2024 Mythological Studies Journal (Volume XII) - Crucibles of the Earth by Jaclyn Kalkhurst and Emma O'Connor

Crucibles of the Earth: Underworld Journeys in Chinese and Western Mythology is my first published paper, co-authored with my dear friend Emma O’Connor. In this comparative study, we explore the mythological and psychological significance of underworld journeys across Chinese and Western traditions. Drawing from Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey, Jungian depth psychology, and Hillman’s archetypal thought, we examine how figures like Emperor Taizong, Dante, Inanna, and Beowulf undergo symbolic descents into the unconscious. Through shared symbols such as rivers, thresholds, trials, and transformation, our study highlights how mythic narratives of death and rebirth reflect universal processes of individuation and soul-making. This piece was published in the Mythological Studies Journal, Volume XII (2024).

The Mythological Studies Journal is a peer-reviewed academic journal published by Pacifica Graduate Institute. It features scholarly work by students in the Mythological Studies M.A./Ph.D. program, integrating perspectives from religious studies, literature, and depth psychology.

You can find a copy of it here https://www.magcloud.com/browse/issue/2979725