jamesn.
Forum Replies Created
-
Posts
-
Gabrielle; thank you for your inspiring MythBlast and added follow up with Stephen and everyone. I’ve been thinking about it for several days now and I must admit I’m a little awed about saying anything that would do it justice. From my view male persona in our culture so often presents a very distinctly dominating and controlling side without the very virtues you stressed in your piece; and those virtues loom very large in my world. Kindness, thoughtfulness, compassion, and especially gentleness are so often left out of the male imprinting of young boys who must learn to become men. In a complex modern world which often is so very unforgiving when those same attributes are interpreted as weakness instead of respect in my opinion is one of the reasons I think both men and boys in our society are in crisis. Youth crime is skyrocketing; men’s behavior in many instances within public discourse displays the exact barbaric opposite; and the sensibility that any kind of chivalric code for protecting the weak these attributes once represented concerning manners and respect of others seems to more and more be taken out of some kind of context of fairy tale romances for children instead of from the actual adult spiritual and emotional DNA of mankind’s mythical heritage. Perhaps a little strong for an opening expression of why your essay struck me so profoundly; so if I may I’ll attempt to offer a few examples that I hope might be helpful in my defense.
When I think of male heroic qualities within today’s complex world at the top of my list is the single parent lawyer: (Atticus Finch) in: “To Kill a Mocking Bird”; I think Lt. John Dunbar’s transformation into the Sioux warrior named “Dances with Wolves qualifies but the Indian is the hero here and not the soldier. Three different Robin Williams portrayals come next; #1 is English Teacher John Keating in the Dead Poets Society; #2 is Robin’s portrayal of the mental breakdown of Parry in the Fisher King and the transformation of Jack Lucas played by Jeff Bridges, (each rescuing each other); and #3 is his role as therapist: Sean McGuire, in treating an angry gifted young male from the scarring of early childhood abuse and the mentoring of him into adulthood in: “Good Will Hunting”.
Each of these characters in my humble opinion evoke these important qualities for role models because they represent many of the same features you spoke about but within different contexts. And these films I think have a great deal to do with Joseph’s Hero theme about inner realizations and transformation.
In today’s Covid world I think because of the extreme anxiety surrounding everyday existence that’s being affected by this deadly and unpredictable virus it’s become much more difficult think in terms of normalcy and timeless virtues because everything is so uncertain. And you can add Climate Change and Global Warming as two more along with an extremely volatile political atmosphere as well. And yes; I think it is important to note that one could say: (the world spins); and there has always been difficulties that heroic qualities are called for.
But here is what I’m humbly attempting to point out. The themes you addressed could not be more important for the times in which we are living because so much more complexity has been added to what the hero will be called on to address. And a lot of the same conditions listed in the earlier “rule books” no longer apply. (Men can’t just be “tough” guys any more!)
Most animals; depending which ones and what the circumstances are; will respond to kindness and gentleness. Trust is something that’s earned and it’s instinctual. Read any newspaper or newsfeed on the internet and you most often will see all kinds of stories about people who no longer know how to talk to each other; or that some kind of violent act has been committed because of bad male dominant behavior. Machoism may be a reality in some cultures; but it is a dinosaur with a limited life span if we as a species are to survive in a future globally interdependent society.
For instance the debate between literalized religion and scientific fact is now settled if you believe that myths are Fairy Tales only for children – (not) life vivifying metaphors that can help point the way out of one’s psychosis and bring depth and meaning to a universe that has no meaning. As Joseph might say: “Life just is and you are to bring the meaning to it”; (not the thou-shalt system promoted by some concretized personal deity up in the sky).
Well; that’s one of the views Joseph articulated.) But to me Joseph’s main point was that Myths are metaphors and symbols as tools to help point the way out of man’s mental and spiritual dilemmas, they are not subservient rules to be governed by; and these old stories that are causing global conflicts have to be re-interpreted or retooled or looked at in a different way you might say to have modern relevance. “There is no God but mine” will no longer work in a technologically informed new world; and when man walked on the moon the argument surrounding Genesis was settled.
So I hope you’ll forgive my gushing praise for your essay for I just can’t say enough about how important I think these male features are in the coming times ahead; and how eloquently you expressed them in relation to Joseph’s themes. I so very much hope to see more of your participation in these forums in the coming weeks ahead. And I thank you for this piece.
