EL LIBRO ROJO

"Los años en los que seguí a mis imágenes internas fueron la época más
importante de mi vida y en la que se decidió todo lo esencial. Comenzó
en aquel entonces y los detalles posteriores fueron sólo agregados y
aclaraciones.

Toda mi actividad posterior consistió en elaborar lo que había irrumpido
en aquellos años desde lo inconsciente y que en un primer momento me
desbordó. Era la materia originaria para una obra de vida. Todo lo que vino
posteriormente fue la mera clasificación externa, la elaboración científica,
su integración en la vida. Pero el comienzo numinoso, que todo lo contenía
ya estaba allí."
CARL GUSTAV JUNG (1957)

THE RED BOOK=LIBER NOVUS

This is quite a book that I was able to check out of the Levittown Library and able to peruse. This is a manuscript that Jung worked on from 1914 to 1930 setting down or, better yet, recreating his visions including much from his inner dream life. This facsimile is almost like a medieval manuscript with many hand drawings, beautiful in color. The first letter of each chapter is illustrated. The first letter D shows a vision of quite village sitting by a lake, somewhat dominated by a church with a steeple. The D itself is in red and sits on top of the water. In the lower left of the red an an urn with flames bursting upwards -- out of the flames is a long serpent with a crowned head. Although the sky within the D is in daylight cloudy day, the sky above the letter D is dark, suggesting night, with a crescent moon not too far away from the crown on the snake's head. A guiding star exists on the upper right. The lower part of the picture seems to depict the strange plants and animals that one might find on an ocean floor.

I write this descirption to give you a sense of the first quarter of the first page of this book. The title in German for this beginning chapter is Der Weg des Komenden (The Way of What is to Come). But then there is a long quote from Isaiah (53:1-4) in Latin. And then Isaiah 9:6, John 1:14, Isaiah 35:1-8. On page two Jung starts his German text. Each sentence begins with a red letter and the whole volume is beautifully lettered.

There are larger illustrations throughout the book covering most if not all the page, and they are a treat to look at and try to understand. They have a quality of the Mandala to them. There is some Greek in the volume, some pieces of dialogue, as well as poetry. This is a book, huge as it is, to savour ( )
vota | Marcarvpfluke | Apr 14, 2012 |