A Journey Through Copper: Encountering the Self

The art of copper etching is a bridge and therapeutic process that has helped me to unite the inner world of my unconscious to alchemical metaphor and the archetypal symbolism of Christ. Throughout this thesis and the illuminating process of the etchings, I have created an inner dialogue with my psyche that has been a transformative healing process linking ego to Self on the path of individuation. The thesis is grounded in depth psychological theory; the subject matter includes archetypal imagery, alchemical imagery, dreams, and active imagination, all of which help point to a path whereupon the soul may unfold. The artistic-creative and heuristic methodological approaches used have deepened and illuminated both my personal loss and the collective loss of a current mythos. The author's hope is that this thesis will be beneficial in facilitating clients on their journey of individuation, and thus inner freedom from psychological neurosis.