THE SEMINAR
The years leading up to the Great War marked the beginning of a period of profound imaginal experiences for both C.G. Jung and J.R.R. Tolkien. Along quite separate paths, they each stepped across a threshold and entered into another world: the realm of imagination, the world of fantasy.
Jung recorded these initially spontaneous, immersive visionary experiences, which he further developed using the practice of active imagination, in a large red manuscript that he named Liber Novus, although usually it is referred to simply as The Red Book. The experiences narrated in The Red Book became the seeds from which nearly all Jung's subsequent work flowered. For Tolkien, this imaginal journey revealed to him the world of Middle-earth, whose stories and myths eventually led to the writing of The Lord of the Rings, a book he named within its own imaginal history The Red Book of Westmarch.
Drawing from her multifaceted study of these men and their works, Tarnas explores a diverse range of synchronistic parallels between Jung's and Tolkien's Red Books: through their experiences, the nature of their visions and dreams, the style and content of their works, cosmologies, and symbolic representations.
This fascinating seminar offers glimpses into rich imaginal worlds of stories, imagery, and figures. Surfacing implications concerning the nature of imagination and its participatory relationship to the collective unconscious, Tarnas highlights the remarkable ability of both Jung and Tolkien, not only to enter these mysterious realms, but seemingly to have the ability to guide others as well. She asks if, during a time of disenchantment, reconnecting with the imaginal realm can help to build a bridge to our rational everyday world?
Chaired by Chris Williams
ABOUT BECCA TARNAS
Becca Tarnas, PhD, is a scholar, artist, and editor of Archai: The Journal of Archetypal Cosmology, a publication dedicated to exploring the intersections of archetypal psychology and cosmology. She received her doctorate in Philosophy and Religion from the California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS), with her dissertation titled The Back of Beyond: The Red Books of C. G. Jung and J. R. R. Tolkien.
Her research interests span depth psychology, literature, philosophy, and the ecological imagination, reflecting her interdisciplinary approach to understanding the human experience.
She teaches at both Pacifica Graduate Institute and CIIS, and is the author of the book Journey to the Imaginal Realm: A Reader’s Guide to J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings.
See also: Website | Further Reading
TOLKIEN’S ARCHIVED & PUBLISHED WORKS: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY
We are delighted to join Becca Tarnas, The Foundation of the Works of C.G. Jung, Zürich, represented by Paul & Peter Fritz AG, Literary Agency, Dr. Robert Hinshaw, and Indy Magnoli, who have kindly given permissions to bring this Open-Access seminar to you. This rich presentation can be accessed and enjoyed now as a 'standalone' video following the links above.
While detailed rights protections prevent us from directly integrating elements of Tolkien's imagery, letters, stories, poems or invented languages into this scholarly work, these are conjured-up in Tarnas' evocative narrative. We have also included numbered 'reference slides' at key points throughout the presentation, corresponding to the listings in our References & Links section below.
Images of each of the Tolkien artworks discussed in the seminar can be accessed through the buttons and links included in the associated references. The links will open in a new browser window, taking you to high-quality digital representations published online by The Tolkien Estate and selected galleries. Through this route, you can view these images within different curatorial contexts, and explore related works and further details. Some scrolling required.
Some of our tester-viewers opted to access these online sources alongside the seminar video (through a different browser window or device), using the reference slides as a prompt.
FURTHER READING
This seminar touches on a broad range of themes across Jung's and Tolkien's works as they parallel and intersect. The further reading outlined below points to a selection of publications that explore these threads.
Becca Tarnas has authored a book examining themes from Tolkien’s Middle-earth and his experiences of the imaginal realm. Further details on this work and others writings can be found on her website beccatarnas.com.
publication
C.G Jung, The Red Book: Liber Novus
sonu shamdasani (editor)
Jung created his ‘Red Book’, named for its red leather binding, between 1914 and 1930. He titled this volume of thick blank pages ‘Liber Novus’ (New Book) and interleaved the first seven ‘folios’ (leaves) at the beginning, thereafter directly transcribing his text and illustrations onto the bound pages [1]. Here, Jung recorded his observations and experiments on himself, drawing from earlier drafts of his ‘Black Books’. Samdashami writes of this personal body of work that it “was at the center of Jung’s self-experimentation. It is nothing less than the central book in his oeuvre.” [2]
The original manuscript remained private until publication of this ‘landmark’ facsimile edition in 2009, through the Philemon Foundation. This painstaking work offers access to a reproduction of Jung’s Red Book, transcripts of his supplemental work, alongside a contextual essay and extensive notes. Edited by Sonu Shamdasani. Translated by Mark Kyburz, John Peck, and Sonu Shamdasani. As discussed in this seminar, the work incorporates Jung’s original explorations of individuation, archetypes, the collective unconscious and the self.
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
[1] Anon (2025) Creation and physical description IN The Red Book (Jung). Wikipedia [https://w.wiki/DjBK]
[2] Shamdasani, S (2009) ‘Introduction’ IN C.G. Jung, ‘The Red Book: Liber Novus’ (facsimile edition), p.221. (See References & Links)
publication
Journey to the Imaginal Realm
dr becca tarnas
This reader’s guide to J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings offers a journey into the world of Middle-earth, exploring the grand themes and hidden nuances of Tolkien’s epic story, connecting The Lord of the Rings to the larger mythology of Middle-earth, and situating Tolkien’s process of writing within his own powerful experiences of the imaginal realm. In some of his letters, Tolkien described his process of writing as one of discovery, in which he waited to find out “what really happened,” feeling as though he was “recording what was already ‘there,’ somewhere.” This reader’s guide seeks to understand the imaginal experiences Tolkien may have encountered that led to the writing of his stories. The guide explores Tolkien’s theory of sub-creation, the immersive experience of Faërian Dramas and, most importantly, his notion of the realm of Faërie. Journey to the Imaginal Realm is a celebration of Tolkien’s work, and an inquiry into the profound nature of imagination, which is capable of bringing forth a world as vast as Middle-earth.
