DECRYPTION Hidden within Piedmon rests the Jungian shadow of the trickster turned tyrant. Humor is one of the psyche's oldest defenses, a way to hold pain at a distance. But when laughter is used to dominate, the jester becomes the master of ceremonies in a theater of cruelty. This egregore feeds on mockery, sarcasm and the cold amusement of watching others suffer. Shadow work asks us to notice when our jokes are really walls, and when our walls have become weapons. The mask that grins is often the one most afraid of being seen weeping.
INVITATION When do you use humor to keep people, or your own feelings, at a distance? What would you have to face if the joke ended and the curtain stayed down?