Hey Michael; great to have you filling in for Stephen. Sorry to hear about the intellectual property violation; but I hope all is well otherwise. I like you was not familiar with the work; nor that particular website either; and it seemed rather odd to have a listing of it with no background about purchase information included; (hence that is why I inserted the Amazon link). I hope that was okay since in the past Amazon was a go to source for purchasing foundation materials when listed as such. (In this case the book was listed but offered no information about where to purchase it so I assumed this was still: “standard operating procedure”.) Thanks for the background and update on this.
Robert; that was truly an awesome piece. I went looking for the listing of it in the foundation holdings which I left below; but it stated it was only available online. I included the Amazon link inside the title for those who may be interested. Stephen may have more of the backstory on this remarkable work.
In All Her Names | JCF: Works
Nice one Stephen; for some reason I woke up and saw this right after you posted it. I’ve been thinking a lot lately how much our idea of normalcy has changed since Covid came into play; (reading through some of our earlier exchanges seems to confirm this feeling). I can’t quite put my finger on it but there seems to be an extra hyper awareness of life’s fragility accompanied by a loss of control because of Covid’s ability to change leaving life’s promise of tomorrow somewhat more in question than usual. We are taught as children that life has limitations on certainty; and we contemplate these kinds of things constantly as we navigate our fortunes in a delicate dance between chance and time; so whatever gifts we receive from the muses are gratefully acknowledged. Here is a quote I remember Joseph repeated once; (although I can’t quite remember where); from the the Greek poet Pindar I think concerning the Olympics: “Odes for Victorious Athletes”
“Creatures of a day what is any one? What is he not? Man is but a shadow. Yet when there comes as a gift of heaven a gleam of sunshine, there rest upon men a radiant light aye, a gentle life.”
So I went back to sleep and immediately another thought kept surfacing surrounding the word “Raga”. So upon waking again I went and looked up various sources and definitions and came upon this one concerning: “Coloring one’s thoughts”. And what struck me about this co-incidence was the connection of a timeless Indian art form to a modern western application and the time and place in which this occurred. You may recall some of this material after reading the piece.
“To this “miraculous” turn of events, Campbell emphasizes that “through your own integrity, you evoke your destiny, which is a destiny that never existed before” (79). Of all things, be they Grail-specific or not, that one insight is profoundly inspiring: that our destinies (i.e., our stories) are surely not written in stone, and that they can be inflected and redirected at any point if we simply embrace the fact that they are only and ever our own.”
___________________________________________________
Wow; what great reflections you suggest on this timeless theme of the hero; who after all is really us but we don’t realize it. But that is the point of these mythical stories; to inspire us to take up our own journey and bring forth our own high adventure out of the wasteland. They elicit the echo of something that resides deep inside us that resonates that longing of authenticity that is missing. But how it is from our reluctance we feel hesitant and somehow not up to the task that keeps us from following our hearts desire. “Oh I couldn’t do that”; as Joseph recounts to Bill Moyers in the “Power of Myth”; “I couldn’t be that thing that calls to me; on no; I’m not good enough, or worthy enough.” But that’s the point isn’t it? That’s your potential life looking back at you and calling to you saying: “follow me if you dare regardless of what others may think”.
Now there are other calls to life to be sure; but all to often I think we look at models and ask: “where is the script?; where is the roadmap?; where are the directions that are suppose to be included?; don’t these things have directions on how to construct my journey?; which is after all my own myth; my life; that thing; that hunger; that feeling of incompleteness that won’t let me rest. Oh I’ll just go with the herd and get a treadmill job and be like everybody else because I want to fit in; and your point about Heinrich Zimmer I think is well taken because Joseph said what he learned from him was to interpret the myths out of what got from his own experience and not gluing himself to what somebody else said.
To me this is the authenticity of your own experience; and like the version of the Fisher King; the Fool responds with the question” What ails thee?” that restores the kingdom of wounded King because his heart told him it was the right thing to do; not what others might think.