Publisher: Revelore Press
Available in the UK via Amazon
publication
The Art of C.G. Jung
the foundation of the works of c.g. jung
Jung imbued as much inspiration, passion, and precision in what he made as in what he wrote. Though it spanned his entire lifetime and included painting, drawing, and sculpture, Jung’s practice of visual art was a talent that Jung himself consistently downplayed out of a stated desire never to claim the title “artist.” But the landmark publication, in 2009, of C.G. Jung’s The Red Book revealed an astonishing visual facet of a man so influential in the realm of thought and words, as it integrated stunning symbolic images with an exploration of “thinking in images” in therapeutic work and the development of the method of Active Imagination.
The essays collected here present previously unpublished artistic work and address a remarkably broad spectrum of accomplishment. Tracing the evolution of Jung’s visual efforts from early childhood to adult life while illuminating the close relation of Jung’s lived experience to his scientific and creative endeavours, The Art of C.G. Jung offers a diverse exhibition of Jung’s engagement with visual art as maker, collector, and analyst.
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
publication
J.R.R. Tolkien: Artist and Illustrator
wayne g. hammond & christina scull
An illustrated study of Tolkien's paintings and drawings, set in the context of his writings.
from the publisher: J.R.R. Tolkien (1892-1973), renowned author of The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion was an artist in pictures as well as in words. For him the two were closely linked, and in his paintings and drawings he displayed remarkable powers of invention that equalled his gift for words. His books have been read by many thousands; most of his art, however, has only been seen by a few
This book explores Tolkien's art at length, from his childhood paintings and drawings to his final sketches. At its heart are his illustrations for his books, especially his tales of Middle-earth. Also examined are the pictures Tolkien made for his children (notably in his 'Father Christmas' letters and for the story Mr. Bliss), his expressive calligraphy, his love of decoration, and his contributions to the typography and design of his books.
Publisher: Harper Collins
Available in the UK: Amazon
REFERENCES & LINKS
The session incorporates a rich range of materials. We have compiled this listing of references and permissions from the seminar presentation, together with links to contextual information for further discovery in the listings below.
Every effort has been made to ensure the appropriate permissions are in place for each work included. Where available, links to the full license statements are included in the listing below. In the event of any queries or issues arising, please get in touch.
notes
the red book: liber novus
The listings refer to the full facsimile edition of C. G. Jung's The Red Book: Liber Novus, Edited by Sonu Shamdasani, Translated by Mark Kyburz, John Peck, & Sonu Shamdasani (2009). Scans by Digital Fusion. The Red Book is a publication of the heirs of C. G. Jung and is one of the volumes of the Philemon Series, sponsored by the Philemon Foundation. A publication in arrangement with the Foundation of the Works of C. G. Jung, Zürich. First published by W. W. Norton & Co. Further details can be found through the Philemon Foundation website and the publisher website.
tolkien artworks
Tolkien's artworks are cited using J.R.R. Tolkien: Artist and Illustrator, edited by Wayne G. Hammond and Christina Scull (1998), as a reference. Title, media (where available) and image number are listed. See Further Reading (above) for details. Additional links to online sources are also incorporated.
bt01
the synchronicity of the two red books: jung, tolkien, and the imaginal realm
image: the red book, 64–65
Presentation image: C.G. Jung, “The Red Book”, 64-65. © 2009 Foundation of the Works of C.G. Jung, Zürich. First published by W. W. Norton & Co. Reproduced through non-exclusive, one-time only permission, Courtesy the Foundation of the Works of C.G. Jung, Zürich (2024), represented by Paul & Peter Fritz AG, Literary Agency.
jung artwork (left): 'the opening of the egg'
C.G. Jung, The Red Book, illumination 64, (February, 1917). (Permission listed above) This page can be viewed online as part of a catalog of (77) Limited Edition Fine Art Prints from Carl Jung’s “The Red Book”, with commentary (p.39). Published by Digital Fusion (Available from: https://view.digitalfusion.net/the-red-book-prints-catalog).
bt02
jung’s red book
02a reference: splitting of the spirit
'Liber Primus’, Splitting of The Spirit (p.240) IN C. G. Jung, “The Red Book: Liber Novus” (Shamdasani (Ed.), 2009).
02b jung artwork: philosophical tree
Presentation image: C.G. Jung, “The Red Book”, Illumination Page 131, (1921/2). © 2009 Foundation of the Works of C.G. Jung, Zürich. First published by W. W. Norton & Co. Reproduced through non-exclusive, one-time only permission, Courtesy the Foundation of the Works of C.G. Jung, Zürich (2024), represented by Paul & Peter Fritz AG, Literary Agency. This page can be viewed as part of a catalog of Limited Edition Fine Art Prints from Carl Jung’s “The Red Book”, with commentary (p.80). Published by DigitalFusion (Available from: https://view.digitalfusion.net/the-red-book-prints-catalog).
bt03
the two red books
left: jung's red book
Presentation image: "The Red Book (Liber Novus) by C. G. Jung, resting on Jung’s office desk." Owens, Lance S. (1991) Photograph. Presentation image L.S.Owens, Private photograph (1991) Wikimedia Commons (https://w.wiki/BfLf). Reproduced under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 generic license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en).
