Crop circles, jung, and the reemergence of the archetypal feminine

349 Pages·2014·4.18 MB·English

by  Bobroff

eISBN: 978-1-58394736-4
Trade Paperback ISBN: 978-1-58394-735-7
Copyright © 2014 by Gary S. Bobroff. All rights reserved. No portion of this book, except for brief
review, may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any
means—electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise—without the written
permission of the publisher. For information contact North Atlantic Books.
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North Atlantic Books
P.O. Box 12327
Berkeley, California 94712
Cover art © 2010 by Regina Allen (www.ReginaAllen.com)
Paintings by Irene Champernowne appear courtesy of Julian David
Cover and book design by Claudia Smelser
Crop Circles, Jung, and the Reemergence of the Archetypal Feminine is sponsored by the Society for
the Study of Native Arts and Sciences, a nonprofit educational corporation whose goals are to
develop an educational and cross-cultural perspective linking various scientific, social, and artistic
fields; to nurture a holistic view of arts, sciences, humanities, and healing; and to publish and
distribute literature on the relationship of mind, body, and nature.
North Atlantic Books’ publications are available through most bookstores. For further information,
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The Library of Congress has cataloged the printed edition as follows:
Bobroff, Gary S., 1971–
Crop circles, Jung, and the reemergence of the archetypal feminine / Gary
S. Bobroff, M.A.
pages cm
Includes bibliographical references.
Summary: “Gary S. Bobroff’s book Crop Circles, Jung and the Reemergence of the Archetypal
Feminine offers an enthralling exploration of a real-life phenomenon—crop circles—as an
expression of the divine feminine”—Provided by publisher.
ISBN 978–1-58394–735–7
1. Crop circles. 2. Jungian psychology. 3. Symbolism (Psychology) I. Title. AG243.B535 2014
133.9′3—dc23
v3.1
FOR KATE
CONTENTS
Cover
Title Page
Copyright
Dedication
Foreword by Andrew Harvey
Preface
Introduction to Jungian Interpretation
ONE Body of Evidence
TWO Witches’ Rings and Devil’s Twists
THREE Greening Circles
FOUR Antique Pageantry
FIVE Reason Alone
SIX A Calling Back Down
SEVEN The Reality of the Psyche
EIGHT Ghosts of Electricity
NINE Never Mind
TEN Fields of Waving Corn
Notes
Resources
Selected Bibliography
Acknowledgments
About the Author
FOREWORD
I first met Gary Bobroff about two years ago at a conference in North
Carolina. I was immediately struck by his easy charm, the depth and
authority of his reading and intellect, and the unpretentious way he spoke
of mysteries he had, quite obviously, experienced. I thought to myself,
“This is a rare and gifted man who will be one of the authentic teachers of
his generation.”
Gary is a stunning writer—graceful, eloquent, subtle—and the skill with
which he weaves together his fascination with Crop Circles, the return of
the Divine Feminine in our time, and Jungian psychology in what is a
kind of “spiritual mystery” exhilarates me, and confirmed my experience
of him as a person. This is a work of high originality, one whose tone and
structure incarnates Gary’s knowledge of the cosmos and our role in it as
an open-ended, endlessly unfolding, seductive display of the Mother’s
wisdom, passion, and love. There is no other book quite like it, and its
publication announces the arrival of a remarkably accomplished and
fresh new voice who demands to be heard.
There are two things I especially love about this book. The first is the
way that Gary dances in, out, and around his central themes, so magically
that the reader is enchanted into the book, only to discover that he or she,
along with the author, is on a voyage of profound discovery. The second is
that both in the sinuous and suggestive way he explores and opens up his
material and in the glowing depths of the work itself, this book is a
celebration and manifestation of the Divine Feminine. The return of the
Divine Feminine, in both miraculous and subtle ways, is the single most
important aspect of our time: only though Her, and with Her wisdom and
grace, can we possibly hope to restore our devastated world. What I find
sacred about Gary’s style and intellect is that they are both dedicated to
the Mother. He brings his masculine brilliance, clarity, and robustness of
intellect and lays them at Her feet in a prolonged and gorgeous act of
devotion. As a man who has attempted to do the same over decades of
work, I salute him and learn from him.
This is an original masterpiece of a book. Savor it richly, slowly, and
gratefully, and many interlinked secrets will be revealed to you, and in
