A Green Gold Scarab: Symbol for the Turning of an Age?

This is an excerpt from one of the presentations featured in the Pari Center’s event Psyche and Time, in Pari from June 14 to 20, 2022.

with Mathew Mather

Mathew will begin his session with a foundational story of the Pari Center that involves a scarab beetle. From here we will then consider Jung’s iconic ‘green gold scarab’ synchronicity. This includes an amplification of mythic significances by sharing images from ancient Egyptian mythology. In the spirit of ‘sticking to the image’ an elaboration on the colour ‘green gold’ is then explored in terms of the notion of the anima mundi⏤the soul of the world. As we shall witness a perspective emerges in that Jung’s ‘green-gold scarab’ can be considered a symbol of pivotal significance for his life-myth aligned with his belief in the immanent Turning of an Age. Here we shall also witness a convergence of alchemy astrology and magic. Resonances with our times with reference especially to deep ecology will also be touched on. A contemporary ‘blue beetle’ story will also be briefly recounted as a preamble to the follow-on workshop: Anima Mundi⏤Synchronicity and the Soul of the World. Our time together will include experiential exercises.

Mathew Mather is a graduate of the University of Essex, where he specialised in Jung and Alchemy.  He is a lecturer at Limerick School of Art and Design (Technological University of the Shannon, in Ireland), is course director of the Certificate in Jungian Psychology with Art Therapy and programme director of the MA in Art, Psyche and the Creative Imagination. Mathew regularly presents at international conferences, is a guest lecturer at ISAP Zurich and runs workshops with his wife Lyn for the Jung in Ireland programme. His interests include dream interpretation, synchronicity, art, alchemy, astrology, the environment, as well as personal and cultural mythologies. He is author of The Alchemical Mercurius: esoteric symbol of Jung’s life and works (Routledge 2014), and has a number of article and book chapter publications. He is also a member of the International Association of Jungian Studies (IAJS).