right: tolkien's red book of westmarch
Presentation image: “The Red Book of Westmarch: Begun by Bilbo and continued by Frodo” Magnoli, Indy (undated), Replica volume, Leather bound, foiled and embossed with Elvish designs. Reproduced courtesy of the Artist. @ Indy Magnoli and Magnoli Props. All Rights Reserved, 2024. www.magnoliprops.com. For more on this project see: https://www.indyprops.com/pp-rb.htm.
bt04
portraits: jung and tolkien
left: carl gustav jung
Presentation image: "Carl Gustav Jung (1875-1961)" Unknown photographer (circa 1935) Gelatine silver print (cropped). Collection of the ETH Library Zurich, Image Archive / Portr_14163 (doi.org/10.3932/ethz-a-000046785). This artwork is in the public domain (PD).
right: john ronald reuel tolkien
Presentation image: "J.R.R. Tolkien (1892-1973)." Wyatt, John (February 1968) Photograph. Image License: Alpha Historica/Alamy Stock Photo (2]A92X8).
bt05
jung’s red book period | tolkien's book of ishness
jung artwork: illumination 107
Presentation image: C.G. Jung, “The Red Book”, Illumination Page 107, (1919). © 2009 Foundation of the Works of C.G. Jung, Zürich. First published by W. W. Norton & Co. Reproduced through non-exclusive, one-time only permission. Courtesy the Foundation of the Works of C.G. Jung, Zürich, represented by Paul & Peter Fritz AG, Literary Agency. This page can be viewed online as part of a catalog of Limited Edition Fine Art Prints from Carl Jung’s “The Red Book” (p.67). Published by DigitalFusion. (Available from: https://view.digitalfusion.net/the-red-book-prints-catalog).
bt06
'the prima materia for a lifetime’s work'
reference: confrontation with the unconscious
Source: C.G. Jung, (1913) ‘Confrontation with the Unconscious' In 'Memories, Dreams, Reflections' (VI). Edited By Aniela Jaffe, 1963. Translated By Richard Winston & Clara Winston (Edition: New York, Vintage Books, 1989).
bt07
'languages of his own invention'
further reading: tolkien's invented languages
See Carl Hostetter, (2022) ‘Tolkien's Invented Languages' In 'Tolkien: The Official Site of The Tolkien Estate' (Scholarship). The Tolkien Estate Limited.(see: https://www.tolkienestate.com/scholarship/carl-hostetter-tolkiens-invented-languages)
bt08
inside language
reference: j. r. r. tolkien obituary, the times, london, 3 sep. 1973
The observation that Tolkien had been 'inside language' was part of Tolkien’s obituary, published (unsourced) in The Times, 3 September 1973. A full version is reproduced in: The Times, London (1973) ‘Professor J. R. R. Tolkien: Creator of Hobbits and Inventor of a New Mythology. 3 September 1973’, in Salu, M. and Farrell, R. T. (eds), (1979) J. R. R. Tolkien, Scholar and Storyteller: Essays in Memoriam, New York, Cornell University Press, pp. 11–15. (Available online: https://archive.org/details/jrrtolkienschola00unse). The Tolkien Society reprinted the obituary in full at: The Times. “J.R.R. Tolkien Obituary”. Mallorn: The Journal of the Tolkien Society, no. 8, Jan. 1974, pp. 40-43. (Available online: https://journals.tolkiensociety.org/mallorn/article/view/277).
further reading: inside language
In the preface to his examination of Tolkien's ideas and theories in relation to language, Smith writes, “When C.S. Lewis, in his obituary on his friend and colleague J.R.R. Tolkien, remarked that Tolkien "had been inside language", he was seeking to explain the extraordinarily intimate understanding of language and poetics that Tolkien had achieved during a lifetime devoted to philological study and linguistic invention.” reference: Smith, R. (2007) Inside Language: Linguistic and Aesthetic Theory in Tolkien, Cormarë Series, Zollikofen, Switzerland, Walking Tree, vol. 12. See: http://www.walking-tree.org/books/inside_language.php.
bt09
christ i, cynewulf
poem: christ i
Reference: Cynewulf, (ca. 8/9 Century) “Christ I”. Poem, Old English. In 'The Exeter Book', Folios 8R-14R. Exeter Cathedral Library. This work is in the public domain (PD). A 19th Century translation of this Anglo-Saxon epic, alongside a transcript from the Exeter MS, can be accessed online through the Internet Library: Gollancz, Israel (Ed) (1892) “Cynewulf's Christ: An Eighth Century English Epic”, London: David Nutt (https://archive.org/details/cynewulfschrist00cyneuoft/page/n3/mode/2up). (For introductory articles, see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christ_I and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exeter_Book)
further reading: cynewulf
Oxford Bibliographies offers a brief introduction to Cynewulf, with links to editions and translations of Cynewulf’s Corpus. See: Heckman, Christina M. . "Cynewulf". In obo in Medieval Studies. 21 Feb. 2023. (https://www.oxfordbibliographies.com/view/document/obo-9780195396584/obo-9780195396584-0312.xml).
