Tag Archives: Elder Wisdom

Being “Outed” in Whole Foods

Posted on January 1, 2016 by Michael J. Melville

Still wearing my crimson winter jacket and white stole, I donned my Moroccan hat with its small circular mirrors and entered Whole Foods. I paid for my coffee and éclair with a gingerbread man, a clever paper cutout with a … Continue reading →

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The Counselor at the dinner table

Posted on November 27, 2015 by Michael J. Melville

If you know a family member, friend, or lover who is struggling with a diagnosis on the Asperger/Autism continuum, or has been abused in childhood, you probably have seen their symptoms and strategies to deal with post-traumatic stress. These adaptations … Continue reading →

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It’s All Good

Posted on September 22, 2015 by Michael J. Melville

I first heard the expression “It’s All Good” about ten years ago. I had just been seduced by a younger lover, who wanted to blame me for a delightfully fun sexual adventure. By denying their part in the seductive dance, … Continue reading →

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Merlin Under the Oaks

Posted on March 13, 2015 by Michael J. Melville

In the forest under the oaks, Merlin lived in his old age. According to the legend, the only people who stayed in the forest with him were his sister, the bard Taliesin, and a mad man. There was a magic … Continue reading →

Posted in Balancing male/female energy, Family patterns, Psychology | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Who is that old man with the long white beard?

Posted on March 1, 2015 by Michael J. Melville

The Cafe Rio isn’t really a cafe. It’s another one of those Mexican style fast food places. It looks like a Mexican Cafe. There are tables and chairs, but the drinks, condiments and plastic table ware are “serve yourself”.  While … Continue reading →

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Psyche’s Pearls

Posted on November 24, 2014 by Michael J. Melville

James Hollis is perhaps my favorite living author in the Jungian lineage. His book The Middle Passage: From Misery to Meaning in Midlife, (1993) begins with the basic foundational concepts of archetypal psychology, the complexes. These energy matrices are hot … Continue reading →

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Happy Birthday Brother Coyote

Posted on August 26, 2014 by Michael J. Melville

The Mexican/American kid who was cutting the weeds this afternoon was very talkative and friendly. He asked me, referring to the hillside, “How does it look?” to which I responded, “How does it look to you?” “Better than it did,” … Continue reading →

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Apu Spirit of the Andes

Posted on June 13, 2014 by Michael J. Melville

When the Eagle Woman returned from Peru, she gave me a carved stone figure called an Apu. She said that all the medicine people in the Andes have these stones, but only the most powerful have a star incised in … Continue reading →

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Loneliness, a queer feeling at UCSB

Posted on February 6, 2014 by Michael J. Melville

Listening to a client’s stories of incest, parental manipulation, and her lifetime of acting out the abuse, left me tired and hungry. I felt like I needed to be with people. Maybe I was feeling her desire for food (nourishment). … Continue reading →

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Naked we came into this world and naked we depart

Posted on January 10, 2014 by Michael J. Melville

One of the main problems of the post World War II era is the emergence of narcissists.  Babies didn’t get the nurturing care they needed during the war.  They didn’t get the reflection from their caregiver(s) which is required during … Continue reading →

Posted in Child/Parent Relationship, Family patterns, homosexuality, Individuation, Movie Reviews, Mythology, Psychology | Tagged , , | Leave a comment