The symbolism of a lighthouse in Sandplay Therapy

Extract from my Sandplay therapy paper submitted to STANZA - Sandplay Therapy Association of NZ and Australia

 The history of Symbolism shows that everything can have some symbolic significance - it can be anything from natural objects to man-made objects to abstract forms. Symbolism in art has a rich historystarting as far back as 30,000 years ago in the Paleolithic ice age of Europe. People unconsciously transformed objects or forms into symbols and expressed them in both their religious practices and their visual arts.

Dora Maria Kalff combined Jungian psychology and principles of Eastern philosophy with Margaret Lowenfield’s theory to created what she called Sandplay Therapy.

Lowenfeld invented non-verbal therapy techniques that enabled children to convey their thoughts and feelings without having to resort to a reliance on words. Kalff developed these methods further by using sand boxes of a specific size and applied analytical psychology to further understand and work with the meaning of the images created by children, later applying this to her work with adults. Kalff stated that when she gave a child any art material, she did not expect artistic masterpieces. These creative expressions were used to progress the child’s emotional being and his ability to communicate. She emphasised that “she mainly wants to awaken the creative energy in the child, as normal human development can only occur in relation to the wholeness of the creative centre of the Self”. (Kalff, 2003, p.113).

Kalff’s theraputic framework resonates well with the way I work as an Art Therapist. In my practice, I encourage clients to be aware of their creative processes and not to see their finished art works as the goal of the therapy process, rather to be aware of thoughts and feelings which emerge during the process.  Sandplay Therapy goes even deeper, by helping to bring the unconscious to the surface and each image does not rely on a goal or an intention in the therapeutic process.

Symbolic meaning

The lighthouse has a round, circular form. Jung often represented the self as a circle. A circle expresses the totality of the psyche in all its aspects, including the relationship between man and the whole of nature. The symbol of the circle can also stand for oneness, unity, infinity, balance and the cosmos.

A lighthouse stands tall overlooking the ocean. The ocean is ancient and primal; the ocean is our mother of mothers. The lighthouse can shine light on a person’s journey over the ocean’s darkness, so on the mystic night sea journey, the glittering, intuitive, “living lights” in the psyche will help negotiate the depths (Ronnberg, 2010, p.37).

The lighthouse also contains stairways. In myths, fairy tales and dreams, staircases, like ladders, lead to realms of mystery, magic, treasure, and initiation. Psychoanalysis has taught us to search our own descents for meaning. Jung dreamed of the psyche experiencing the different levels of a house linked by a sequence of staircases. He explained this dream as the primitive man within him and said that this dream led him to the concept of the collective unconscious.

Inside the lighthouse we can find the lantern which is an important part of the lighthouse. It contains the lamp, the source of light and the lens. The word lamp is derived from the Greek root meaning to give light, shine, beam, be bright, brilliant, radiant. Lamp has been associated with consciousness and its capacity to sustain the flame of life, hope, freedom, creativity, and the sacred and divine. Lamps placed on top of Buddhist pagodas are “lighthouse of the Dharma”, the holy order of a life determined by its nature (Ronnberg, 2010, p. 580).

The lighthouse can potentially carry both masculine and feminie symbolism - it can be both an erect tower, and also, being rounded and enclosed, offers a safe, womb-like safe space. The miniature girl was able to free herself. She found her inner strength, both in the feminine and the masculine aspects of her self.

During these challenging times, where we as humans are experiencing catastrophic issues, including massive climate change, wars, mass migration and terrorism, somehow connecting to our soul, and our inner light, can help move away from a feeling of abandonment by the world around us. The lighthouse symbolises several things for me. Firstly, I see a lighthouse as a person’s inner light. If we are in tune with ourselves, our feelings and thoughts, we are more capable of being in touch with our inner light.

In my work as a Counsellor/Art Therapist/Sandplay Therapist, I often consider a person’s safe space, which leads me to think about safe attachment, or a healthy attachment style. When we are feeling secure within ourselves, we have a safe attachment to the self. Our inner light can guide us to our safe space. I consider the lighthouse in relation to the current world. As the world becomes increasingly complex, where technology is replacing thoughts and imagination, our access to our inner light and imagination is suffering, I feel it’s important to support ourselves with creativity, imagination, and curiosity. These abilities can bring light to the world. I can ask questions such as, what lights up my world? What is important to me? These questions are important when we want to grow and develop psychologically.

If you would like to find out more about this therapy method, please call me on 0412 396644 or email me.

I am looking forward to hearing from you.

 References:

 Image: Henry Farrer, Lighthouse, http://metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/382738

Kalff, D. M. (2003). Sandplay, A Psychotherapeutic Approach to the Psyche. California: Temenos Press.

Ronnberg A. (2010). The book of symbols. Taschen: USA.