Cultural Mythology: American Notions of Self and Country

Voice of the Animal

If you are interested in myths and stories about animals, check out Voice of the Animal by Dr. Rae Ann Kumelos. This site includes a great archive of audio files on a wide range of animals. As Rae Ann observes, the advice given by an animal in folk and fairy tales is always right. So LISTEN TO THE ANIMALS . . . ONE STORY AT A TIME. 

Dr. Kumelos also offers a cool, weekly animal quote subscription.

Excuse me, what's that boys? Harry wants me to turn up the A/C and the cat bowl is empty again? I'll get right on it. That's why cats have humans around.

High Desert Mythological RoundTable (R) Group featured by JCF

On June 29th, the High Desert Mythological RoundTable gathered outside as dusk was falling, in a lovely courtyard at the Joshua Tree Retreat Center. The sound of the breeze in the trees and the tinkling fountain framed our storytelling and conversation, which moved easily around a host of topics: totem animals, the BP oil spill, reasons to hope for the future (and reasons to just savor the moment), the importance of understanding our nature (and nature), war, sacrifice, and honor, and the multiple nuances and possible meanings of the folk tale, Crescent Moon Bear. An owl swooped by.

It was another satisfying and stimulating evening in good company, with the type of conversation you'd be hard pressed to find anywhere else.Thank you to the growing group of people who bring their ideas and energy (and cookies) to this monthly gathering.

I'm very happy to announce that we're currently featured on the Joseph Campbell Foundation website. Check it out, and take a few minutes (or hours) to peruse the on-line JCF offerings. Joseph Campbell's work continues to inspire a diverse and creative community of folks curious about myth and the mystery of life. If you become an Associate of the foundation (which is free and just takes a few minutes), you can participate in a wide range of forums on a variety of topics.

If you are in the high desert the last Tuesday of any month, please come join us!

Find the image above and other award winning photographs of the desert night sky by Wally Pacholka at Astropics.com.

"There have been great societies that did not use the wheel, but there have been no societies that did not tell stories." Ursula LeGuin

Priorities

If I had my life to live over again, I would have made a
rule to read some poetry and listen to some music at least
once a week."

-- Charles Darwin, scientist

10 Spiritually transmitted diseases

I came across this post by Mariana Caplan on Huffington Post and although I am feeling a bit guilty for not posting much original writing here of late (the book is underway, more on that latter), she is so right on about the various ways that we can delude ourselves about our character and spiritual capacity that I have to share the link.

10 Spiritually transmitted diseases

Joseph Campbell lectures available on itunes

The Joseph Campbell Foundation is making a large number of Campbell's popular lectures available through itunes. While I haven't listened to all of these, I have heard enough of Campbell on tape to assure you that he is interesting, informed, and entertaining. Here is a link to the series Confrontation of East and West in Religion.  Derek Beres, the religion blogger on Huffington Post, recently commented on material from #7, "Martin Buber: An Anecdote." Read Beres, The Everyday Religion of Joseph Campbell, here.

Just a few interesting ideas about the location of the divine, to contemplate alongside the myths of Niobe and Actaeon, god(s) and transformation.

Wild words

Words ought to be a little wild, for they are the assaults of thoughts on the unthinking.~ John Maynard Keynes

Keep this mind as we move to the myth of Actaeon....

Calling all Illinois-based Poets and Writers

International Men's Day-Illinois 2010 is organizing a writing contest for all writers and poets who are residents of Illinois. They are interested in poems, essays, or short stories that promote positive male role models. More details (including submission guidelines and prizes) are available at International Men's Day-Illinois. If you are interested but don't live in the Land of Lincoln, it might be worth a little research to see what your home state has planned.

International Men's Day is a global event that started in 1999, with the support of the United Nations.

Under the new moon

"One summer night, out on a flat headland, all but surrounded by the waters of the bay, the horizons were remote and distant rims on the edge of space.  Millions of stars blazed in darkness, and on the far shore a few lights burned in cottages.  Otherwise there was no reminder of human life.  My companion and I were alone with the stars:  the misty river of the Milky Way flowing across the sky, the patterns of the constellations standing out bright and clear, a blazing planet low on the horizon.  It occurred to me that if this were a sight that could be seen only once in a century, this little headland would be thronged with spectators.  But it can be see many scores of nights in any year, and so the lights burned in the cottages and the inhabitants probably gave not a thought to the beauty overhead; and because they could see it almost any night, perhaps they never will."  ~Rachel Carson

A new moon is up right now---a perfect time to go outside and see the stars.

We find what we search for

“Our minds, bodies, feelings, relationships

are all informed by our questions.

What you ask is who you are.

What you find depends on what you search for.

And what shapes our lives are the questions we ask,

refuse to ask, or never think of asking.”

—Sam Keen, philosopher and theologian, from Spirituality & Health, Spring 2000. Artwork by C. Svehla.

What do you desire?

"If we go down into ourselves, we find that we possess exactly what we desire." - Simone Weil

                                             

Spiral Heart