The Hermetic Research Series

In general this series includes essays and new research on hermetic subjects with transcriptions and translations of hermetic texts. This series was originally issued in paperback format in order to produce lower priced books to complement the hardcover Magnum Opus series.
This was not a successful strategy as sales were very low so I have now issued eleven of the recent books on a CD-Rom. Future titles will be issued in hardbound copies only and eventually placed onto a supplementary CD-Rom.

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No. 12. Jung, Alchemy and History

A critical exposition of Jung's theory of alchemy
by Jon Marshall.

It is well known that Jung's encounter with alchemy was important for the development of his psychology, and that his writings on the subject have a reputation for difficulty.

Jon Marshall here gives a brief history of alchemy, a short account of Jung's position arranged by subject, a small amount on James Hillman's use of alchemy, and some brief criticism. The aim is to provide people with enough background for them to read Jung's writings on alchemy themselves. The overall theme is that Jung's writings, while interesting, important and influential, do not exhaust the complexities of alchemy.

Jon Marshall indicates that Jung gets much from the alchemists, that they deepen tendencies within his own works, but it is extremely doubtful that he clears up the mysteries of the texts themselves. It might be possible to suggest that if the alchemist projected the secrets of their psyche onto the Work, Jung projected the secrets of his Analytic Psychology onto Alchemy.


56 pages. A5 format.
The Hermetic Research Series of books is now available in a hardbound copy uniform with the books in the Magnum Opus and Hermetic Studies series. I can make up a copy in this format to order. There will be a delay of up to two weeks while I find time to bind up a copy for you.
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