In our modern world, the line between psychology and spirituality is ever-thinning.
We orient our magic just as much towards inner development as cosmic direction, and we are seeing more and more clearly that psyche and matter are cooperative sides of the same whole.
And though we might not consciously see our magic and spirituality as a practice of psychology, it’s all about the lens. Because while there are many schools of psychology out there, there is one that stands out as the psychology of soul.
As the C.G. Jung Center of Chicago describes, “Depth Psychology refers to approaches to therapy that are open to the exploration of the subtle, unconscious, and transpersonal aspects of human experience. A depth approach may include therapeutic traditions that explores the unconscious and involves the study and exploration of dreams, complexes, and archetypes.”
In essence, Depth Psychology is a form of psychological analysis that focuses on the relationship between the unconscious and conscious parts of the psyche. It goes much deeper than many of the more typical forms of behavioral psychology that we’re used to—which often focus primarily on our conscious thoughts and feelings.
Depth psychology, which includes the schools of Sigmund Frued, Carl Jung, and Alfred Adler, examines dreams, synchronicities, slips-of-the-tongue, physical symptoms, interpersonal dynamics, neuroses, and much more to probe not the conscious but unconscious space.
It works on the fundamental belief that our psyches are layered and complex, and that we don’t need to cope, but to become whole. As Jung reminds, we must make the unconscious conscious in order to live with meaning, authenticity, and centeredness.
And the beautiful thing about depth psychology is that when we seek this integration, we naturally draw ourselves onto the spiritual path. This is why we often call the depth psychological work the psycho-spiritual journey—because we are not seeking to understand our attachment styles or coping mechanisms or love languages. We are trying to listen to the wisdom of our dreams, the whispers of our shadows, the longings of the Self that pull us in with its primordial gravity.
So if you have felt the draw to journey into your soul, a study of Depth Psychology may be exactly the focus you need. It is the perfect bridge of the mind and heart, science and soul, and offers us a pathway to wholeness.
If you want to go deeper, you should check out the Jung for Witches Seminar Series, a 3-part class that dives into the psycho-spiritual wisdom of C. G. Jung. We explore the Collective Unconscious, archetypes, divination, synchronicity, parapsychology, the Divine Feminine, and how all of this can deepen and transform your witchcraft.