Why Work with Myths?

“Myths are not part of the past; but a way to see universal truths playing out in the present. Myths are the inside story that make meaning of the outside world.” ~Michael Meade

I love working with mythology in my personal healing work and in my work with others. They provide a “universal map” of the human psyche and can help us navigate difficult internal terrain. Part of the power of working with myths lies in the fact that they provide a model for life experiences common to all people and exploring them can create real-time restorative experiences for individuals and groups.

baba yagaMyths can reveal an overlap of individual experience with the universal experiences of all humankind, and in so doing, provide comfort and a sense of direction and meaning during times of duress, confusion, and suffering. Mythology not only serves to explain mysteries of the outer world, it also gives form and structure to the inner world of psyche. C.G. Jung believed that one of the best ways to learn about the human psyche is to study myths.

Jung viewed mythology as the symbolic language of the collective unconscious, the part of psyche belonging to all people across times and cultures. The relationship of myths to the collective unconscious is simple: the collective unconscious is made up of archetypes and mythology, with its plots, characters, and motifs is founded on archetypes.

Mythologist Joseph Campbell  spent his career relating world mythology to the human experience. He explains that myths indeed serve to illuminate the human condition, but more importantly, they elicit emotions and actions in the audience by conveying dramatic, archetypal situations which everyone can relate to.

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Get Grounded (Part 2)

In space and timeThe ground nourishes our roots. Like a tree, we gain energy, nourishment, stability and growth when we are grounded in the present moment, present in the body and firmly connected to our environment. Without presence, we are separated from ourselves, from nature and from our sources of soul connection in this world. (Read Part 1 for more info).

Grounding anchors us in Time and Space – By excavating our roots we connect to older, deeper, and more instinctual parts of ourselves. We are in touch with the depths of our humanity and what Carl Jung called the collective unconscious – the immeasurable storehouse of human knowledge, experience, and wisdom available to everyone.

When we claim our roots, we connect to our past, our family history and cultural heritage. It helps us know who we are and where we come from. It gives us a center point inside of ourselves, a root to the world tree, of which all people are a part. When we ground ourselves and get rooted we strengthen our natural instincts and can draw from the vast wisdom of our bodies and of the earth.

mapGrounding gives us direction. Cut off from this vital source of connection and wisdom, we can more easily lose our path in life. Many people who have not found their true path may have simply not yet found their ground. Gazing skyward, we don’t see the point (in time and space) where our feet meet the path below and in front of us.

It makes us more effective – When you bring your consciousness down into your body, into the Root Chakra (at the base of your spine) and get grounded (see meditation at the end of this post) you will gain a real anchor. Visualizing and directing your thoughts will literally help you be more grounded. When you’re grounded you’re more effective in the “real” world. (Read Part 1 for more info).

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Get Grounded (Part 1)

shoes up highGrounding is essential to growth, to spiritual progress and to real-world success. It’s so important that it’s frequently an emphasis in my work with individuals and in groups. Without a solid foundation beneath us, without deep and sturdy roots, growth is simply not sustainable.

Our ability to ground forms the ground ie. the foundation on which everything in our lives rests – everything we are, everything we do, everything we have rests on our groundwork. To construct a sturdy building, we need a solid foundation. For a tree to grow healthy, strong, and sizeable, it must have secure roots.

So what does it mean to be “grounded” or “rooted” in terms of practical, day-to-day life?

There’s several different ways I look at it and like to approach the topic of grounding.

First and foremost, it’s about presence – presence in the body, presence in the immediate physical environment, and presence in the current moment. Grounding allows us to become present in the here and now, which is the only place where we can truly experience our lives and make real or lasting changes.

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Art (&Life) on its Own Time

Instruct MaskOne of the things I find mysterious and fascinating about creative work (of any kind) is the way it seems to take on a life of its own, during the creative process (and certainly, after it’s completed as well.) I recently completed a mask that I had started a few years ago, then set aside. Sometimes my life moves at such a pace that it’s hard to keep up with my creative work. I’m sure many of you can relate.

I get inspired; I begin working with the inspiration; I get interrupted; (kids, pets, life…) and my attention is demanded in another area. Life keeps moving. Fast. Times passes. Inspiration comes; I begin…you get the idea.

Sometimes I hit a mysterious point where I suddenly need to complete all open projects, or release them (into the ethers with fire, or into the earth for decomposition) in a decisive, yet ceremonial way. I’m in that phase again.

Yet, at the same time, it often seems that a piece of art is a mysteriously living thing that has its own timeline. Such was the case with this mask.

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Honoring the Dead with Altars

This time of year I like to build altars (sometimes elaborate, sometimes simple) to remember and honor those who have gone before as well as my contemporaries whose journeys, in this lifetime, came to an end. Honoring the dead is an age-old, universal custom that has real value.

It’s super easy to make an altar, and it can be a very rewarding experience. It can be as simple as lighting a candle, placing pictures, flowers, objects, basically, whatever you’re “called” gather together on a space (that I recommend you set aside, in your own way, as being sacred).

For inspiration, here’s a few examples. The first is a more elaborate altar I put together a few years ago, that I later made into a permanent ancestor altar box, pictured below. The last image is this year’s super simple altar. Let your imagination and intuition guide you to create a thing of beauty and deep meaning. It’s so worth the time investment.

It feels good to remember and pay respects to our loved ones who have left this world through our own thoughtful, creative acts of love. It’s a great healing activity for anyone, (especially children) who has recently suffered loss. Creative acts are known to be highly beneficial for working through grief. In time, building an altar (and perhaps doing some type of ceremony) can become quite a beautiful and joyous event.

I highly recommend you try it for yourself!

Ancestor Altar Altar Box TA Ancestor Altar