was to be avoided, there suddenly spoke to me – what was it? I myself or someone else, inside or outside me? (This is the very thing I would love to know but don’t.) [St. Augustine, Soliloquies and Immorality of the Soul, ed. and tr. Gerald Watson (Warminster: Aris & Phillips, 1990), p. 23. Watson notes that Augustine “had been through a period of intense strain, close to nervous breakdown, and the Soliloquies are a form of therapy, an effort to cure himself by talking, or rather writing” /p. v/).]
While Jung was writing in Black Book 2:
I said to myself, “What is this I’m doing? This certainly is not science. What is it?” Then a voice said to me, “That is art!” This made the strangest sort of impression upon me, because it was not in any sense my impression that what I was writing was art. Then I came to this: “Perhaps my unconscious is forming a personality that is not I, but which is insisting on coming through to expression.” I don’t know why exactly, but I knew to a certainty that the voice that had said my writing was art had come from a woman … Well, I said very emphatically to this voice that what I was doing was not art, and I felt a great resistance grow up in me. No voice came through, however, and I kept on writing. This time, I caught her and said, “No, it is not”, and I felt as though an argument would ensue. {Ibid., p. 42. In Jung’s account, it appears that his dialogue took place in the autumn of 1913, although this is not certain, as the dialogue itself does not occur in the Black Book, and no other manuscript has yet come to light. If this dating is followed, and in the absence of the other material, it would appear that the material of the voice is referring to the November entries in Black Book 2, and not the subsequent text of Liber Novus or the paintings.}
To be continued!💖
The image on top: Pang Torsuwan -WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING!
One hundred fifty years ago, in Küsnacht, Canton of Zurich, Switzerland, a boy was born on this very day. As a child, he was extraordinary and later became an exceptional man who uncovered the hidden psyche in humans, guiding us toward a better understanding of ourselves and our shadow sides.
I’m already on my way from one trip to another, but as you might guess, I couldn’t miss this day to celebrate the birthday of such an excellent teacher. I have written extensively about him and his insights. Therefore, I will share a few quotes from his wisdom. May we learn more from him and truly embrace his knowledge in our hearts.
This will be a brief post, possibly the last for three weeks, as I will be busy with my two Devil Kids (my grandchildren) on a trip. My absence may be noticeable. Nonetheless, I wish to share this poem by Pablo Neruda, not only with you but also with all freedom fighters and advocates for liberty worldwide, especially those in the forlorn nation of Iran.
Enjoy your time in between and make the most of it! 🤗🤙
Between dying and not dying I chose the guitar. and in this challenging profession My heart has no rest, because where they least expect me I will arrive with my luggage. To harvest the first wine In the autumn huts.
I will come in if they close the door, And if they accept me, I’ll leave, I am not one of the seafarers. Those are lost in the frosts: I am comfortable like the wind, I, with the most yellowed leaves with the funds that have fallen from the eyes of the statues And if I rest somewhere It will be in the heart of the fire. In everything that vibrates and creaks and then travels without a destination.
In the passage of the verses You will have found your name, I’m very sorry, It wasn’t about anything else But for much more, Why are you or aren’t you And this is happening all over the world, No one understands everything, And when the amounts are added up We were all fake-rich: Now we are newly poor.
lampmagician 
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