Carl Jung | Two typed letters signed, to Kenneth Leech, 1956-57

C.G. Jung

Two typed letters signed ("C.G. Jung"), with some corrections by hand, to Kenneth Leech

on esoteric Christian spirituality, the first discussing the tradition of episcopi vagantes in Britain, which Jung says reminds him of the Medieval movement of fratres liberi spiritus but is a distinctively British movement ("...there is nothing similar [...] on the European continent except the inevitable cranks..."), the second outlining the history of Rosicrucianism and its origin in other strands of Medieval occult thought, in English, altogether 3 pages, 4to, headed stationery of Seestrasse 22b, Kussnacht-Zurich, September 1956-April 1957; framed and glazed together with a photographic portrait of Jung (554 x 576mm.); the first letter with internal tear causing loss of c.2 letters, also torn at top right corner not affecting text, both letters creased

"...It is indubitable that there is a lot of 'occult' tradition, presumably from the time of the Crusades where Oriental Mandaeism, a late form of Gnosticism, has insinuated itself into Western speculation. Since about the 14th and certainly since the 15th century one can speak of a Masonic tradition, that got mixed with increasingly important Alchemistic ideas [...] The continuous growth and development of Alchemistic Philosophy with it's [sic] tendency to some organisation seems to have canalized the seemingly chaotic masses of occult tradition into the great enterprise of the Rosicrucian society, out of which the Freemasons seem to have taken their immediate origin..."

JUNG ON THE HISTORY OF THE OCCULT. These fascinating and detailed letters were written to a precocious teenage spiritual seeker. Kenneth Leech (1939-2015) was still a student at grammar school when he wrote to the great psychoanalyst about episcopi vagantes, who are consecrated outside the official structures of any church. Jung's reply mentioned Rosicrucianism, which evidently prompted Leech to ask for more information about this tradition. In later life, Leech went on to be ordained in the Anglican church and have a remarkable career as a radical socialist Anglo-Catholic, combining extensive writing on spirituality (such as the book Soul Friend) with impactful social action - most notably as founder of the London homeless charity Centrepoint.