bt10
hail earendel brightest of angels, over middle earth sent to men
reference: '...far beyond ancient english'
Tolkien’s memory of the stirring experience in encountering “Hail Earendel brightest of angels, over Middle Earth sent to men” in the lines from the Anglo-Saxon poem “Christ I”, Cynewulf, (see BT09) is reported by Humphrey Carpenter in his authorised biography of Tolkien (p.64). See: Carpenter, H. (1977) J. R. R. Tolkien: A Biography (p. 64), London, Allen & Unwin. (For title reference, see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christ_I#cite_note-18)
bt11
the voyage of éarendel the evening star
reference: from ‘the book of lost tales’
‘Éalá Éarendel Engla Beorhtast’ is an early poem (1914) by J.R.R. Tolkien (originally titled ‘The Voyage of Éarendel the Evening Star’). It is published in full in ‘The Book of Lost Tales: Part Two’, edited by Christopher Tolkien. (See: Tolkien, J. R. R. (1984) ‘V. The Tale of Eärendel’, in Tolkien, C. (ed), ‘The Book of Lost Tales: Part Two’, Great Britain: George Allen and Unwin, pp. 252–277.) An introduction to this work can be viewed online at ‘Tolkien Gateway’ (see: https://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/%C3%89al%C3%A1_%C3%89arendel_Engla_Beorhtast)
bt-x
"god's world"
reference: jung: 'memories, dreams, reflections’
Jung’s reflection on his evolving consciousness of ““God's world,” so ordered by Him and filled with secret meaning”, is narrated in “Student Years” (III) IN Jung, C. G. (1963) “Memories, Dreams, Reflections”, Jaffé, A. (ed), (trans. R. Winston & C. Winston) English Reissue edition (1989) New York, Vintage Books.
bt12
the realm of faerie
reference: standing outside time
See Tolkien’s 1947 essay "On Fairy-stories", reproduced in Part I of the publication: Tolkien, J. R. R. (2008) ‘Tolkien on Fairy-Stories’, Flieger, V. and Anderson, D. A. (eds), London, Harper Collins. An introduction to this work can be viewed online at ‘Tolkien Gateway’ (see: https://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Tolkien_On_Fairy-stories)
bt13
jung’s flood vision
reference: confrontation with the unconscious
This 1913 vision is detailed in “Confrontation with The Unconscious” IN Jung, C. G. (1963) “Memories, Dreams, Reflections” (vi), Jaffé, A. (ed), (trans. R. Winston & C. Winston) English Reissue edition (1989) New York, Vintage Books.
bt14
atlantis haunting
reference: tolkien's recurring wave vision
Tolkien describes his wave vision in a letter to to C. Bretherton (1964). See: ‘Letter 257’ IN Tolkien, J.R.R. (1981) ‘The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien’, Carpenter, H. and Tolkien, C. (eds), Great Britain: George Allen and Unwin. An introduction to this recurring vision can be viewed online at ‘Tolkien Gateway’ (see: https://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Atlantis-haunting).
bt15
active imagination
reference: jung's onfrontation with the unconscious
This initial (1913) immersive visionary experience is detailed in ‘Confrontation with The Unconscious’ IN Jung, C. G. (1963) “Memories, Dreams, Reflections” (vi) (trans. R. Winston & C. Winston), Jaffé, A. (ed), English Reissue edition (1989) New York, Vintage Books. (p.179)
bt16
tolkien artwork: 'before'
J.R.R. Tolkien, ‘Before’, (c. 1912) Pencil, black and red pencil. (Reference: Hammond and Scull, (1998) “J.R.R. Tolkien Artist & Illustrator” fig. 30: p.34.)
view online
An image of ‘Before’ can be seen on ‘The Tolkien Estate’ website. Follow the link below and scroll down the page (one image) to see the artwork. (www.tolkienestate.com/painting/imagination).
bt17
tolkien artwork: 'afterwards'
J.R.R. Tolkien, ‘Afterwards’, (c. 1912) Pencil, coloured pencil. (Reference: Hammond and Scull, (1998) “J.R.R. Tolkien Artist & Illustrator” fig. 31; p.36.). This drawing is a pair with ‘Before’.
view online
An image of ‘Afterwards’ can be seen on ‘The Tolkien Estate’ website. Follow the link below and scroll down the page (two images) to see the artwork. (www.tolkienestate.com/painting/imagination).
bt18
tolkien artwork: 'end of the world'
J.R.R. Tolkien, ‘End of the world’, (1912) Pencil, coloured pencil. (Reference: Hammond and Scull, (1998) “J.R.R. Tolkien Artist & Illustrator” fig.36; p.40).
view online
An image of ‘End of the world’ can be seen on ‘The Tolkien Estate’ website. Follow the link below and scroll down the page (ten images) to see the artwork. (www.tolkienestate.com/painting/imagination).
bt19
tolkien artwork: 'eeriness'
J.R.R. Tolkien, ‘Eeriness’, (1914) Pencil, watercolour. (Reference: Hammond and Scull, (1998) “J.R.R. Tolkien Artist & Illustrator” fig.40; p.43).
view online
An image of ‘Eeriness’ can be seen on ‘The Tolkien Estate’ website. Follow the link below and scroll down the page (four images) to see the artwork. (www.tolkienestate.com/painting/imagination).
bt20
tolkien artwork: 'wickedness'
J.R.R. Tolkien, ‘Wickedness’, (c. 1912) Pencil, black and red pencil. (Reference: Hammond and Scull, (1998) “J.R.R. Tolkien Artist & Illustrator” fig. 32; p.37).
view online
An image of ‘Wickedness’ can be seen on ‘The Tolkien Estate ’ website. Follow the link below and scroll down the page (three images) to see the artwork. (www.tolkienestate.com/painting/imagination).
bt21
tolkien artwork: 'undertenishness'
J.R.R. Tolkien, ‘Undertenishness’, (1912) Watercolour, black ink. (Reference: Hammond and Scull, (1998) “J.R.R. Tolkien Artist & Illustrator” fig.34; p.39).
