Three lemons

The Slovak folk tale, Three Lemons, is a parable about the heart. A pair of authors—cardiologist and member of the C. G. Jung Foundation in New York, Rastislav Kučinský, and poet and essayist Dana Podracká—interpret its content using methods of historiography, symbolism, and psychoanalysis, as well as by revealing archetypal elements of imagery. They draw on the Judeo-Christian tradition, in which they find references to the symbolism of lemons, the glass mountain, and the stages of initiation during the journey towards the unique form of human divine love. The interpretations of both authors are a tribute to Pavol Dobšinský. They provide overlaps with the present day (the song 'Lemon' by the band U2 or parables from contemporary poetry) as well as into the realms of metaphysics. Every person carries traces of cultural codes that contribute to moving individuals and society to a higher sphere of consciousness. Art does not exist without transformation, and this also applies to reflecting the forms of Eros and Thanatos from the time our ancestors lived to the present. Rastislav Kučinský (1971, Spišská Nová Ves) studied medicine in Košice. After completing his PhD program at the Faculty of Medicine of P. J. Šafárik University, he undertook postgraduate studies at Mount Sinai in New York, and later a cardiology postgraduate course in Indianapolis. He is a member of the C. G. Jung Foundation in New York. He focuses on topics such as the interpretation of dreams, fairy tales, mythology, creativity, psychology, art, the analysis of cave paintings, and more. He is the author of the book Who Cast a Spell on the Black Lady – A Psychological Interpretation of Some Slovak Fairy Tales. Dana Podracká (1954) is a poet and essayist. She has published ten collections of poetry. As an essayist, she has made her mark with books such as The Mythology of Privacy, Slovak Taboo, The Mythology of Slovak Fairy Tales, The Depths of Slovak Identity, and others.