Art Credit: Jano Tantongco, jano.tantongco@gmail.com

AUDIO

Jung’s American Muse: The Visions and Art of Christiana Morgan

Hilary Morgan, filmmaker and granddaughter of Christiana Morgan, has embarked on an inspiring journey to honor and celebrate her grandmother’s contributions to analytical psychology and art. Her documentary, “The Tower,” explores the spiritual retreat Christiana built, highlighting her deep connection with Carl Jung and her visionary artwork. This personal dedication and Hilary’s commitment to preserving Christiana’s legacy offer an intimate and profound perspective on a remarkable woman’s life and work. Through these efforts, Hilary aims to bring to light the significance of Christiana’s contributions, ensuring they continue to inspire future generations.

Christiana Morgan’s profound influence on Carl Jung’s work and the field of analytical psychology is undeniable. At the age of 28, she embarked on a transformative journey to Zurich, where she engaged in nine months of intensive personal analysis with Jung. During this time, she produced a series of images based on her visionary experiences. Jung recognized these images as paralleling his own explorations in the Red Book, offering a unique female perspective on the process of individuation. Her work provided critical insights into the female psyche, enriching Jung’s understanding and expanding the scope of analytical psychology.

Jung regarded Christiana Morgan as an extraordinary individual, often calling her his “pioneer woman.” Her analysis sessions and the visionary images she created became foundational to some of Jung’s most significant studies, which were later compiled and published as the Vision Seminars between 1930 and 1934. These lectures illustrated the transformation of archetypal images within the psyche into personalized, relatable forms—an essential element in the process of individuation. This transformation process, highlighted by Morgan’s contributions, was crucial in demonstrating how archetypal images in the psyche transform into personalized, humanized images that we can relate to, an essential process for individuation.

Morgan dedicated her life to exploring and understanding the feminine unconscious and its dynamic relationship with the masculine. She expressed her insights through sculpture, ritual, painting, and, most notably, the creation of her tower on the marsh. Upon her return from Zurich, she became a lay analyst and co-director at the Harvard Psychological Clinic, significantly contributing to the foundation of American psychotherapy and psychology. Despite lacking formal education, her brilliance was undeniable. She co-authored the Thematic Apperception Test (TAT), a tool still widely used today. Unfortunately, her name was removed from the TAT and other Harvard publications, overshadowing her substantial contributions.

Her tower, inspired by Jung’s Bollingen Tower, symbolized her lifelong quest for self-discovery. This unique space was adorned with her own carvings, intricate stained glass, and personal artifacts, each representing her intimate psycho-spiritual journey. The tower was more than a personal retreat; it was a sacred space for active exploration and expression of her deep love affair with Henry Murray. Together, they endeavored to extend Jung’s work into their relationship, delving into the union of opposites. Their complex and central relationship defied societal norms, deeply influencing her personal and professional life.

Today, Hilary, Christiana Morgan’s granddaughter, leads the efforts to preserve and restore her legacy. As a filmmaker, Hilary recently completed “The Tower,” a documentary about the spiritual retreat her grandmother built. She is also working on a full-length documentary that delves into Christiana’s contributions, aiming to save the tower from disrepair and create a lasting tribute to her work. Publishing Morgan’s vision journals and restoring her tower are central to ensuring her work continues to inspire future generations. Hilary’s dedication to preserving her grandmother’s legacy stems from a firm belief in the value of Christiana’s contributions to art and psychology. The restored tower is envisioned as an artist residency and retreat center, fulfilling Christiana’s wish for it to be a place of inspiration and creativity.

Despite the challenges and societal restrictions of her time, Christiana remained unwaveringly dedicated to her inner work. Her later years were shadowed by excessive drinking and health issues, ultimately culminating in her mysterious death in the Virgin Islands at the age of 69. Discovered in just two feet of water, her tragic end adds an enigmatic chapter to her already mysterious story. These struggles overshadowed her earlier vibrant life, yet her contributions to psychology and art remain profoundly significant. Hilary’s documentary seeks to illuminate these contributions, ensuring that Christiana’s pioneering work continues to empower future generations.

For a time, Christiana’s Tower on the Marsh faded from memory, its original purpose obscured by mundane use. Today, the tower’s true mission is being revived, thanks to Hilary’s dedicated efforts and a growing group of supporters. They strive to fulfill her grandmother’s vision, and soon the tower may reclaim its numinous potency. It is destined to house and nurture future artists committed to the expansion of consciousness, honoring Christiana Morgan’s legacy.

LEARN more about The Tower & HELP Publish Christiana’s Journals HERE

TAKE ACTION to Save the Tower on the Marsh HERE

FUNDRAISE: To Join the experienced fundraising team with Hilary Morgan, reach out to her HERE

READ: Translate This Darkness: The Life of Christiana Morgan by Claire Douglas

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