view online
An image of ‘Undertenishness’ can be seen on ‘The Tolkien Estate’ website. Follow the link below and scroll down the page (six images) to see the artwork. (www.tolkienestate.com/painting/imagination).
bt22
tolkien artwork: 'beyond'
J.R.R. Tolkien, ‘Beyond’, (1914) Pencil, watercolour. (Reference: Hammond and Scull, (1998) “J.R.R. Tolkien Artist & Illustrator” fig.39; p.42).
view online
An image of ‘Beyond’ can be seen on ‘The Tolkien Estate’ website. Follow the link below and scroll down the page (twelve images) to see the artwork. (www.tolkienestate.com/painting/imagination).
bt23
tolkien artwork: 'water, wind and sand'
J.R.R. Tolkien, ‘Water, Wind and Sand’, (1915) Pencil, watercolour, white body colour. (Reference: Hammond and Scull, (1998) “J.R.R. Tolkien Artist & Illustrator” fig.42; p.46).
view online
An image of ‘Water, Wind and Sand’ (an imaginary landscape, inspired by the Cornish coast near the Lizard) can be seen on ‘The Tolkien Estate’ website. Follow the link below and scroll down the page (fifteen images) to see the artwork. (www.tolkienestate.com/painting/imagination).
bt24
tolkien artwork: 'glórund sets forth to seek túrin'
J.R.R. Tolkien, ‘Glórund sets forth to seek Túrin’, (1927) Pencil, watercolour, black ink. (Reference: Hammond and Scull, (1998) “J.R.R. Tolkien Artist & Illustrator” fig.47; p.51).
view online
An image of ‘Glórund sets forth to seek Túrin’ can be seen on ‘The Tolkien Estate’ website. Follow the link below and scroll down the page (five images) to see the artwork. (www.tolkienestate.com/painting/the-silmarillion).
bt25
the red book: dragon
jung artwork: illumination 29
C.G. Jung, ‘The Red Book’, Illumination 29. © 2009 Foundation of the Works of C.G. Jung, Zürich. First published by W. W. Norton & Co. Reproduced through non-exclusive, one-time only permission. Courtesy the Foundation of the Works of C.G. Jung, Zürich, represented by Paul & Peter Fritz AG, Literary Agency. An image of this page can also be seen in an image gallery (image 9) published by the Philemon Foundation to accompany an overview of C. G. Jung’s ‘The Red Book: Liber Novus’. (https://philemonfoundation.org/works/red-book/).
bt26
the red book: 'flaming dragon'
jung artwork: illumination 129
C.G. Jung, ‘The Red Book’, Illumination 129 (1921/2). © 2009 Foundation of the Works of C.G. Jung, Zürich. First published by W. W. Norton & Co. Reproduced through non-exclusive, one-time only permission. Courtesy the Foundation of the Works of C.G. Jung, Zürich, represented by Paul & Peter Fritz AG, Literary Agency. An image of this page can also be viewed as part of a catalog of Limited Edition Fine Art Prints from Carl Jung’s “The Red Book”, with commentary (p.79). Published by DigitalFusion (Available from: https://view.digitalfusion.net/the-red-book-prints-catalog).
bt27
tolkien artwork: 'conversation with smaug'
J.R.R. Tolkien, ‘Conversation with Smaug’, (1937) Pencil, black ink, watercolour, coloured ink?, white body colour. (Reference: Hammond and Scull, (1998) “J.R.R. Tolkien Artist & Illustrator” fig.133; p.140).
view online
An image of ‘Conversation with Smaug’ can be seen on ‘The Tolkien Estate’ website. Follow the link below and scroll down the page (ten images) to see the artwork. (www.tolkienestate.com/painting/the-hobbit).
bt28
tolkien artwork: 'the tree of amalion'
J.R.R. Tolkien, ‘The Tree of Amalion’, (1928) Pencil, coloured pencil. (Reference: Hammond and Scull, (1998) “J.R.R. Tolkien Artist & Illustrator” fig.62; p.64).
view online
An image of ‘The Tree of Amalion’ can be seen on ‘The Tolkien Estate’ website. Follow the link below and scroll down the page (nineteen images) to see the artwork. (www.tolkienestate.com/painting/imagination).
bt29
the red book: 'the tree of life'
jung artwork: illumination 135
C.G. Jung, ‘The Red Book’, Illumination 135 (1922). © 2009 Foundation of the Works of C.G. Jung, Zürich. First published by W. W. Norton & Co. Reproduced through non-exclusive, one-time only permission. Courtesy the Foundation of the Works of C.G. Jung, Zürich, represented by Paul & Peter Fritz AG, Literary Agency. An image of this page can also be viewed as part of a catalog of Limited Edition Fine Art Prints from Carl Jung’s “The Red Book”, with commentary (p.82). Published by DigitalFusion (Available from: https://view.digitalfusion.net/the-red-book-prints-catalog).
bt30
tolkien artwork: 'the shores of faery'
J.R.R. Tolkien, ‘The Shores of Faery’, (1915) Pencil, black ink, watercolour. (Reference: Hammond and Scull, (1998) “J.R.R. Tolkien Artist & Illustrator” fig.44; p.48).
view online
An image of ‘The Shores of Faery’, depicting the Two Trees of Valinor bearing the light of the sun and moon, can be seen on ‘The Tolkien Estate’ website. Follow the link below and scroll down the page (one image) to see the artwork. (www.tolkienestate.com/painting/the-silmarillion).
