By: James Hillman Publisher: HarperPerennial Average Rating: Binding: Paperback Label: HarperPerennial Number of Items: 1 Number of Pages: 336 Publication Date: September 11, 1991 Release Date: August 02, 1991
Product Description: A vitally important introduction to the theories of one of the most original thinkers in psychology today, A Blue Fire gathers selected passages from many of Hillman's seminal essays on archetypal psychology.
A Blue Fire As a psychotherapist, I can't tell you how important i believe Hillman's contribution to the field of psychology is. His championing of the soul, it's intricacies and shadows, it's necessity as the form that formless spirit coolly appreciates, is an healing offfering for the spirit/matter split of modern consciousness. Read this book, and prepare to be amazed.
A drumfire of images and imagination enchanting the souls depth
In "A Blue Fire" Thomas Moore took long citations of the apparently rich collection of James Hillman's publications and rearranged them to topics. Each topic is introduced by him. The citations gain a strong rhythm that draws you in. This is probably due to Moore himself. Therefore I have the impression that Moore is more of an author than an editor of this beautiful book.
This excellent book has some prerequisites. It is a strong help to be somewhat fluent in Jungian thinking and terminology. The level of the English (and the other implied languages) is quite high. You might get along with less, but that is hard work. Also you certainly do not want to read it, if you are in a psychical unstable mood. The book is emotional and intellectual quite challenging.
The content of the book is difficult to communicate. But maybe the attitude and way of dealing with the subconscious is more important. Here the authors make a strong claim that it is important to feed the soul. Images are the core. Healing is a secondary activity. The primary activity is to befriend oneself with the internal images and consequently with the soul.
Great intro to Hillman Always provocative and challenging, Hillman is one of today's greatest thinkers in my opinion. This is a solid introduction to his ideas edited by one of his biggest fans. If you haven't read Hillman, this is a good place to start. Hillman can be a little hard to read, so these short excerpts make it a bit more manageable. I also highly recommend Inter-Views, a series of conversations with Laura Pozzo and We've Had A Hundred Years of Therapy (and the World's Getting Worse)-conversations and letters betweem Hillman and Michael Ventura. These last two works are Hillman at his most readable.
Thoughtful and engaging. It gives pause for reflection. "Blue Fire" is an anthology of selections from James A. Hillman's major works, including "Insearch: Psychology and Religion," "Suicide and the Soul," "Healing Fiction," and others, including journal and magazine articles in such diverse publications as "Spring," "Utne Reader," "Institute Newsletter," and "Loose Ends: Primary Papers in Archetypal Psychology." This should not scare you away. On the contrary, the reader will find that "Blue Fire" is quite readable and understandable. The selections in this book challenge you to think. Thomas More (editor) did an excellent job in assembling and introducing the selections in the book, tying them together so that they show a logical continuity of thought. If you read "Psychology Today," you should have no trouble with this book. You will find it delightful. If you have a deeper interest in 'depth psychology,' Jungian Psychology, or archetypal psychology, you will find this an excellent read.
Hillman's approach to psychology is one of addressing the individual as an individual within a society, paying strict attention to the needs of that individual and his/her soul. Psychology is not treating mental disorders and symptoms of such disorders, it is caring for the soul. Much of what can be accomplished is a transformation of the soul symbolically through the use of imagination, poetry, symbolism, and metaphor. "Blue Fire" was an epiphany for me. It caused me to look at many things from a different prospective. I found a new appreciation for spirituality and soulfulness, as well as the need to accept others and myself.
Delicious full course meals or small snacks of soul food. This book can be consumed as a full course meal. For example, read a chapter like "The Salt of Soul, the Sulfur of Spirit," and there is enough material to feel full for several hours as you digest the many metaphors, and delicious word play. For a snack, Hillman provides "Recipes", little snippets to be consumed in the morning or before going to bed.If consumed before bed, one's dreams may be seeded by an ever-expanding Hillman metaphor. Bon Appetit.
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