Author: Renée

Renée Spencer is a community mental health practitioner with experience and training in teaching, counseling, art therapy, and psychology. She has a passion for Art, history, mythology, and philosophy. Renee's particular interests lie in investigating symbolism and how metaphors, similes, and allegories can be interpreted in different cultures, timeframes, and contexts. Her current research focuses on identifying fallibilities associated with assumptions of symbols having so-called universal meanings.

What most Christians don’t know: Christian Faith is Based on Jewish Blood Magic (Extended version)

Christianity is the most popular religion around the world. It is practiced by approximately 30% of the population yet, surprisingly, many of its devotees are not aware of some of its most basic premises. Lack of knowledge about one's religion means blind faith, which can lead one down the proverbial garden path. In this discussion I am exploring the Christian faith from the perspective of it being a religion based upon the principles of Jewish blood magic.

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Interpreting The Four Horsemen Of The Apocalypse In A Historical Context

Ever since the first century, there have been individuals who proclaim the apocalypse is just around the corner. In today’s environment of Covid-19, natural disasters, nuclear weapon technology, and financial hardships, there is no shortage of doomsday leaders who believe the real time of the tribulation is now. But what if they are all wrong? What if the symbology used by John the Elder has been taken literally when it should be metaphorical? In this blog I explore a possible interpretation that takes into account how the symbolism can be read in a historical context.

Is Ego a Dirty Word?

Have you ever been confused by the word "ego"? In this blog I demystify some nuances surrounding the term ego by reviewing historical contexts in which the concept was developed.

Is Aristotle Overrated?: A look at one of the ways patriarchal systems have used Aristotle’s writings to justify male supremacy

Aristotle's philosophies have had profound influence on Christianity, Islam, and European cultures in general. Sometimes this influence has been good in the sense that it has promoted discussions about topic, other times Aristotle's influence can been seen as being negative. The later is particularly obvious when it come to reviewing how patriarchal systems have used Aristotle's writings to justify male supremacy

Psychoanalysis and Castration

Castration of male genital has long a history in mythology, religious rites, and as a means of controlling slaves. In contrast, Freud believed castration anxiety was an experience all boys went through. Like most psychoanalytic babel, the so-called universal experiences of infantile sexuality have no scientific basis and when the "evidence" to support them, i.e.,... Continue Reading →

Flat Earth Myth

The other day I was doing some causal reading of Thomas Aquinas (not everyone's choice, I know, but I'm like that) and I found myself surprised to see him speak candidly about the earth being round. He wrote: ... the astronomer and the physicist both may prove the same conclusion: that the earth, for instance,... Continue Reading →

St Mark’s Lion: What does it mean?

Christianity did not evolve in a vacuum. It emerged from a conglomerate of Jewish, Greek, and other influences that impacted its formation. In this blog I'm going to touch upon theological issues that outside influences had on Christianity’s development, but mostly I'm going to keep focus on some of it's symbolism, namely, St Mark's winged... Continue Reading →

Can you see the turtles?

About three years ago, my son, then 15, and I went to an exhibition opening at a small community center in a suburb on the outskirts of Brisbane. It was a chilly winter night and many of the locals were there in their finest felt hats and colourful scarfs. I had submitted a couple of... Continue Reading →

The Art of Perception: sight and mental health

The process of seeing involves light entering our eyes and influencing the physiological mechanisms for sight in our brains. At the back of our eyes is our “retina” which is largely composed of “cones” and “rods” that interpret visual information. The cones and rods send communication signals via nerve impulses to our visual cortex and... Continue Reading →

Hysteria to PTSD: Freud’s hypnotism still has some people in a trance

Over a hundred years ago Freud created a name for himself with the invention of psychoanalysis. Since then, scientific research has disproven most of his work, especially that which relates to trauma. Nevertheless, many people are still dedicated “believers”. Amongst those still under Freud’s hypnotic influence is Jordan Peterson. The consequences of such means that individuals with PTSD are at risk of not getting the support that they need to recover.

Genograms

Have you ever wondered how your family's history effects you? Have you ever noticed there are patterns of behaviour across generations? Common occupations? Reoccurring themes of tragedy? Have you ever suspected your family's ancestry was affecting you but couldn't quite figure out how or why? Our family of origin determines more than just our genetic... Continue Reading →

Depression, Adolescence, and Education

As part of my masters of mental health studies, I was required to write a newsletter-style report about a mental health issue directed at a specific group of professionals. I chose to write about depression, adolescence, and education for teachers: --------------- It is estimated that, on average, there are at least two students in every... Continue Reading →

Art and Trauma

What is Art Therapy? Art therapy, also sometimes referred to as art psychotherapy, is a counselling approach that incorporates the creating of artwork into the therapeutic process. Creating art provides a means of directly tapping into the subconscious mind and in doing so provides insights and directions for conversations that could be otherwise missed. Art... Continue Reading →

How to Zentangle: Art therapy style

When people first try art therapy there is often some level of self-consciousness. Thoughts and comments along the lines of  “will my drawing be ‘good’ enough?” or “I haven’t been creative since I was a kid!” or “I can’t even draw a straight line!” often come up. Such things often arise as a result of... Continue Reading →

Art Therapy and Neuroscience

Renée Spencer, 2018, Tree of Hearts, pencil on paper - digitally enhanced Art therapy and neuroscience have an intimate connection. There are many facets to this which can be explored, however, as an introduction to the topic this article will be focusing on the creative process. Other connections between art, therapy, the brain, and mental... Continue Reading →

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