Ring of Power: Symbols and Themes Love Vs. Power in Wagner's Ring Cycle and in Us- A Jungian-Feminist Perspective (Jung on the Hudson Book Series)

A vivid grasp of the story and the characters in "The Ring of Niebelung" brings Richard Wagner's mythic four-opera cycle to life. The Ring Cycle has a hold on our imagination like no other operatic work because it is archetypal and has the power of myth as well as music to reverberate in the psyche. Bolen shows how myth illuminates psychology, and more - Ring of Power goes beyond the psychology of the individual, revealing dysfunctional families and patriarchal institutions. Jean Shinoda Bolen's vivid grasp of the story & the characters in The Ring of Niebelung brings Richard Wagner's mythic four opera cycle to life. The Ring Cycle has a hold on our imagination like no other operatic work, because it is archetypal, & has the power of myth as well as music, to reverberate in the psyche. As in her acclaimed Goddesses in Everywoman & Gods in Everyman, Bolen shows how myth illuminates psychology, & more-Ring of Power goes beyond psychology of the individual, into dysfunctional families & patriarchal institutions. We see how the pursuit of power is destructive to the personality & relationships. In "Freeing Ourselves from the Ring Cycle," Bolen describes how seeing the truth & acting upon what we know can liberate us, & lead to authenticity & individuation Cover 1 Half Title 2 Front Page 3 Title Page 4 Copyright 5 Dedications 6 Dedications Second 7 Contents 8 Prelims Page 9 PREFACE 10 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 16 Opener Page 18 INTRODUCTION: The Ring Cycle Is About Us 20 CHAPTER I: The Rhinegold: The Quest for Power and Its Psychological Cost 36 CHAPTER II: The Valkyrie: The Authoritarian Father and the Dysfunctional Family 64 CHAPTER III: Siegfried: The Hero as an Adult Child 108 CHAPTER IV: Twilight of the Gods: Truth Brings an End to the Cycle of Power 154 CHAPTER V: Freeing Ourselves from the Ring Cycle 200 CHAPTER VI: Beyond Valhalla: A Postpatriarchal World? 226 Family Tree 240 Glossary of Characters, Creatures, Objects, and Places 241 Symbology of Scenes 246 Selected Readings 250 Discography 254 Index 256 About the Author 265

brings Contemporary Relevance To Wagner's Ring Of Niebelung, In Which The Lust For The Magic Ring Of Power Ultimately Destroys The Old Order Of Gods. Examines The Power Of Myth And The Nature Of Our Own Dysfunctions.

alex Madrigal

intriguing And Illuminating. -- san Francisco Chronicle Review

Jungian analyst Jean Bolen's vivid grasp of the story and characters in Wagner's mythic four opera cycle, The Ring of Nibelung.