Based on Rev. Dr. Pamela D. Hancock’s forthcoming book Taliswoman: Collecting the Sacred Objects of Your Individuation Journey, this immersive micro-credential invites participants into a deeply embodied, relational approach to individuation through sacred objects, archetypal engagement, and somatic awareness.

Rooted in Jungian depth psychology and informed by animist and ritual-based practice, this course guides participants in reclaiming an ancient human instinct: the gathering of meaningful objects as companions, witnesses, and mirrors of the psyche. Rather than approaching transformation as purely internal or cognitive, Taliswoman teaches that the psyche speaks through the material world—and that healing unfolds through relationship with what we can touch, hold, and tend.

Through guided discussion, ritual practice, and experiential exercises, participants will begin building their own Totem Reliquary—a curated collection of sacred objects representing key archetypal aspects of the Self. Each object becomes a living marker of psychological transformation, anchoring moments of growth, grief, power, and becoming.

Each live session weaves together 45 minutes of teaching and 45 minutes of experiential engagement, creating a balance between conceptual understanding and embodied practice. Participants will not only learn the theory of archetypes and individuation, but will feel their way into relationship with them through somatic awareness, ritual, and object-based integration.

This course offers a profound framework for those seeking to deepen their connection to psyche, body, and world—transforming everyday objects into sacred companions on the path of becoming.

Weekly Modules:

Week 1 – A Return to Totemism: Objects, Psyche, and the Call to Become

Participants are introduced to the foundational framework of Taliswoman, including Jungian individuation, archetypes, and the concept of totemism as an archetypal human impulse. The session explores how objects function as containers of meaning and companions in psychological transformation.

Engagement: Reflective journaling on personal objects of significance + small group dialogue on early experiences of “charged” or meaningful items.  A discussion on how to integrate this into work with clients will also be provided.

Week 2 – The Body Knows: Somatic Awareness and When Objects Speak

This session centers the body as a “sacred sensor,” teaching participants how to recognize the somatic experience of encountering a totem. Participants learn how objects are felt before they are understood, and how to trust the body’s intuitive recognition in the individuation process.

Engagement: Guided somatic exercise + object encounter practice (participants bring or find an object and track their bodily response).  Suggestions on how therapists and clinicians can begin this work with clients will also be discussed.

Week 3 – Gathering the Totems: Archetypes of Becoming

Participants are introduced to the core archetypes of the Taliswoman journey (Child, Mother, Woman of Power, Healer, Wild Woman, Strength, Visionary, Crone/Ancestor, Shadow). They begin identifying which archetype is currently active in their lives and are guided in selecting or discovering a corresponding totem.

Engagement: Guided visualization to meet an active archetype + initial totem selection process + creative reflection.  Ways of how to start this work with clients will be shared.

Week 4 – The Totem Reliquary: Ritual, Integration, and Living the Work

In the final session, participants create or formalize their Totem Reliquary and are introduced to ongoing practices for working with their objects, including ritual tending and the foundations of Totemic Divination (Moon Talk Board practice). The course closes with integration and discussion of how to bring this work into personal or professional contexts.

Engagement: Ritual creation of a personal reliquary + Moon Talk Board exploration + group sharing + integration dialogue.  A final discussion on working with clients will be included.

Learning Objectives

(6 CECs)

By the end of this course, participants will be able to:

1. Describe individuation as a relational, embodied process rooted in Jungian depth psychology.
2. List and work with key archetypes as living forces within the psyche.
3. Explain the role of the body in perceiving meaning and guiding psychological transformation.
4. Apply the practice of totemism as an archetypal method for integrating inner experience through material objects.
5. Create and tend a personal Totem Reliquary as a container for ongoing individuation work.
6. Apply ritual, somatic awareness, and symbolic engagement in personal or professional settings to support healing and transformation.

This Course is Ideal For

• Professionals in counseling, chaplaincy, coaching, or spiritual direction seeking embodied, creative tools for client work.
• Therapists and depth practitioners interested in integrating object-based and somatic approaches into their practice.
• Artists, ritualists, and creatives drawn to symbolic and material expressions of the psyche.
• Individuals on a path of healing or transformation seeking a grounded, relational approach to individuation.
• Anyone interested in Jungian psychology, animism, ritual practice, or the sacred relationship between psyche and the material world.