bt31
the red book: 'philosophical tree'
jung artwork: illumination 131
C.G. Jung, ‘The Red Book’, Illumination 131 (1921/2). © 2009 Foundation of the Works of C.G. Jung, Zürich. First published by W. W. Norton & Co. Reproduced through non-exclusive, one-time only permission. Courtesy the Foundation of the Works of C.G. Jung, Zürich, represented by Paul & Peter Fritz AG, Literary Agency. An image of this page can also be viewed as part of a catalog of Limited Edition Fine Art Prints from Carl Jung’s “The Red Book”, with commentary (p.80). Published by DigitalFusion (Available from: https://view.digitalfusion.net/the-red-book-prints-catalog).
bt32
tolkien artwork: 'dust jacket design for ‘the return of the king''
J.R.R. Tolkien, ‘Dust jacket design for The Return of the King’, (1954) (Reference: Hammond and Scull, (2015) “The Art of The Lord Of The Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien” cover image).
view online
An additional image reference is included here to a ‘Dust jacket design for The Return of the King’, by Tolkien (1954), which depicts The White Tree of Gondor bearing celestial bodies (symbols of the king: seven stars). This image can be seen on ‘The Tolkien Estate’ website. Follow the link below and scroll down the page (sixteen images) to see the artwork. (www.tolkienestate.com/painting/the-lord-of-the-rings).
bt33
the red book: ‘the incantations’
jung artwork: illumination 63
C.G. Jung, ‘The Red Book’, Illumination 63 (1917). © 2009 Foundation of the Works of C.G. Jung, Zürich. First published by W. W. Norton & Co. Reproduced through non-exclusive, one-time only permission. Courtesy the Foundation of the Works of C.G. Jung, Zürich, represented by Paul & Peter Fritz AG, Literary Agency. An image of this page can also be viewed as part of a catalog of Limited Edition Fine Art Prints from Carl Jung’s “The Red Book”, with commentary (p.38). Published by DigitalFusion (Available from: https://view.digitalfusion.net/the-red-book-prints-catalog).
bt34
“the rock separates day and night”
reference: resolution
See: 'Liber Primus’, XI ‘Resolution’ (fol. vi(v), p.251) IN C. G. Jung, “The Red Book: Liber Novus” (Shamdasani (Ed.), 2009).
bt35
tolkien artwork: 'the halls of manwë'
J.R.R. Tolkien, ‘The Halls of Manwë (Taniquetil)’, (1928) Pencil, watercolour, white body colour. Illustration for ‘The Silmarillion’. (Reference: Hammond and Scull, (1998) “J.R.R. Tolkien Artist & Illustrator” fig.52; p.56).
view online
An image of ‘Halls of Manwë on the Mountains of the World above Faerie’, can be seen on the ‘Museoteca’ web platform (www.museoteca.com), reproduced with permission of ‘The Tolkien Estate Ltd’ for the Bodleian Libraries exhibition ‘Tolkien: Maker of Middle-earth’). Follow the link below to see the artwork.
bt36
the red book: 'the way of what is to come'
jung artwork: (hi) illumination 1
C.G. Jung, ‘The Red Book, Historiated initial, Liber Primus’ 1, ‘The Way of What is to Come’, Illumination 1 (1915). © 2009 Foundation of the Works of C.G. Jung, Zürich. First published by W. W. Norton & Co. Reproduced through non-exclusive, one-time only permission. Courtesy the Foundation of the Works of C.G. Jung, Zürich, represented by Paul & Peter Fritz AG, Literary Agency. An image of this page can also be viewed as part of a catalog of Limited Edition Fine Art Prints from Carl Jung’s “The Red Book”, with commentary (p.8). Published by DigitalFusion (Available from: https://view.digitalfusion.net/the-red-book-prints-catalog).
bt37
tolkien artwork: 'the hills of the morning'
J.R.R. Tolkien, ‘The Hills of the Morning’, (1969) Pencil, coloured pencil, ink. (Reference: Hammond and Scull, (1998) “J.R.R. Tolkien Artist & Illustrator” fig.1; p.2).
view online
An image of 'The Hills of the Morning' can be seen on ‘The Tolkien Estate’ website. Follow the link below and scroll down the page (nine images) to see the artwork. (www.tolkienestate.com/painting/the-silmarillion).
bt38
cosmogonic myths
‘Jung and Tolkien both wrote cosmogonic myths; creation stories composed just three years apart (in 1916 and 1919, respectively), where they each wrote about the ending of a great age of the world.’ (Excerpt from seminar presentation.)
jung: the seven sermons to the dead
‘Seven Sermons to the Dead’ (Latin: ‘Septem Sermones ad Mortuo’s) is a collection of seven mystical or "Gnostic" texts written by C. G. Jung in 1916, under the title ‘The Seven Sermons to the Dead written by Basilides in Alexandria, the City where the East Toucheth the West’. A version of the ‘Seven Sermons to the Dead’ forms part of the closing section of the Red Book, (see: ‘The Red Book: Liber Novus’, Scrutinies: pp. 346–54), with editorial notes. The work is also included as an appendix (V) to C.G. Jung, “Memories, Dreams, Reflections” (see BT06). (see also: http://gnosis.org/library/7Sermons.htm)
tolkien: ainulindalë: the music of the ainur
The ‘Ainulindalë’ was the creation story of ‘Arda’, as written by Rúmil the Loremaster in the First Age. The tale is told to the human Eriol/Ælfwine, who is visiting Tol Eressëa. ‘The Music of the Ainur’ (the first version of ‘Ainulindalë’) forms the second chapter of ‘The Book of Lost Tales, Part One’: Tolkien, J. R. R. (1983) ‘The Music of the Ainur’, in Tolkien, C. (ed), The Book of Lost Tales: Part One, UK, George Allen and Unwin, p. 304. (see also: https://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/The_Music_of_the_Ainur)
bt39
'systema munditotius'
jung artwork
C.G. Jung, ‘Systema Munditotius’ (1916) Gouache on parchment. Copyright © Foundation of the Works of C.G. Jung, Zürich. Reproduced with the permission of the Foundation and Dr. Robert Hinshaw. First published by W.W. Norton & Co. Reproduced through non-exclusive, one-time only permission. Jung’s, ‘Systema Munditotius’ is paired with his ‘Seven Sermons to the Dead’ (see ‘The Red Book | Appendix C, p. 370, for discussion) and is an illustration of Jung's psychocosmology. The artwork, published anonymously in a special issue of the Swiss periodical ‘Du’ (1955), is reproduced in ‘The Red Book’ | Appendix A (p.364).