As Joseph mentioned about Arthur’s knights at the Roundtable; “that they thought it would be a disgrace to go into the dark forest as a group; but to pick a point where it was darkest that each had chosen and to enter alone; because as you mention that point of honor refers to something in you; not the herd. Yes; we are social creatures and we are to treat each other as we would want to be treated just like the “golden rule” suggests. But our higher nature; that thing poets and artists refer to has to come from inside where the real depth resides; that thing that says: “I’m going to do this no matter what”; and we must respond with courage to face those things within ourselves that others may not like because we know it’s right regardless of what anyone else may think. Joseph mentioned the Grail was delivered by the neutral angels; and your life is like a wheel rolling out of it’s own center with you being in charge of your for and against; your yes and your no; it’s you who gets to decide what the meaning of your life is going to be. He also adds there are lots of meanings of life to choose from; lots of models; and that you need to find that thing that speaks to you and follow your own way. It’s not about one model being “the model”; you are the hero of your own life; and what speaks to the character of your own destiny is the call. You might have a little magical aid or advice at some point; but in the end what you honor is what your heart tells you is right; and that’s what leads you forward.
Sometimes there is inner conflict about what the right thing to do is and finer distinctions of judgement are called for; as the saying goes: “the head leads but the heart decides”; so now we are getting into Jungian territory.
What is keeping you out of the Garden? Is it guilt about something you’ve done; or is it shame about feeling unworthy? Does it have to do with what people may think? Or is it involved with doing something you don’t like? This list could grow from here; but life is not simple and doing what you want instead of what may seem as correct can muddy the water. Metaphors can offer assistance; but how you use them can pose a challenge and you are on your own using simple solutions to complicated problems that may not always guide you to where you thought you might wind up.
Redos or do-overs or train-wrecks may occur; so constant testing of the waters or seeing if the tightwire will hold you may be required as you make your crossings from one side to the other to get to your destination; and only to have it vanish before your eyes; (like the Grail Castle did for Percival). Yes; abstractions and literal interpretations are part of a larger mixed bag I think in not only how these mythic themes present themselves; but have a great deal to do with how we navigate them. Sometimes things will happen to you that will give you a clue to your adventure. You can be caught by something and be lead into the dark forest; or you can fall down “Alice in Wonderland’s” rabbit hole; or picked up by Dorothy’s tornado in the “Wizard of OZ” and hijacked from Kansas. You can intentionally seek out the Adventure like Arthur’s Knights did; or go along with Luke Skywalker following Obi-Wan Kenobi to find Yoda; or wind up in your version which never existed before and that’s the point I think; which is you have to watch and be aware of what’s going on in front of you. You are putting this thing together as you go along; making up your own model because life doesn’t tell you what it’s going to be. But Joseph also said if you put together a “scared space” and use it something will happen; that place where you find the things you truly love and spend time with them will help to point the way to where your heart and soul want to go.
Hope I didn’t go too far off point Craig; you’ve chosen a great topic of which Honor is a working compliment to a much larger theme; and I like how you’ve opened this up to explore more dimensions.
” Mark; thank you for your thoughtful response. My thoughts about adding: “complexes and archetypes” to the discussion was just a suggestion. But from my perspective I will add that these things live within us and visit us nightly in our dreams. And it was Jung’s greatest fear that if we don’t try to understand them they have the potential to destroy us. Yes; these are Jungian concepts and much of Joseph’s theme of the the Hero throughout the life process is based not only on timeless mythological concepts; but harmonizing our inner world as well. As he mentions on several occasions: (life itself has no meaning; we as individuals bring the meaning to it”; and indeed as you suggest we should also be concerned with putting that meaning into play in relationship to the world instead of just attempting to understand it while remaining separate from it. But Joseph also suggested that the hero is a template or model of our interior process of coming to realization of what’s going on inside as we travel our individual life’s journey toward the dark gate. And by integrating our shadow-side or blind spot of ourselves that we can’t see; that “other” that lives within us helps to open up and battle the darkness; and as when Jung refers to the Telesphorus by providing a light of meaning in the darkness of mere existence).
We look up at the constellations of stars at night; many of which have Greek names; and then along comes Copernicus and tells us that our world is “not” the center of the universe. Well the Catholic Church doesn’t like this at all because it challenges the whole Christian concept of a God/earth centered arrangement as they knew it. Darwin comes along and tells us we evolved from Apes and creates an uproar over Genesis and again we have to change our thinking We go to the Moon and on the way back one astronaut is asked who is driving the spaceship and he replies Newton. Yet we still are left with this same emotional interior we must navigate our lives with to find meaning where there is none. So I agree with your statement up to a point.
