Forged In Darkness by Dr Joanna LaPrade Is Joseph Campbell Reimagined For The 21st Century

On The Table Read, “The Best Book Reader Magazine in the UK“, Forged in Darkness: The Many Paths of Personal Transformation by Dr Joanna LaPrade unites self discovery with mythology.

Forged In Darkness

When we search within, we inevitably find the underworld – lost connections, failed enterprises, haunting memories, insecurities and buried secrets. Psychotherapist Dr. Joanna LaPrade, PhD.’s Forged in Darkness: The Many Paths of Personal Transformation (Watkins / Penguin Random House) united self discovery with mythology, returning the underworld to its rightful place – a natural place that harbors profound transformation and richness and evokes personal growth. 

We all experience darkness, and this comprehensive and accessible guide shows readers of all ages how to embrace the shadowed parts of themselves. A fascinating intersection of myth and psyche, Dr. LaPrade’s new book details how using archetypes like Hercules and other heroes / gods for models of “underworlding” is key to changing our perspective and experiences of hardship; in fact, it’s essential to find the way to embrace both the light and darkness within.

Underworld

When we search within, we inevitably find the underworld – lost connections, failed enterprises, haunting memories, insecurities and buried secrets. This book unites selfdiscovery with mythology, returning the underworld to its rightful place – a dreaded realm that harbours profound transformation, richness and expansion.

Using archetypes from mythology, psychotherapist, Joanna LaPrade, PhD, teaches readers that experiences of darkness are natural and necessary markers along the path of growth and discovery. We all experience darkness, and this comprehensive and accessible guide will show readers of all ages how to embrace the shadowed parts of themselves.

For millennia, cultures around the world have told myths about the underworld. It is a tragedy that the only image we have in the West is that of Hercules, requiring us to be strong and defeat the shadowed parts of our life. Forged in Darkness explores the archetype Hercules represents and turns toward other heroes and gods for models of journeying into darkness.

When we question, learn to accept and make sacrifices, Odysseus is present. We acknowledge Dionysus when we reconnect with what is volcanic, unrestrained and feral. We may experience Persephone as we’re abducted from our comforts and connected to a mysterious authority within.

Dr Joanna LaPrade

Joanna LaPrade earned her PhD in Jungian and Archetypal Psychology from Pacifica Graduate Institute in Carpinteria, California. She is a practising psychotherapist in Colorado and an adjunct professor at The Colorado College, where she teaches courses on Jungian and archetypal psychology.

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