Reply To: The Power of the Personal,” with Mythologist Dennis Slattery, Ph.D.”
Thank you Gard and gratitude for your sharing one of my blog posts re. myth and especially personal myth. I read and loved your comments on writing. As a creative act, writing is one of the deepest ways into our mythic terrain. Here is one of my practices: Each morning at 4:30–I don’t recommend this time to everyone!–after I make a coffee, light a candle in my study and have my little table lamp lit, I sit quietly with my journal, which I write in daily and ask: what from yesterday wants to be remembered?
It takes only a moment or two for what seeks to be witnessed to appear. Then I simply write it down. I have two columns: Blessings and Blisters. Under Blessings I record those gifts from the day before. Under Blisters I record what was a particular challenge, a hardship, some resisting me that needs to be dealt with. Blessings and Blisters comprise each day of our lives and recording them, without interpretation, leads us to the deeper patterns of our personal myth. I have journaled for decades and have over 9000 pages of journal entries. Will I ever read them? Perhaps, but other writing projects keep me busy, so not at the moment. But I agree with you that deepening into our personal myth is occasioned by giving the matters of our life room to speak. I am always surprised by what the memories of yesterday bring forward. I hope I have touched on responding with some accuracy to your fine comments, Gard. Many thanks for taking the time to join the conversation.