bt40ab
the red book: ‘the philosopher's stone’
jung artwork: illumination 121
C.G. Jung, ‘The Red Book, ‘The Philosopher's Stone’, Illumination 121 (1919) mandala. © 2009 Foundation of the Works of C.G. Jung, Zürich. First published by W. W. Norton & Co. Reproduced through non-exclusive, one-time only permission. Courtesy the Foundation of the Works of C.G. Jung, Zürich, represented by Paul & Peter Fritz AG, Literary Agency. An image of this page can also be viewed as part of a catalog of Limited Edition Fine Art Prints from Carl Jung’s “The Red Book”, with commentary (p.74). Published by DigitalFusion (Available from: https://view.digitalfusion.net/the-red-book-prints-catalog).
bt40cd
the red book: mandala
jung artwork: illumination 107
C.G. Jung, ‘The Red Book, ‘mandala 107’, (1919) mandala. © 2009 Foundation of the Works of C.G. Jung, Zürich. First published by W. W. Norton & Co. Reproduced through non-exclusive, one-time only permission. Courtesy the Foundation of the Works of C.G. Jung, Zürich, represented by Paul & Peter Fritz AG, Literary Agency. An image of this page can also be viewed as part of a catalog of Limited Edition Fine Art Prints from Carl Jung’s “The Red Book”, with commentary (p.67). Published by DigitalFusion (Available from: https://view.digitalfusion.net/the-red-book-prints-catalog).
bt41
tolkien artworks: 'patterns, emblems and heraldic devices'
J.R.R. Tolkien, ‘Patterns and Devices’, (various). (Reference: Hammond and Scull, (1998) “J.R.R. Tolkien Artist & Illustrator” see chapter 6: p.187-199).
view online
Examples of Tolkien’s Heraldic devices can be seen on ‘The Tolkien Estate’ website: see link ‘Images 01’. For examples of Tolkien’s ‘patterns and emblems’ doodles (c. 1960s), many of which take a mandalic form, see link ‘Images 02’. Follow the links below: (01) www.tolkienestate.com/painting/the-silmarillion: ten and eleven images down; and (02) www.tolkienestate.com/painting/imagination : forty and forty one images down. Examples are at the foot of each page.
bt42
tolkien artworks: 'the eye of sauron'
J.R.R. Tolkien, ‘Dust jacket design for The Fellowship of the Ring’, (1954) Pencil, black and red ink, coloured pencil. (Reference: Hammond and Scull, (1998) “J.R.R. Tolkien Artist & Illustrator” fig.177; p.179).
view online
A ‘Dust jacket design for The Fellowship of the Ring’ by Tolkien (1954) depicts the ‘Eye of Sauron’ at its centre. An image of this work (one of five different dust jacket designs for the first volume of ‘The Lord of the Rings’) can be seen on the ‘Museoteca’ web platform (www.museoteca.com), reproduced with permission of ‘The Tolkien Estate Ltd’ for the Bodleian Libraries exhibition ‘Tolkien: Maker of Middle-earth’. Follow the link below.
bt43ab
the red book illumination [eye]
jung artwork: illumination, (hi) liber secundus 1
C.G. Jung, ‘The Red Book, Historiated initial, first page of Liber Secundus’, (1915). © 2009 Foundation of the Works of C.G. Jung, Zürich. First published by W. W. Norton & Co. Reproduced through non-exclusive, one-time only permission. Courtesy the Foundation of the Works of C.G. Jung, Zürich, represented by Paul & Peter Fritz AG, Literary Agency. An image of this page can also be viewed as part of a catalog of Limited Edition Fine Art Prints from Carl Jung’s “The Red Book”, with commentary (p.22). Published by DigitalFusion (Available from: https://view.digitalfusion.net/the-red-book-prints-catalog).
bt44
hell
reference: the red book: the eye of 'the evil one'
“Nothing is more valuable to the evil one than his eye, since only through his eye can emptiness seize gleaming fullness. …” See: 'Liber Secundus’, XII Hell §73/74 (p.289) IN C. G. Jung, “The Red Book: Liber Novus” (Shamdasani (Ed.), 2009).
bt45
philemon
jung artwork: the red book: illumination 154
C.G. Jung, ‘The Red Book, Illumination 154, Philemon’ (1925). © 2009 Foundation of the Works of C.G. Jung, Zürich. First published by W. W. Norton & Co. Reproduced through non-exclusive, one-time only permission. Courtesy the Foundation of the Works of C.G. Jung, Zürich, represented by Paul & Peter Fritz AG, Literary Agency. An image of this page can also be viewed as part of a catalog of Limited Edition Fine Art Prints from Carl Jung’s “The Red Book”, with commentary (p.83). Published by DigitalFusion (Available from: https://view.digitalfusion.net/the-red-book-prints-catalog).
