This is Shadowland a new podcast experience from This Jungian Life that explores the lives of people who work and take refuge in the hidden places of our culture. Lisa, Deb, and Joseph collaborate with songwriter Wells Hanley, creator of I Wrote This Song For You podcast, to bring insight, compassion, and understanding to the darker side of human experience.
Nietzsche wrote, “I am a forest, and a night of dark trees: but he who is not afraid of my darkness, will find banks full of roses under my cypresses.”
In that spirit, we meet Kay, a 21-year-old single mother who works throughout the American southwest as a self-described prostitute. We explore how she found her way to that life, what she aspires to, and how she holds the complicated tensions between herself, her clients, and the current culture.
Here’s Kay’s dream that we analyze:
“I am in a pet store with my best friend and my daughter, who is in a stroller. The woman proprietor went in the back. I saw an alligator in a cage eating a piglet, and looked at my daughter’s stroller — she wasn’t in there. Then I am somewhere running through halls trying to find her. I see a lot of kids about her age running around [but she isn’t among them]. I think she is in the ventilation system because she likes to crawl around. I tell someone to hide the weed that’s in my car so we can call the police.”
We shared this interview with Wells, who was moved to create a song for Kay. We hope you’ll be as touched by her story as we were.
You can support Well Hanley’s creative work by becoming his patron here: https://www.patreon.com/iwrotethissongforyou
To learn more check out his website: www.Iwrotethissongforyou.com
SONG: PART OF THE PLAY music and lyrics by Wells Hanley © 2020. I will listen receive you affirm you in every way And I will hold you but as I’ve told you it’s just part of the play I will undress you and then impress you we’ll make a game of predator and prey I’ll be unrestrained but as I’ve explained it’s just part of the play She is hiding in the walls she is watching through a screen She is frightened to come out so she lingers there unseen calling, “Mama, help me!” I’ll be your Echo a kind of mirror your missing Helen I am willing to portray And you may long to claim me but you’ll never tame me I’m too refined for that cliché You see, my heart is never part of the play See her high above the crowd see her fall into the cage See her flee into the walls as she steps onto the stage crying, “Mama, help me!” You call me princess tell me I’m beautiful I’m not immune to the things you say But when the curtain falls I walk these empty halls and even though I can never go, I can show you the way and I will swear that everything’s ok Hush little baby, don’t say a word about what you’ve seen or about what you’ve heard There’s a fat, hungry beast in need of a meal so don’t ever share no, don’t tell a soul what you feel Music and Lyrics by Wells Hanley © 2020. Singer: Ali Thibodeau at www.deaueyes.com
RESOURCES:
Learn to Analyze your own Dreams: https://thisjungianlife.com/enroll/
REFERENCES:
The Book of Symbols, published by Taschen
Kalsched, Donald. The Inner World of Trauma
