Other Jungians on Fairy Tales

The Jungian usage of Fairy Tales extends beyond Marie-Louise von Franz and C.G.
Jung. Donald Kalsched is one Jungian, along with a few others who have used fairy
tales to elucidate the contents of the archetypal psyche. Kalsched, who might be
overlooked in this regard, has written and explored the fairy tales such as Rapunzel,
Eros and Psyche, Fitcher’s Bird, Prince Lindworm, The Little Prince, and The Woman
without Hands. His main focus is how fairy tales and the figures within the tales, relate
to the topic of trauma. For Kalsched, fairy tales support his theory of “the self-care
system” which suggests that some figures appear in the psyche to become archetypal
defenders to protect our psychic wounds and keep us from re-experiencing trauma.
One tale that particularly illustrates Kalsched’s archetypal defense theory is Rapunzel.
His investigation into the tale of Rapunzel expounds on the issue of Grief, which in
western culture is not given appropriate time to heal or allowed to be expressed. I
actually had a thought today how a social family function is a better excuse to not come
to work over being sad, tired or just needing a day. It is as if you are not allowed to take
care of yourself, you’re a wimp and letting down the team and therefore, the psyche is
forced to take care of itself, developing a “self-care” system.
Kalsched mentions how Rapunzel’s grief is what heals her lover’s blindness and her
own (Inner World of Trauma pg.148). Kalsched says that working through our grief,
which goes without saying (you’d think) not only helps to heal the trauma, but also the
rift between imagination and reality (Inner World of Trauma pg.148). The ironic thing is
we are not in correct relation to the reality of our situation, nor imagination, because we
either imagine negative possibilities or hopes of ideal that might be too high to reach or
help to heal. The rift in the tale is represented between the wall and tower that
separates the man and his wife (Rapunzel’s true parents) and the witch’s garden/home.
Kalsched says the realm of the enchanted is not only the unconscious per say, but the
realm of the psychoid (Inner World of Trauma pg.151) where the planes of inner and
outer worlds come together. AS we know from studying Jung, this is the recipe for
synchronicy and acausal meaning. This acausal meaning produces the numinous
energy needed to release a block in the psyche that may be alienating or identifying us
with the archetypal energies.
What blocks these energies is trauma personified, which may take the form as a dark
and limiting figure like a witch, as it does in the story of Rapunzel. According to
Kalsched’s self-care system scheme, the witch, both protects and imprisons Rapunzel
from the outer world in order to keep her safe, but at the same time keeps her from
realizing her full potential to individuate. The witch is like the nagging voice that we all
know and have heard from time to time that keeps scared, conservative, unable to
express and ultimately avoid growing up. It says things like “don’t do it” or “you’re not
good enough.” This voice keeps us wanting to remain a child, because conversely, the
outer world, we have been forced to grow up too fast. Rapunzel as an inner figure in
someone’s psyche, is clearly a puella with high aspirations and ideals, and the witch is
another inner figure which tempers and reduces these ideals to trivial and wishful
thinking. The witch’s intention is to help but, in the end, she does more harm.
There is much that can be said about this tale, especially John Beebe’s work on our
shadow typology and the archetypal figures. But one thing that should not go without

mention is the establishment of the “spine” or ego-Self axis with the unconscious that
comes through the animus. This axis is represented by Rapunzel’s hair, to which she
lets down to both the witch and the animus. With the animus she attempts to bring her
inferior function up to consciousness and align the two worlds of conscious and
unconscious. When she lets down her hair to the witch, she keeps it separated, that is
dissociated by the complex and trauma. With the animus, they together to make room
for the numinous psychoid to redeem the traumatic experience. It becomes a
redemption motif possible for the psyche to attain. The syzygy between Rapunzel and
prince produces meaning and a re-connection, rather than rupture between worlds. This
is represented by the twin children (boy and girl) who redeem the original barren
parents who gave up Rapunzel (to the witchy complex) and therefore not only bears the
original sin of the parents (archetypes are the core of every complex), but purifies it and
brings a fresh and redemptive renewal.

Resources:
Kalsched, D. (1996). The inner world of trauma: archetypal defenses of the personal
spirit. Hove: Routledge.
Kalsched, Donald (clinical Psychologist And Jungian Psychoa. (2013). Trauma and the
soul – a psycho-spiritual approach to human development and. Taylor & Francis Ltd.

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