you.
—Andrew Harvey
PREFACE
Sparked by their curiosity, thousands of people have contributed to the
study of Crop Circles around the world. Individuals throughout the
United Kingdom, Europe, Canada, Australia, Japan, the United States, and
elsewhere have given their time freely to the documentation of this
phenomenon. They have measured, marked, photographed, and taken
the samples that constitute an abundant archive of data from which we
may now seek to draw our own conclusions. As a researcher, I have been
delighted to discover the wealth of materials on the physical science and
mythological context of the Crop Circle phenomenon that they have
collected. This book is consequently built upon the product of their
efforts.
This work is an attempt to sketch a framework for deeper consideration
of the question of Crop Circles. If you are looking for an answer or a
solution to this phenomenon’s riddle, best look elsewhere. At best, I hope
to offer a direction—a route by which to begin tracking something very
elusive (that seemingly wants us to follow it). For those who have engaged
with this mystery for some time, it is a source of deepening wonder and it
is to that experience that you are invited.
From sixteenth-century England to 1970s Saskatchewan, Canada,
through to its explosion in frequency in the last thirty years, some of those
who have encountered Crop Circles have followed their curiosity and
chosen to study it; honoring their own inner sense of wonder, they have
become engaged with this new discovery.
A particularly dedicated group of Crop Circle enthusiasts have
produced a number of outstanding publications and online resources on
the subject. Their efforts have made my attempt to understand this
phenomenon possible. It should be mentioned that, with only the rarest
exceptions, even those who have produced the most brilliant and popular
of these works have given more to the study of this subject than they are
ever likely to recover financially.1 Nonetheless, they persist in their efforts
of their own free will. I would like to recommend your use of their media
as an additional support for your own investigation of Crop Circles. A
selection of recommended choices follows at the end of this book.
This book has been written to be accessible to the general reader. It is
meant to serve as an introduction to both Crop Circles and Jungian
psychology, and no familiarity with the concepts or jargon of either
subject is assumed. I strongly believe that the significance of this
phenomenon is available to all of us, and that engagement with it should
not be reserved for experts, academics, or only those with the financial
resources to travel abroad. I believe that the meaning of the arrival of
Crop Circles in our time is as within reach or hard to grasp for the
intellectual as it is for the farmer in whose fields these formations arrive.
Its arrival challenges us all equally and its mystery is open to us all.
However, this subject does introduce readers to ideas that may be new to
them. It brings up wide categories of thought and poses broad questions—
questions that stretch the imagination and our preconceptions.
Answering these questions necessitates a labor on the part of the reader,
but the argument made here is intended to appeal to common sense.
Primarily, I believe that this subject asks of its investigators (and you
now are one) an actively engaged participation—not a simple reading, but
a “dance for two.” Each of us responds differently to new things and
whether we bring to this topic a skeptical brow or a wide-eyed enthusiasm,
we do not come to it empty-handed. It is in how we engage with our own
first responses to this phenomenon that the burden of our work in
response to it lies. Meeting this task involves a willingness to play with our
own responses—to be in process with them, rather than attaching and
identifying with our own initial reaction. I have yet to meet two people
who feel exactly the same way about Crop Circles. I have also found that,
over time, our engagement with the facts and theories that surround them
changes and deepens. Given time, this labor yields its own fruit for each of
us. Tending to this harvest begins by resisting identification with our first
reactions to this material. This task is only possible if you accompany
your reading by observing and according value to your own thoughts in
response to it. Write down your own responses as you read this book or
look at Crop Circle images. Your first responses are often the most
valuable here. Flashes of response, no matter how brief, offer the
possibility of glimpsing something within us that is truly fresh and