bt46
the magician
reference: the red book: philemon
See: 'Liber Secundus’, XXI, The Magician §139/140, p.312 IN C. G. Jung, “The Red Book: Liber Novus” (Shamdasani (Ed.), 2009).
bt47
gandalf the grey
reference: the hobbit: an unexpected party
See: ‘An Unexpected Party’ (p.5–7) IN Tolkien, J. R. R. (1937) ‘An Unexpected Party (Chapter 1)’, in “The Hobbit, or There and Back Again” (Ref: 2011 Edition., UK, HarperCollins, pp. 3–25).
bt48
‘faërian drama’
reference: ‘on fairy-stories’
For full description, see Tolkien’s (1947) essay "On Fairy-stories" IN Tolkien, J. R. R. (2008) ‘Tolkien on Fairy-Stories”, Flieger, V. and Anderson, D. A. (eds), London, Harper Collins. (Part One, p.63 §74). An introduction to this work can be viewed online at ‘Tolkien Gateway’ (see: https://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Tolkien_On_Fairy-stories), which outlines the history of this central work, starting as a (1939) lecture delivered at the University of St. Andrews, revised and published over subsequent years. An ‘expanded edition’ of the work forms Part One of the ‘Tolkien on Fairy-Stories” publication listed above. Part Two offers commentary on the essay and traces its evolution.
bt49a
'philosophical tree'
jung artwork: the red book: illumination 131
C.G. Jung, ‘The Red Book’, Illumination 131 (1921/2). © 2009 Foundation of the Works of C.G. Jung, Zürich. First published by W. W. Norton & Co. Reproduced through non-exclusive, one-time only permission. Courtesy the Foundation of the Works of C.G. Jung, Zürich, represented by Paul & Peter Fritz AG, Literary Agency. An image of this page can also be viewed as part of a catalog of Limited Edition Fine Art Prints from Carl Jung’s “The Red Book”, with commentary (p.80). Published by DigitalFusion (Available from: https://view.digitalfusion.net/the-red-book-prints-catalog).
bt49b
“through the valley of diamonds”
reference: jung: 'memories, dreams, reflections’
This reflection on empiricism, relating to a period in 1898, is narrated in “Student Years” (III) IN Jung, C. G. (1963) “Memories, Dreams, Reflections”, Jaffé, A. (ed), (trans. R. Winston & C. Winston) English Reissue edition (1989) New York, Vintage Books.
bt50
“to give birth to the ancient in a new time”
reference: the red book: the way of the cross
See: 'Liber Secundus’, XX, ‘The Way of the Cross’ §137/138 (p.311) IN C. G. Jung, 'The Red Book: Liber Novus” (Shamdasani (Ed.), 2009).
bt51
'smith of wootton major'
reference: ‘tales from the perilous realm’
“[An] enchanting tale of a wanderer who finds his way into the perilous realm of Faery.” This short story, first published in 1967, has appeared in subsequent compilations. For an extended edition with Tolkien’s notes and commentary, see: Tolkien, J. R. R. (1967) ‘Smith Of Wootton Major’, IN Flieger, V. (ed), ‘Smith of Wootton Major, Extended Edition’, (London: Harper Collins, 2005 Edition, pp. 3–55).
bt52
your red book: “the silent places of your spirit”
reference: the red book: the transformation of psychotherapy
See: 'Liber Novus’, Introduction: ‘The Transformation of Psychotherapy’ (p.216) IN C. G. Jung, 'The Red Book: Liber Novus” (Shamdasani (Ed.), 2009).
bt53
the lord of the rings
reference: ‘an invitation to the imaginal realm’
‘The Lord Of The Rings’, (1954-55) is an epic story in three volumes. Inscriptions [1] in the title pages of the three volumes read: “The Lord of the Rings translated from the Red Book of Westmarch by John Ronald Reuel Tolkien. Herein is set forth the history of the War of the Ring and the Return of the King as seen by the hobbits.” The first editions are listed below, with numerous editions published in the intervening years. Volume 1: The Fellowship of the Ring. See: Tolkien, J. R. R. (1954) “The Fellowship of the Ring”, 1st edn, UK, George Allen and Unwin. Volume 2: The Two Towers. See: Tolkien, J. R. R. (1954) “The Two Towers”, 1st edn, UK, George Allen and Unwin. Volume 3: The Return of the King. See: Tolkien, J. R. R. (1955) “The Return of the King”, 1st edn, UK, George Allen and Unwin. ——————— [1] Translated from the Tolkien languages Cirth and Tengwar. See: https://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/The_Lord_of_the_Rings
bt54
‘the perilous realm’
reference: ‘on fairy-stories’
See Tolkien’s (1947) essay "On Fairy-stories" IN Tolkien, J. R. R. (2008) ‘Tolkien on Fairy-Stories”, Flieger, V. and Anderson, D. A. (eds), London, Harper Collins. (Part One, p.27 §2). (See also BT48.)
refs
becca tarnas seminar: web page images
header panel: 'title page' image
Title Page image draws from 1920’s bookplate design. Page image: ‘ancient book page’. zeffss. Undated. Digital photograph 7RVQ9C2. (Reproduced through Envato single use worldwide license, BC5ZQKGYDX.)
video preview image
Image shows a visualisation of the Becca Tarnas’ seminar-workshop video ‘The Synchronicity of the Two Red Books: Jung, Tolkien, and the Imaginal Realm’ (Just seen in the video still is slide BT03). Device image licensed by Mockuuups Studio 2025.
star image
‘Star: Celestial Icon’ NassyArt. Undated. Digital artwork J8YX24B. (Reproduced through Envato single use worldwide license, ZT7Y4H6AK9, 2025.)