Psychology and Alchemy

Von Franz, Edinger and Hillman-Excerpts-Stanton Marlan

Classical development of Jung’s ideas of alchemy and the Philosophers’ Stone in Von Franz and Edinger

Jung’s studies of alchemy strongly influenced his close followers, Marie-Louise von Franz (1915–1988) in Europe and Edward Edinger (1922–1998) in the United States. Both von Franz and Edinger held Jung’s work to be fundamental and viewed themselves primarily as elaborators of his ideas, and as commentators who gave students easier access to the work of the master. These rather humble self-assessments do not adequately represent the extent to which their own contributions have extended and contributed to the field of analytical psychology and especially to our understanding of alchemy.

Marie-Louise von Franz

Von Franz has been considered the primary developer of Jung’s alchemical legacy. She “became world renowned among followers of Jung and after his death was an eloquent spokesperson for his ideas.”2 Von Franz met Jung when she was 18 years old in 1933, just around the time Jung’s interest in alchemy was catalyzing. He analyzed her in exchange for her work on translations of texts from Greek and Latin. She continued as a close collaborator and eventually published what was in essence the third part of the Mysterium Coniunctionis called the Aurora consurgens (1966).