Yes; Jung is rattling around in this mix I think because I don’t see how you can leave him out concerning unpacking this idea of relationships and getting along. The thing that first threw me was the title: Lions and Tigers and bears/(Athena); oh my! (and the idea of play); which connected me to Dorothy’s inner dream journey to OZ and back. But that was not the direction the thread was headed and I should have recognized that. But to my point indeed so many of these childhood figures; (like Pooh and so many others); come to represent childhood thresholds which later come back for occasional visits in our adult dreams that symbolize things that have meaning for us. At any rate I won’t go back to archetypes and complexes because obviously that was my mistake in where you wanted to go with this topic so please accept my apologies if I took it off course. Before I close I will offer a visit link to Jung’s “Telesphorus” with Maude Oates giving a wonderful description of her conversation with him.
Thank you for your kind and thoughtful reply.
Mark; what a great metaphor of Helios’s horses and Phaeton’s inability to control them because of his unawareness of how powerful they were. And as you suggest this is much like our understanding of the forces that lie within us and our ability to realize not only what they are but if unidentified how they can wreck havoc within our lives. Indeed much of both Freudian and Jungian analysis has to do with identifying these things and how learning to understand their influences can help to unravel many of the problems we experience and to lead more harmonious and meaningful lives.
This calls to light something I was hesitant in bringing up because I wasn’t quite sure how this topic was going to unfold so I’ll lay some things out that I think have relevance. Indeed the Greeks gave us so much in the way we think about myth; not to mention other areas of human culture; but concerning my query I want to focus in on how we approach the gods as representative of something that lies within us instead of outside us; and so much of the terminology that we use verifies this. And given that understanding one of the things that might be interesting to bring in to this discussion is the importance of (complexes and archetypes); and how these various constellations are formed in our life affect not only our behavior but go so much deeper into our individual experiences and begin surfacing in later life from repression.
Myth and symbol in human culture has so much to do with how we as human beings see the world around us and our place in it; especially the way we draw meaning from it and our relationship to life. And as Joseph Campbell has shown us throughout his work over the grand landscape of human history our myths help us to navigate our lives in a way that succeeding generations can draw wisdom from if interpreted properly.
As in your metaphor of Athena’s shield with the Medusa’s head as gateway for reflection; indeed the human psyche contains within it emotions that if left unattended can lead to disaster as in Phaeton’s lack of judgement. But we also know that identifying the root causes that produce much this inability to understand our inner landscape can also lead to healing as in the story of Pandora’s box with “hope” being the last thing to emerge out of the box from the unleashing of the troubles that plague mankind.
There are so many stories the Greek’s gave us that have been used throughout the centuries as metaphoric references to mankind’s timeless replays of human struggles to understand who we are. And as a philosopher deeply immersed in this background I was wondering if you might share some of your thoughts on this. For instance; the difference between an archetype and an archetypal image would be interesting for starters for we know that a “complex” is a grouping of related images held together by a common emotional tone. But we also know that often these things are sometimes confused because Archetypes themselves which are not necessarily observable have more to do with the way a complex and archetypal images are structured; and that each individual has certain innate tendencies they are born with that illustrate their own particular uniqueness. (Referenced from pages 9-12: James A. Hall’s – Jungian Dream Interpretation; very brief description mine. There is of course so very much more to this topic but I’ll use these and the next few sentences for an opener.)
So now we have the this Jungian cosmology of the psyche and all these archetypal influences that are constantly bridging and influencing our experience of reality. The objective psyche; or collective unconscious and consciousness of the outer world; and the personal unconscious and consciousness of the inner world; in constant interplay filtering our experiences through (the ego, shadow, persona, and anima/animus) where we encounter these timeless themes which bring up these various complexes we have to assimilate. So we now must (re)interpret experiences from our childhood which fire up our emotions; (which often blind us to what is going on downstairs in the unconscious); and like Phaeton or Pooh is not quite sure what is going on.
I often think about what these Greek images have to tell us about ourselves; as many others that Joseph mentions throughout his work. And being able to bring this wisdom into a modern context; as with Jung and all the other people working in this field I think has never been more important. One only has to look at their newsfeed to see all the emotional chaos in constant collision during a time when a horrific virus pandemic is in play. One would like to think the approaching ecological issues would bring people together; but I think we may have to first figure out how to talk to each other before we can actually get there; (and this is where the Archetypes live).
