[philspar]

Nice explanation Stephen – heard the expression ‘Mercury in Retrograde’ a bit but never really understood it.  I’ve just looked up the dates for the remaining three events this year and will set reminders in my calendar to increase my level of caution.  Thank you for this public safety announcement service! 🙂

[philspar]

Hi Stephen,

It seems that while discussing synchronicities on this forum you encountered a synchronicity! Maybe we need a new “meta-synchronicities’ discussion thread!

Or at least a ‘multi-synchronicities’ thread to cover the potential significance of synchronicities occurring in clusters or meaningful themes and sequences.

For example, on the same day you sent this list of recent Campbell-New York synchronistic encounters, I received a message from an old Sydney Joseph Campbell Roundtable member about them potentially moving to New York from Australia.

On the one hand you could argue that anyone interested in Campbell is more than likely looking for meaning in general – so as a group we are highly biased towards seeing meaning where others would only see coincidences.

But on the other hand the specificity of these synchronicities makes it difficult to dismiss the connection as mere chance.

Let’s see if this Campbell-New York theme continues!

Phillip

[philspar]

Very well put Stephen – especially the point around our natural human inclination to look for patterns. What’s your view on synchronicities though? Are these well-timed & coincidental observations also our human mind projecting significance and looking for connections and patterns?  Or could these actually be messages coming from outside the recipient from ‘elsewhere’?

[philspar]

I guess we know the answer to….

[philspar]

Great article Stephen.  I have had a few thoughts on the book titles myself over the years.  When I first read “Fire In The Mind” there was a passage on page 281 that has always stuck with me.  It details a conversation between a young Campbell and Henry Morton Robinson:

After reading some of Campbell’s early essagys, Robinson said, “You know, you write like an academic.  You build your points one after the other – very nicely – and then finally come to the climax of your discussion.  What you really need to do – especailly for the trade reader – is the other way around.  Start with the climax, and then show the reader how you got there.”

I’ve always imagined that some of Campbell’s titles were chosen to advertise a book’s climactic argument.

PS: Any chance we can get a 3D/VR photo of Campbell’s desk? 🙂

[philspar]

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” John 1:1

Perhaps we have it backwards? First we had the Adamic/Proto-Indo-European language then these thought forms gave rise to physical form.

[philspar]

Great reference post Stephen. Do you think ‘Solipsism’ might be another useful entry in the list? Although solipsism isn’t a theism it’s an important metaphysical position the mind can consider. That said, it’s only ever going to be held by one person!

[philspar]

Thanks for starting this thread Stephen.  Not sure if I can add much as the texts listed in your original post cover nearly all my favourites such as Odysseus, Athena, the Minotaur, Arachne, Procrustes, Harpies, Pegasus, Medusa & the Cyclops.  Across the Homeric texts there also many concepts with the one I quote the most being that of Xenia – ‘sacred hospitality’.  I often theorise on the kind of world we’d live in if this ancient Greek tradition had spread the earth with even half the success of the Greek alphabet!

It might be worth adding some more snake-related myths – the Adam/Eve/Serpent & Medusa motifs are a bit negative.  For example, we could balance up the list with the Ouroboros regeneration myth.  From here in Australia there is also dreamtime myth of The Rainbow Serpent.  Although there are many variations of the myth the Rainbow Serpent generally depicts a creator related to natural cycles and regeneration.

Another great Australian animal-related myth I teach all my children is of Tiddalik the Frog.  This myth is a great way to introduce younger children to the ideas of co-operation and sharing.  (Tiddalik is a bit greedy and drinks up all the waters leaving the other animals to work together as they’re dying of thirst.)

[philspar]

Hey Stephen,

Thanks for the prompt – your timing is perfect!  I completed a 2 year work contract when your message came through yesterday so I’ve finally got some free time to get back into the forums.

I’ll have a look at the (abitiously named) “Myths Everyone Should Know” thread and see if there’s anything missing from either Aboriginal or international mythologies.

All the best,

Phillip S

[philspar]

Thanks for the warm welcome back to the forums Stephen.  The breadth and depth of the discussions makes this a very unique place.

[philspar]

Great observations Stephen – specifically:

As a result, American culture is undergoing a huge shift all at once. Who knows what other currents are stirring below the surface, here and elsewhere, about to break free?

I’m sure that a lot of people would benefit from Campbell’s work right now but might not know it…

[philspar]

Great article Stephen. And great question Michael on The Call To Adventure. With these current disruptions forcing many to break from their everyday routines, maybe million or billions of people are now facing a (reluctant) Call  at the moment?

 

Phillip S (Previously OliveBranch on the old forums)

[Author]

Posts