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Marie–Louise von Franz

The Classic Jungian and The Classic Jungian Tradition

Edited by James A. Hall and Daryl Sharp

Inner City Books, 2008, 125 p.p.

One night in Europe, a sensitive teenage girl dreamed that she walked on ground never before trodden upon. Another evening, ‘Marlus’, for that was her name to those closest to her, dreamed that Olympian gods approached her. They wanted something from her and so she opened her knapsack and shared with them her humble bread, all she had.

These are among the many fascinating facts in this riveting compendium of praise for Marie Louise von Franz (1915-1998) by her special friends who knew and loved her so much, as do I, a respectful bystander who met this grand giver in her many books.

Imagine that over a dozen loving friends would enthusiastically gather a decade after her earthly life ended, to write about, in such a treasuring way, the honour of having known her, such a brilliant woman, who altered their lives irrevocably, most of all by courageously concentrating on her own work.

I found it touching, in the testimonial by Daryl Sharp, that Mare Louise von Franz worried she may have lacked ‘feeling’ and so she would memorize appropriate phrases for funerals and weddings, words that would testify to her caring. Is it possible that this humble scholar was so deeply focused on some of the most profound and on-going acts of love that superficial ones escaped her?

This 125 page collection of tender, cogent remembrances detail acts of love so moving as to elicit tears that Marie Louise von Franz could ever wonder, even for an instant, that she had a problem with ‘feeling’. Imagine suffering the ravages of Parkinson’s disease without medication so she could know its message – and share it?

In this book, Jungian analyst Anne Maguire shared Jung’s warning that exploration of the deep psyche could prove dangerous for the explorer – and noted the trail von Franz blazed in her original work in which, ”… she risked her very life.”

Multi-linguist and Medieval Latin Scholar, this eminent analyst was a generous and kind woman and, as her friend underlines, “…real love has much to do with kindness.”

Another contributor, Dr. Barbara Davies underlined a subject extremely important to her friend: that inorganic matter precedes organic matter,

Dr. Davies employed her opportunity to contribute to this book by furthering the admonition of her friend, namely that we are to study the relationship between psyche and matter through daily reflection upon our own dreams.

This engaging read creates a visual glimpse into the life of Marie Louise von Franz – at once a seasoned traveler contributing to hundreds of groups who sought her erudition – to the quiet scholar, chopping her own wood, cooking delicious meals to share with her friend and house mate of forty years, Barbara Hannah, and then settling down at her desk close to her window, perhaps with her beloved bulldog, Nibby, reassuringly nearby, to delve deep into the research that produced the magnificent “On Dreams and Death.”

It is easy to believe that she fed all of the Olympian gods when reading the praise of those whose deepest Selves were so nourished by her profound insights and wisdom.