Your posts have been a joy to read; and I hope my request is not too convoluted to fit here and something you might enjoy responding to.
Hello Mark; a hearty welcome and so glad to have you with us. What a great reference topic to start this discussion with. For many of us I think as you suggest we discover Joseph often in unexpected ways. For me it was definitely a “dark night of the soul”; where I had been stumbling out in the desert wasteland searching for answers to questions no one could answer. And his ability to unravel all the deep inner conflicts I was experiencing in a way that made sense to me was life changing.
As you mentioned reflection is indeed the acknowledgement and engagement with our inner self; that aspect we think we know which includes not only aspects of what we know about ourselves; but also aspects we don’t; like our unknown face; and may also include our wounded side as well. This may involve a trip down into a cave; a place deep down inside ourselves where all our uncertainties, pain, and fears dwell; those issues and things that come up in later life waiting to be witnessed if we can only hear and understand what they are trying to tell us through those aspects of our Shadow side we may not know about that have been repressed. But there also resides an unknown dimension of our unrealized potential; those things we don’t necessarily know about ourselves that have never been given a voice or the opportunity to surface. And often we use our persona mask to hide behind so that no one will see us as we really are. It’s a crisis that many times Joseph describes as life drying up and a brand new adventure is required to address it. And it may involve wrestling with inner dragons or seeking new domains or finding that inner child you forgot was locked down there and needs healing; and as you suggest it starts with reflecting and contemplation and perhaps “play” to bring it forth as Jung did with his Red Book.
One of the things that Joseph mentions in many of his Jungian lectures is it surfaces through our blind side that others see but we can’t. Those moments when we show a side of ourselves we may not even realize is there while we are doing it. And he also mentions that one of the great tasks of later life is to try and integrate this dimension of ourselves with the other side to become a more balanced and fully realized individual. In several of these lectures he recommends thinking of this as a “parallax effect”; (driving from both sides of the road at the same time; or steering from the middle of the road while balancing your view of traffic coming from both directions). Easier said than done of course; but his point is that of attempting to access your weaker undeveloped side of yourself so that whatever conflicts are blocking your ability to move forward can be released and you can move on.
If you are moving into retirement for instance and holding on to your persona identity as who you are the mask is probably at some time going to crack because you are moving into a different stage of life; and not adjusting to this new reality arrests this process. So in essence you must take a little trip down into to your unconscious and get to know your other side which often times may be your wounded self. Reflection challenges you to acknowledge this unknown dimension and entreats or invites you to enter into a dialogue with this other half and to hear it’s message; especially through your dreams. And whether you are thinking in terms of the Labyrinth, the Minotaur and that little piece of string to help you find your way out; or some other motif your myth is your guide; that inner intuitive voice that Joseph mentions may come in the form of magical aid that can give you some kind of symbol to hold on to in your journey into the dark forest of your unconscious.
And so you become the hunter, the detective, the Grail Knight with no compass or clue except your own instincts seeking a North Star of your Marga Path with only your heart to guide you. Many forms this adventure can take; but only you can go and there are no set rules for how to get there. The Greek civilization gave us so much and your examples are some of my very favorites; but for a moment I want to go back to play and childhood and the gentle humanity these stories can help provide.
It just so happens that I grew up around the Parthenon where that magnificent shield of Athena is displayed at her side; and much of my youth was informed by the presence of this incredible building and continued on throughout the goings and comings of my entire life. But something mythical happened one night that forever changed the way I saw and interpreted my story or myth that told me this whole inner landscape of mine had changed. We each have a quest or inner drive Joseph informs us that seeks to express itself; and if fortune is with us a threshold is crossed and an life achievement of some sort is acquired; the arch of life from youth to old age and death has stages and the requirements of life corresponds to them. And I had just retired from my adventure as a musician of 45 years; and was going through my new adventure/individuation process and was at loose ends of what it all meant; and this moment is where my particular reflective transcendent portal opened.
