[Marianne]

Hi Mythic Warrior,

I think it is a wonderful idea for us in the Forum to share what brings us bliss, and it is so nice of you to ask. I am curious too!

What brings me bliss:

Mythology in general–it is a true treasure, like finding ancient buried treasure of relics from long ago!

Folklore, from old folktales to old sayings to garden lore to moon lore (one reason why I love the Farmer’s Almanac)!

Literature, especially with mythic themes–and ancient literature/old World Literature!

Films, especially with mythic themes!

Music and playing the piano!

Dance or dancing, modern dance or the ballet–I love the stories in the ballets too put to music!

Visual arts, especially works of mythic beauty!

Fairy tales and fairy tale art illustrations!

Walking in nature –the lake or woods, and the ocean–meeting animals like ground hogs, butterflies, dragonflies, squirrels, eagles, hawks, ducks, herons, swans. etc. along the way, too!

I guess I could answer that what brings me bliss are the arts and nature. And atmospheres to enjoy them in whether reading on my patio, weeding the garden, or being at a museum/coffeeshop. I find bliss here, too, online, in this website and this forum, in the midst of all these mythic works and people who appreciate them.  And in The Power of Myth, Campbell stated,

“Shakespeare said that art is a mirror held up to nature. And that’s what it is. The nature is your nature, and all of these wonderful poetic images of mythology are referring to something in you. When your mind is trapped by the image out there so that you never make the reference to yourself, you have misread the image.

The inner world is the world of your requirements and your energies and your structure and your possibilities that meets the outer world. And the outer world is the field of your incarnation. That’s where you are. You’ve got to keep both going. As Novalis said, ‘The seat of the soul is there where the inner and outer worlds meet.”

― Joseph Campbell, The Power of Myth