[sunbug]

Norland, Stephen is absolutely correct: “you definitely knocked it out of the ballpark!” And I agree…not just the essay but all the additions you made after! Excellent!!
Stephen that’s awesome you dug up a direct Joe Campbell reference to UFOs. His take not surprising! Exactly what I would guess! And that is what Campbell liked about the Moon Mission…pointing back to the earth and back within…though it took pointing to the beyond too…and the beyond has always lingered in the imagination.
I would really like to have seen Campbell’s response to the growing “Public Dream/Myth,” of UFOs today.

There may be an evolution of a few new nuances within this Modern Tale!

So my Mom had a small observatory non-profit…but she also had a photo of Capt. Kirk…so keeps a bit of symbol of wonder along side the study of astronomy.

She loved not just sharing her knowledge with others but seeing the wonder awake in them, when they had their own experience of seeing the stars and nebulas revealed in fine detail through the telescope. Human connection.

Your last entry Norland is so good…really love it…that I’m at risk of copy pasting the entire quote.

The last paragraph really resonates and I agree! There is so much push for trading metaphor for concrete that perhaps bringing that back together is a reminder of transcending pairs of opposites! Now I want to look up that writer! That mythologist! (A plus Stephen to these boards…looking/reading/watching recommendations has been really lovely!)

So yes concrete elements used to translate as some odd farmer seeing something but overtime the “happenings” are unusual things moving  witnessed by military pilots…not that there weren’t those connections before but calling the Myth Public really expresses that it’s not limited to one group but shared in a much larger way!! And that’s the fascination!

Stephen and Norland: this Subject could have several subheadings!
Or innings! Yes it is baseball time of the year! Grin. Speaking about knocking this out of the park…oh my!

A quick question to you both?
Have either of you heard of the “Hopi Prophecies?” I’m not sure this was around or known during Campbell’s study. And I may not be alluding to this correctly, but the jist is that a group of Hopi Elders was interviewed and maybe they were asked about UFOs but were not surprised at all…and gave some explanation that fit with the modern myth. What peaked my interest is that people with strong native heritage had interest and did not dismiss it as merely outsider interpretation. There were papers I think…there is a book that refs but it’s the papers what were/are interesting to Native people and others.

The Elders were real or at least that’s what I gleaned at the time.

I think what that numinous in-between place does where the opposites meet… is it becomes a deeply magical place…and/or experience.