I had just taken up photography and was out for an early evening shooting expedition because dusk is the golden hour when the light is special and had come to my favorite place which just happens to be the park where the Parthenon is located. This was shortly after the Parkland School Massacre around Christmas time back in 2018; and right next to the Parthenon is a special shrine to the victims of teenage gun violence. The shrine was decorated with Christmas lights and displays that children might enjoy and was it packed with grieving parents and family commemorating their loss. Seeing this impacted me profoundly and I was determined to come photograph it when no one was around to listen to it what it had to say. As I returned later and quietly explored the different viewpoints to take my shots I began to hear the voices of the parents coming to grieve their loss and as the weeks and months rolled by I began to go back and explore all the different childhood stories and authors and teachers from my past up to the present and listen to their voices and what they had to tell me.
There would be Christopher Robin; and Mr. Rogers and all these: “once upon a time” characters from my youth and their stories and the books about childhood teaching development and childhood violence and the gun lobbyists demeaning the Sandy Hook Massacre because of efforts restricting gun rights; and all of this information was rolling around in my head until I began to get a better sense of what it was working inside me. Movies, books, and documentaries followed as I began to explore this voice it became incredibly clear that this was a synchronistic influence in the path I had been on exploring what was leading me forward. But what I could not have realized was it was the wounded voice from my childhood calling to me and informing me of what my myth was really about; and that a much deeper reflective excavation into my cave was going to be in order to heal from my past. And so the new journey began.
More Jung and Campbell; more research on different themes where I was always following this inner voice that kept leading me. My newest endeavor I have been reading is some of the work of Jungian Mario Jacoby; but I want to leave a link to a piece by the Smithsonian Magazine about: A.A. Milne, A teddy bear, his son Christopher Robin; (aka Billy Moon); but more importantly it is about childhood and the things a child needs facing a modern world; and the relationship between parent and child. I hope you’ll read it because it has something to say in connection to many of these themes in this post and in relationship to the new possible Covid world looking forward. The movie: “Goodbye Christopher Robin” is easily available online for those interested; but the article; (at least to me); reflects how the inner world of both child and adult are inter-related; and how one’s myth can change. When I found my earlier calling as a musician it was because I was motivated by earlier childhood trauma to find a safe harbor through which I could seek expression. But what I later discovered was a much stronger more powerful drive that allowed me to survive and thrive; but at a cost of which I am now starting to discover and heal. This article illustrates what can happen when fame robs a child of their sense of self; but also at the end how reconciliation can help restore meaning to a broken relationship.
I thought you had already come across a bunch of these concepts but I wasn’t sure; so sorry for the added revisit. The “Modern Myths of Quest” I think you’ll like because it gives an overview of many of the Jungian themes he often talks about but states them a bit differently than usual. Here is a quick clip from one of them concerning the “symbolic realization and not becoming concretely fixed” idea I was mentioning which is a good example. Sounds like you are already on your way; so I’ll end here.
Hello Shaheda; I’ve been thinking about your idea a lot for several days now and here is what it represents to me. Joseph talked on many occasions about Jung’s process in getting in touch with his inner myth or (mind-space) if you will; to try and understand what this thing actually was; or put another way; “to understand what it was that was forming him from the inside out”. Now if I remember correctly from his book: “Memories, Dreams and Reflections” his “Red Book” was what came out of this process. Joseph also commented several times: (via your childhood games reference); that he would move big rocks around; (the creation of his home: “Bollingen”); because building little cities and houses was what he enjoyed as child and he was recreating this activity on a much larger scale and got enormous pleasure from his home he created.
(You may know all of this already); and Joseph went on to say that the individual must find their own playground to do this. (Dennis for instance talks about his painting as an example he mentioned to us before.) Here is where we get into one of Joseph’s most well known concepts of creating one’s: “Sacred Space”. Now this may or may not resonate with your ideas; but I’m pretty sure this was the concept he was suggesting. There are certainly ideas along this line stated in various ways like: (Dream work of course); along with journaling or constructing your own art expressions mentioned in some of our MythBlast discussions. But the main term I’ve heard Joseph use that to me seems to fit this idea along with what you heard in the “Personal Myth lecture; which I’ve listened to as well; is in: “Modern Myths of Quest” – Lecture: II.I.6 of: “Symbolic Realization”; where he talks about integration within the Individuation process of going down into your inner world and finding what’s down there and accessing it to inform you of how to make this later life transition within the Sacred Space mind-space. A lot of Joseph’s lectures I’ve listened to talk about these same concepts; but in different ways. (Since I haven’t listened to that particular one in a while what you mentioned about the little girl jumping rope I believe is an example of the very same thing but of course I could be mistaken.)
