The Jewel in the Wound

Book excerpt: This is the compelling story of how the author's disfiguring scars guided her search for a connection with her mother, who died at her birth and, ultimately, led to her own psychological development. In this process, the scars became the sacred jewels that illuminated the pathway of self-understanding. Movingly told from a Jungian point of view and in the intimate context of analysis, it is not only the autobiography of a person with a lifelong dedication to understanding the psyche, but also a portrayal of the unconscious as it reveals itself throughout the course of that person's life. As a journey of the soul, the book includes dreams, art work and active imagination-all ways of accessing the archetypal dimension underlying body symptoms. Ms. Rothenberg explains, through focused work, how body symptoms and physical illness can help us to discover our personal myth. In her case, the journey led her to Africa and a study of the art of scarification, during which she interviewed shamans who helped her unveil the symbolic and spiritual meaning behind her own physical and psychological scars. Rothenberg explores wounding in a way that opens us to healing. It is the tale of a life lived consciously and with great integrity. She includes a rich variety of art work, images of cultural artifacts, and pictures from her visits with shamans.