"Carl Greer has written a moving testimonial to the reality of transformation in life's journey toward psychological and spiritual wholeness. This narrative of his personal experience should be an inspiration and encouragement to others who find themselves also along the Way."
-Murray Stein, PhD, Jungian analyst, past president of the International Association for Analytical Psychology and author of Jung's Map of the Soul
"Carl Greer is an explorer who clearly throws himself wholeheartedly into every angle of himself that he chooses to invest in. The result of his life search is this powerful narrative, which is a testament to his journey through the material, psychological and spiritual realms. Looking back on his eight decades on this planet, he has uncovered gold in unexpected places. This book will offer insight and inspiration to its readers."
-Malcolm Stern, psychotherapist, author of Slay Your Dragons with Compassion, and cofounder of Alternatives
"Carl Greer's memoir of making radical changes in his life shows that working with various states of consciousness can be extremely helpful in a creative process of personal transformation. With journaling questions to support readers in their own self-reflection, The Necktie and The Jaguar is an engaging story and a strong testament to the power of a mindful approach to decision making, leadership, and living authentically."
-Ronald Alexander, PhD, psychotherapist, and author of Wise Mind, Open Mind
"Chronicling the seasons of a man's life-from child to sage, Carl Greer shares his remarkable journey as businessman, psychologist, Jungian analyst, shaman, and philanthropist, hence bridging the moral and the numinous on his path toward individuation. In reading his memoir, you get the real sense of being in the presence of a wise man with a fulfilled spiritual existence. His life story will inspire you to become your possibilities and develop a deeper sense of grounding and purpose connected to something greater than ourselves. What a truly extraordinary life."
-Jon Mills, PsyD, PhD, ABPP, Postgraduate Programs in Psychoanalysis & Psychotherapy, Adelphi University; author of Inventing God
2021-04-22
Greer offers the story of his evolution from business leader to shamanic practitioner.
The book opens with a ritual that the author and a shaman did to “summon and engage helpful energies, including that of the jaguar.”The memoir goes on to peel back the layers of Greer’s life. He was raised in a Midwestern suburban communityin the 1950s, which encouraged hard work, a lack of emotional expression, and a belief in traditional and stereotypical masculine roles. These notions, he says, shaped his early life choices to pursue metallurgy and a career in the oilbusiness. Although these decisions brought him some outward success, he says, they left him hungry for deeper connections with other people. As he confronted health and marital problems, he realized that his competitive nature had serious drawbacks; his marriage later ended. He refocused his life with a blend of Jungian analysis and shamanic spirituality, which, he says, helped him to deal with childhood feelings of loss and to reconnect with his high school sweetheart, whom he later married. Now he’s both a student and teacher of shamanic spirituality.Greer’s work is filled with engaging moments of self-reflection, as when he highlights how many of his life choices were driven by his fear of a deeper calling; for instance, he notes that he used metallurgy to “burn out” his poeticism. Throughout the narrative, Greer effectively invites readers to look closely at the ways they may be unknowingly limiting their own potential. To foster such analysis, he includes thought-provoking questions at the end of each chapter, encouraging readers to recognize and challenge familiar patterns of their lives—and he notes that it’s never too early, or too late, to examine one’s own life in this way. The book’s ultimate message is that when one accepts one’s true self, one can discover new creativity, passion, and possibilities.
A compelling and cathartic remembrance and self-help guide.