Not to overstate the obvious I think the point Joseph is making is to utilize your childhood experiences as metaphoric tools through personal artistic expressions. A few helpful books I’ve come across on ways to do this would be Stephen Larson’s excellent book: “The Mythic Imagination”; where he shows various techniques like: drawing, group mask making and role playing and photography to reveal some of these inner themes that are working inside you. And I particularly like Sam Keen’s: “Your Mythic Journey” where he and Anne Valley-Fox take some of the things to think about that were used in the workshops he and Joseph put together during the yearly gatherings at Esalen Institute. Some extras to add would be Michael Toms: “An Open Life”; Diane Osbon’s “Reflections on the Art of Living – A Joseph Campbell Companion”; and of course: “Pathways to Bliss” edited by David Kudler; along with “Power of Myth”. Some of these books you probably already have but other people reading this may not be aware of them. As for myself I developed my own process with my music, photography, reading material and writing; (much of this is connected to my own life narrative); and organized into different sequenced time periods where I can see and understand how my life has unfolded and the various ways it has changed over time. But each person develops their own process.
At any rate these are just some suggestions to explore if you’re interested; (although it sounds like you may have already started to develop your own system). But the point I think Joseph is saying is there is no necessary standard roadmap for this inner process as he mentions in the clip below because the revelations come through the alchemy of discovery within the experience of doing it; and that it should be things that you deeply love spending time doing; and “not” a procedural prescribed system like following steps 1 through 10, etc. (Certainly Stephen, Aidian, yourself, or others may have more to add about this so I’ll stop here.)
(A little synchronistic experience I had this morning I’ll share I took a clue from) while thinking about this post was that every couple of weeks or so I usually check the JCF YouTube channel to see if there are any new additional clips that have been added. Well; low and behold here was this little clip from the: “Power of Myth” series with Bill Moyers only 2 hours old that had been added. So see if this clip about: “Sacred Spaces” speaks to your question.
You are certainly welcome concerning the link. The long post has been removed and I’ll post something else later. Stephen and I discussed this and there were some unforeseen issues that prevented posting it. No worries as I already have something else in mind that work better anyway. I’ve mentioned your new update to the others so some feedback on how you want to proceed will help to get us started. Again; thanks for the update; this helps a lot.
Sidian; this is terrific. Now I have a much clearer idea of where you are going with this. Btw; did you see a very long post of mine earlier? Right now it’s being held for moderation; but the site has been behaving strangely today. We’ve had “WordPress” security softeware problems in the past that seem to have resurfaced. First as you probably know there were sign-in issues; plus internet connection problems for some of us. Now it seems an old entry problem has resurfaced with the security sometimes asking for checking off pictures to gain access. It’s a familiar security ID protection a lot of websites use since hacking is such a major concern. At any rate a moderator or technical support person usually has to adjust something to get everything running smoothly again . My “very” long post may have triggered something because of the large amount of text and adding a link; (who knows). at any rate I think your material is super; and if you want to go further and expand on this I’m sure everyone else will too.
Did my request about approaching this from multiple viewpoints make sense? And if so is that something that you would be interested in pursuing for an approach for your subject? That way everyone can give their point of view on the subject without feeling like they would be offending anyone; (if that makes sense). This is just a suggestion that might enlarge the approach; but you may have other thoughts in mind about this; so no problem there if that’s the case. This is your thread; so no worries.
Thanks again for responding back with all this rich material; this clears things up a lot because I was a little unclear about what you were asking; and people have so many “different ideas” about what a “personal” myth actually is as I’m sure you’ve experienced.
Sidian; you have seen the JCF YouTube channel‘s huge stash of clips; right? Dozens and dozens of separate clips to draw from. Just curious
Sidian; if I may call you that; would you consider a collaboration from all of us from scratch?; say something like: “What is your interpretation of a Personal Myth and how does it give you meaning looking ahead?”; or something like that. I’m still not quite sure what you are trying to address. The thing is; at least to me anyway; is there is a need to talk about this kind of thing. I think a lot of people are going through this dilemma right now because there are so many different issues folks have to deal with; and Joseph’s work addresses this very point. Anyway; whatever you want to do is fine; it’s just a suggestion.
