In Praise of the Goddess Kali: A Jungian Perspective

Notice: Bookings wil1 open 1st March 2026

Date: Saturday 28th March 2026 Location: Online
Start time: 4:00pm End time: 6:00pm Type: Webinar

Hinduism can offer an apt and nuanced way of understanding the complex workings of the

psyche. The focus of this talk will be on the goddess Kali, whose name refers to time, black and death. Often depicted in horrific form, she has generally been portrayed as an image of the Terrible Mother in western psychology. In India, though, Kali, as a manifestation of the divine feminine, is mainly seen as saviour and protector. This presentation explores the myth of Kali as portrayed in the Devimahatmyam, the 2,500-year-old religious text translated as “In Praise of the Goddess,” wherein Kali is engaged in the epic battle to save the gods. It will include historical and philosophical background and will apply a symbolic understanding of the story to clinical understanding and practice.

Speaker: Michael Marsman

Michael Marsman, L.C.S.W. is a certified Jungian analyst in private practice in Berkeley, California and is a member of the Jungian Psychoanalytic Association (JPA) in New York and the C.G. Jung Institute of San Francisco where he serves on the Board of Governors. His research focuses on Hindu mythology and gender and sexuality. Among his published works are “Bringing Dharma to Earth: The Sabarimalai Pilgrimage and Ayyappan Myth” in Spring Journal (2013), Transgenderism and Transformation: An Attempt at a Jungian Understanding in the Journal of Analytical Psychology (2017) and Kali: In Praise of the Goddess in Psychological Perspectives (2019). Michael teaches analysts-in-training nationally and internationally and presents on diverse topics such as Hindu Mythology, analytic ethics, transgenderism, archetypes and the collective unconscious, amplification, mythology and dream analysis. He also provides supervision and consultation in the U.S. and abroad.