Event 1: Alchemy + Art with Ann McCoy

 The event that I attended was that of Alchemy + Art with artist Ann McCoy. This event was focused on the relationship of alchemy to the dream world, how alchemy is used in our subconsciousness, and the relation between alchemy and McCoy's art works. At the start of her talk, McCoy described the levels of consciousness as they relate to alchemy. 

In this diagram, McCoy discussed the levels of one's conscious and unconscious selfs as they impact the stages of alchemy. To be completely honest, I had never heard much about alchemy and really did not think that our subconscious actively played a part of our physical world/day-to-day persona. However, with further research and through McCoy's talk I learned that alchemy in psychological terms is a way of projecting inner subconscious states onto our external lives and objects. I found this talk about alchemy as it relates to our psyche very interesting as it is usually a taboo in our university and society to talk about our inner selves and dreams as if they directly impact our external environments. McCoy's website describes dreams as directly impacting the outer world, "what happens in the inner world of the psyche determines fate in the outer world."

Furthermore, McCoy mentioned that much of what she has learned about alchemy is through Carl Jung's view of the matter. Through his familiarization with alchemy Jung developed an analysis of the relation between alchemical symbolism (in dreams mostly) and the individuation process. With knowledge regarding alchemical symbolism in one's dreams, Ann McCoy took her dreams to the next level as an artist by making art works out of the symbolism that she encounters in her dreams. 

For instance, in these pieces, McCoy describes her reoccurring dreams in which eggs appear in different forms. She described eggs as symbolic of new life coming from the unconscious mind where they have represented many different parts of herself changing in her external life. Overall, this talk was very interesting and ever since, I have been analyzing my dreams for symbolism that may impact my external life. 

Jung and Alchemy. Carl Jung Resources. (n.d.). Retrieved April 22, 2022, from https://www.carl-jung.net/alchemy.html

McCoy, A. (n.d.). Ovum Philosophorum: L.A. Land of New Beginnings. Ann McCoy. Retrieved April 22, 2022, from https://annmccoy.com/alchemy/ovum-philosophorum/

“Psychology and Alchemy.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 12 Feb. 2022, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychology_and_Alchemy.