[jamesn.]

Stephen; your 1st example in this topic of Joseph’s use of the Navajo symbolism as related to other cultural interpretations of the psychological and spiritual applications to human life I think is a great starting place to interconnect the human emotional landscape that all people must address. His explanation of their cosmology if interpreted and applied to western motifs; (for instance as with Jeff King in this particular reference); is a perfect example.

I was listening to one of his lectures concerning the archetypal journey of the Hero where he uses one of these symbols; (i.e. the feather); as a reference to a psychological aid to hold to and keep from cracking up as the individual goes through their emotional process. He explains this as the appearance of a secret agent of power that the candidate encounters on their journey who provides them with a secret weapon to hold on to as they travel the path of the razors edge so they won’t fall off.

In the clip below is a further explanation of this Navajo cosmology that you were referring to that broadens out some of these correlations you used as an example. I think your point is a great example of how a psychological crisis in one culture is illustrated in another and their means of coping or resolving them is in so many ways universal as Joseph showed.