Becca Tarnas | Jung, Tolkien & the Power of Imagination | Alchemical Toil Podcast S01E04

What connects Carl Jung's The Red Book with J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings? Could imagination be more than a creative faculty, offering a way of knowing and participating in reality? In this episode of the Alchemical Toil Podcast, host Alexis Durgee revisits a conversation with Becca Tarnas, scholar, artist, counseling astrologer, and author of Journey to the Imaginal: A Reader's Guide to J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. Originally recorded in early 2021, this conversation explores the striking parallels between Jung's visionary experiences and Tolkien's creation of Middle-earth, examining how imagination shaped both men's work. Drawing on her research into Jung and Tolkien, Becca discusses the practice of active imagination, Tolkien's concept of subcreation, and the experience of entering imaginative worlds that seem to possess a life of their own. Alexis and Becca also explore archetypal figures such as Philemon and Gandalf, the relationship between the anima and the world soul, and the ways stories can transform both their creators and their readers. Their conversation ultimately considers imagination as a source of wisdom, a bridge between consciousness and the unconscious, and a powerful force for personal and collective transformation. IN THIS EPISODE: - The parallels between Carl Jung and J.R.R. Tolkien - Jung's The Red Book and Tolkien's Red Book of Westmarch - Active imagination and Tolkien's concept of subcreation - Enchantment, fantasy, and the imaginal realm - Philemon, Gandalf, and the wise old man archetype - The anima, Galadriel, and the Queen of Faerie - The world soul and the relationship between psyche and imagination - Creativity as discovery rather than invention - Imagination as a source of wisdom and transformation ABOUT BECCA TARNAS Becca Tarnas is a scholar, artist, and counseling astrologer whose work explores philosophy, mythology, archetypal psychology, and the imagination. She holds a PhD in Philosophy and Religion from the California Institute of Integral Studies, where her dissertation examined the parallels between Carl Jung's The Red Book and J.R.R. Tolkien's writings. Her book Journey to the Imaginal explores Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings through the lens of imagination, archetypal psychology, and the imaginal realm. BOOKS & RESOURCES Journey to the Imaginal — Becca Tarnas The Red Book: Liber Novus — C. G. Jung The Lord of the Rings — J.R.R. Tolkien The Hobbit — J.R.R. Tolkien The Silmarillion — J.R.R. Tolkien Smith of Wootton Major — J.R.R. Tolkien Re-Visioning Psychology — James Hillman The Wounded Researcher — Robert D. Romanyshyn ABOUT ALCHEMICAL TOIL Hosted by Alexis Durgee, Alchemical Toil explores the complexities of the human psyche through depth psychology, Jungian and post-Jungian thought, mythology, philosophy, and the relationship between the conscious and unconscious. Subscribe for more conversations with authors, thinkers, and practitioners exploring the questions, images, and ideas that shape our understanding of ourselves and the world. This conversation was originally recorded in early 2021 and may include references to publications or circumstances specific to that period. #jungianpsychology #jrrtolkien #activeimagination