It begins to look like winter in Nashville in early December, when the last of the leaves have fallen and left a landscape marked by bare trees and some glorious sunsets, in scenes like the Hockney painting above and the dramatic photo below.

Nashville in December photo: Michael Whitney

Brisk but not bone-chilling temperatures allow for hikes, perhaps at nearby Radnor Lake, where one might enjoy silence and solitude in the season of commercialism and unrelenting Christmas music. Winter is an excellent time to see over 24 varieties of water fowl there.

As we approach the winter Solstice on December 21st, when we experience the shortest day and longest night of the year in the Northern Hemisphere, may you find time for peace, reflection, and solace in cozy indoor spaces and in nature.
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We wish you a lovely holiday season!

Contents
1) CANCELLATION: Dr. James Hollis Dream Seminar, Saturday, January 10th
2) NJC Weekly Book Club, January 23rd - February 27th.
3) Dr. Murray Stein, Saturday, February 7th.
4) Save the Date - Richard Tarnas, Sunday, May 17th
4) The Nashville Jung Circle and Year-End Giving
5) Symbolism of Greenery in Winter Traditions
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CANCELLATION:
Saturday, January 10th
9 am - Noon central time
Online only event
Due to health issues, Dr. James Hollis has had to cancel the Dream Workshop, scheduled for Saturday, January 10th. Those who have registered will receive a full refund. We look forward to hosting a presentation on dream work in the near future.
We are grateful to Dr. Hollis for his past presentations, his advice and support of our organization, and the large body of work he has created and shared for many years. Please join us in sending him healing thoughts and energy for good health.

James Hollis, Ph.D., is a Jungian analyst in private practice in Washington, D.C., and the author of twenty-one books. After 26 years of teaching Humanities in various colleges and universities, he retrained as a Jungian analyst at the Jung Institute of Zurich, Switzerland. He served as Executive Director of the Jung Educational Center in Houston, Texas, for many years, was Executive Director of the Jung Society of Washington, D.C. until 2019, and now serves on the JSW Board of Directors. He is a retired Senior Training Analyst for the Inter-Regional Society of Jungian Analysts and Vice-President Emeritus of the Philemon Foundation. He frequently lectures on various topics in Jungian psychology and poetry, and his books have been translated into 24 languages.
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Beginning in January:
NASHVILLE JUNG CIRCLE BOOK CLUB

Join us for a slow read of Care of the Soul: A Guide for Cultivating Depth and Sacredness in Everyday life by Thomas Moore, led by board member Claire Coenen. This group will be an opportunity to build community and explore the wisdom of myth and Jungian psychology in our everyday lives. For those who are newer to Jungian thought, this book offers an accessible entry-point to Jungian concepts such as archetypes, alchemy, and shadow work. You can read a description of the book by clicking here.
The group will meet for six weeks on Fridays from 10-11:30 CT beginning January 23rd at Hillwood Presbyterian Church (6220 Hickory Valley Rd.). We can only accommodate a certain number of people, so please register soon! The book group is free for members of the Nashville Jung Circle and $50 for non-members.

Register by clicking here.
Free for members, $50 for non-members, but everyone must register. This class will be limited to 20 people, so if you are interested please sign up soon.
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Claire Coenen is a poet and facilitator who leads groups focused on expressive writing, SoulCollage®, and creativity as a healing practice. She earned a Master of Education and Master of Theological Studies from Vanderbilt University, a Master of Social Work degree from the University of Tennessee, and yoga teacher certification from the Kripalu Center. Claire has worked as a psychotherapist and studied psychodynamic therapy in a two-year post-graduate program. Her first book of poems, The Beautiful Keep Breathing, (Kelsey Books), was published in June 2024 and explores themes of loss, healing, and divine beauty.

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"Prime Matter of Philosopher's Stone" artist unknown

One of the leading writers and speakers in Jungian psychology, Dr. Murray Stein, will present to the Nashville Jung Circle from his home in Zurich, Switzerland, where he has lived and taught for many years. In this talk he will discuss how and why Carl Jung spent so much time writing and studying alchemy, which is the subject of three volumes of the Collected Works of Jung. From Dr. Stein:
"In the lecture, I will discuss why Jung thought alchemy was so important for depth psychology and how he used it in practice. It’s a fascinating story. I hope to convey the meaning of Jung's legacy for our times."
Suggested reading: Jung and Alchemy. A Path to Individuation, by Murray Stein, Chiron Publications, 2025
$20 members/$30 non-members/$15 students
Register by clicking here.
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Dr. Stein is a graduate of Yale University (B.A. and M.Div.), the University of Chicago (Ph.D.), and the C.G. Jung Institut-Zurich (Diploma). He is a founding member of the Inter-Regional Society of Jungian Analysts and of the Chicago Society of Jungian Analysts. He has been the president of the International Association for Analytical Psychology (2001-4), and the President of The International School of Analytical Psychology-Zurich (2008-2012).
Dr. Stein is a training analyst at the International School for Analytical Psychology in Zurich, Switzerland. He is author of over 30 books, including including Jung’s Map of the Soul and The Principle of Individuation . He lectures internationally on topics related to Analytical Psychology and its applications in the contemporary world.

The Nashville Jung Circle is an all-volunteer 501C3 non-profit organization that operates on a small budget funded through membership dues, fees for events, and donations. All donations to the NJC qualify as tax deductions to charitable organizations. As 2025 comes to a close, we know you have many giving opportunities and hope you will consider the Nashville Jung Circle in your year-end giving.

A founding member of the NJC, the Reverend Donna Scott, had the vision to create the Legacy Fund for this group, as a resource to insure the continuation of the NJC for years to come. Donna presented the first official event of the Nashville Jung Circle, a talk in May, 2015, on Jung's Red Book, and this year we are encouraging donations in her honor to the Legacy Fund.

Donations may be made to the general fund or the Legacy Fund by clicking here.
Please indicate if your donation is in someone's honor. Donors and honorees will be recognized
(by permission) in the spring newsletter.

Thanks to all of you who continue to support the Nashville Jung Circle through your participation and dollars!

People across cultures have used evergreens in rituals to affirm that life endures through the "dead" of winter. Evergreens were part of ancient solstice celebrations of Celts and Romans before being adopted by Christians. Today we use evergreens in winter decorations but may not know that holly is said to protect the home, pine boughs symbolize strength, and wreaths, those circles of evergreen, affirm the cycle of unending life.
The Christmas tree, used in pre-Christian solstice rituals, became popular in 16th century Germany as a symbol of both the continuance of life and the vertical axis linking earth and sky energies, but the tree has been symbolic across time and cultures. In an interview in 1957, Jung discussed the symbolism of the Christmas tree and its relevance to alchemy, saying:
"Now you know what the shining globes on the Christmas tree mean:
they are nothing less than the heavenly bodies, the sun, moon, and stars.
The Christmas tree is the world tree" and he added: "the Christmas tree,
which in the longest and darkest night of the year
symbolizes the return of the light, is archetypal ..."
From a Jungian perspective, then, evergreens may be seen as archetypal, symbols of life everlasting and continual growth. May the greenery of winter celebrations remind us that even in the dormant season, something in us continues to grow.

To read the interview with Jung, go here.