Shepherd, Sherry Renmu
ON MOONS AND MIRRORS

Journal of Sandplay Therapy, Volume 9, Number 1, 2000

KEY WORDS: sandplay therapy, esoteric, Buddhism, Japanese, mirror, Amaterasu, symbol, anxiety, school problem.

ABSTRACT: This article of the author’s experience of living in Japan, discusses the ease and difficulties of mirroring the culture. The symbol of the mirror is presented as her consciousness in the cultural context. The mirror symbolizes enlightenment for the author. It can be free of all images, the emptiness of the absolute, or it can be the relative, holding all of the images which are reflected in it. The mirror holds the absolute and the relative of the culture, giving the opportunity of knowing more about our own. For effective therapy, it is essential that the therapist provide clear mirroring. Individuation is fostered in the context of this mirror consciousness.