Events and Workshops

Good Books About Myth and Culture

Ginette Paris: Wisdom of the Psyche: Depth Psychology after Neuroscience
Paris provides a wonderful explanation of the intersection between personal life story and collective myths and the way myth shapes perspective.
James Hillman: We've Had a Hundred Years of Psychotherapy--And the World's Getting Worse
Hillman is a central figure in the field of archetypal psychology, which provides a theoretical base for work on cultural mythologies that I find very useful. This collaboration with Michael Ventura is an accessible and stimulating introduction to some of Hillman's ideas.
Michael Meade: The World Behind the World
"The world," Meade writes, "despite it's disasters, tragedies and villainies, can't end unless it runs out of stories." Useful reflections on these changing and frightening times--I especially like the story of the Old Woman, the black dog, and the loose thread.
Carl G. Jung: The Undiscovered Self (Mentor)
C.G. Jung and Sigmund Freud first articulated the existence of the unconscious (which became depth psychology) and understood the ongoing relationship between human meaning and myth. In this book, Jung discusses the moral obligation to become self aware.
Joseph Campbell: The Hero with a Thousand Faces (Bollingen Series)
Campbell writes, "It would not be too much to say that myth is the secret opening through which the inexhaustible energies of the cosmos pour into human cultural manifestation." An important and influential book that links the mythic narrative of "the hero's journey," found across cultures, to contemporary life.
Barry Mills, editor: Kali's Kites: Essays From The Mythological Imagination
This book is both a beautiful and provocative collection of essays about myth, soul and the depths of the imagination. Each author is a graduate of Pacifica Graduate Institute, a unique institution dedicated to animae mundi colendae gratia (for the sake of tending soul in and of the world). Two of my essays are included: "Euripides' Women: The Role of the Feminine Other," and "The Myth of Actaion: Archetypal Image of Buddhist Enlightenment."
Theodore Roszak, editor: Ecopsychology: Restoring the Earth, Healing the Mind
This anthology is a good introduction to some of the themes and thinkers in the field of ecopsychology, which involves the intersection of human ideas about self and world, and the natural, biological, and ecological. Given the current environmental crisis and modern alienation from the natural world, including our own bodies, it is crucial that we deepen our understanding of the cultural myths that govern these relations.
Dennis Patrick Slattery: A Limbo of Shards: Essays on Memory Myth and Metaphor
In this collection of essays, Slattery explores the related themes of memory, myth, and metaphor, drawing material from literature, poetry, and current events. In "The True Terror of Terrorism," he suggests that the loss of Trust, necessary to maintain "civilized space," may be the greatest loss. "Trust is a virtue," he writes, "security its pale shadow."

I'm pleased to offer a range of story and myth based events in conjunction with Transmission Creative Empowerment Sessions, Copper Mountain Community College, and the Desert Institute at Joshua Tree National Park. Come learn the wisdom of stories and explore the mythic dimension of your life.

Friday April 20th 7-9PM, Room 102 Copper Mt College

Emissaries of Olodumare: An Introduction to the Yoruban Orishas

The Yoruban spiritual tradition revolves around a pantheon of deities called “orishas,” manifestations of divine energies that interact with human beings. This system is part of Candomble, Santeria, Vodun, and other religions practiced by millions of people around the world. In this class we will talk about the orishas and consider the similarities and differences with the more familiar Greek Olympians, to understand West African culture and the importance mythology plays in shaping our worldview.

$10. Download the full class schedule and mail-in registration form at CMCC.

Friday March 23rd 7-9PM, Room 102 Copper Mt College

C.G. Jung’s Red Book

In 1913, at age 38, C.G. Jung experienced a life-altering crisis. His response was the Red Book, a personal journal of amazing images and dream material that chronicle his “confrontation with the unconscious.” Published for the first time in the fall of 2010, the Red Book is a fascinating voyage into the psyche of the man who founded analytical psychology. If you know Jung’s work—and if you don’t—come explore the contents of this amazing book.

$10. Download the full class schedule and mail-in registration form at CMCC.

Native American Coyote Stories, Thursday Feb 16th 7-8PM
Black Rock Canyon Campground Visitor Center
9800 Black Rock Canyon, Yucca Valley JTNP

The Great Spirit told Coyote that he would be wise and foolish, a chief and a clown. Coyote shapes a world hospitable to humans through the gifts that he gives and his exploits contain important lessons. We learn from his successes and most often, his failures. Mythological stories of Old Man Coyote have special resonance here in the desert. Come hear “Coyote Keeps His Name,” based on a version told by the Okanagon people of the Pacific Northwest, and “Coyote Brings Fire to the People,” based on a version told by the Karok people from Mt. Shasta, CA. FREE.

Part of the Black Rock Lecture Series brought to you by the Desert Institute at Joshua Tree National Park.

Friday February 10th 7-9PM,Room 102 Copper Mt College

"Trickster Makes the World"

The archetypal trickster is a liar who tells the truth, a wanderer between the realms, and a cunning shape shifter who gets caught in his own traps. Some of his best-known faces include Coyote, Raven, Eshu, Hermes, Loki, and Krishna. We will examine this creative mythological figure, drawing on a range of myths and stories from different traditions, in this thought-provoking lecture.

$10. Download the full class schedule and mail-in registration form at CMCC.

Thursday December 15th 7-9PM Red Arrow Gallery on Hwy 62 Joshua Tree, CA

“Tending Your Inner Life: Jung’s Red Book”

In 1913, at age 38, C.G. Jung was in a life-altering crisis. His response was the Red Book, a personal journal of amazing images and dream material. Jung later said that “All my works, all my creative activity, came from these initial fantasies,” and his “confrontation with the unconscious.” The Red Book, published for the first time in the fall of 2010, is a fascinating voyage into the psyche of the man who founded analytical psychology. If you know Jung’s work—and if you don’t—come explore the contents of this amazing book and discuss what it means to truly tend your inner life.

$10, Pre-registration available online through Transmission Creative Empowerment Sessions at Transmission Joshua Tree. The image is from Jung's Red Book.

Friday November 18th 7-9PM Room 101 Copper Mt Community College

“In Hell There is No Beer: The Sumerian Myth of the Descent of the Goddess Inanna”

What is in the underworld and why does Inanna journey there? We’re told that it’s a very dry and dusty place. Join us for a meditation on the challenges and gifts of the psychological descent into metaphorical darkness.

$10. Download the full class schedule and mail-in registration form at CMCC.

Friday October 14th 7-9PM Room 101 Copper Mt Community College

“Trick(ster) or Treat: Native American Coyote Tales”

The Great Spirit told Coyote that he would be wise and foolish, perpetually old and eternally young. How can this be? Explore coyote consciousness and the paradox of the archetypal trickster.

$10. Download the full class schedule and mail-in registration form at CMCC.

Image is "Coyote Steals Fire" by Susan Seddon Boulet.

Friday September 16th 7-9PM Room 101 Copper Mt Community College

“Battle of the Titans: The Ancient Greek Myth of the Titanomachia”

The ancient myth of the Titanomachia conveys Greek ideas about world creation and transformation that raise interesting questions in these turbulent times. We’ll also talk about key players in the Greek pantheon and the worldview they reflect.

$10. Download the full class schedule and mail-in registration form at CMCC.

Painting is "Saturn Devouring His Children" by Goya.

Thursday September 8th 7-9PM Red Arrow Gallery on Hwy 62 Joshua Tree, CA

“The King and the Corpse”

In this old Hindu story, a brave king spends a fateful night in a graveyard with a talking corpse. What happens to him and is there anything we can learn from his experience? Is there a talking corpse in your life? Join us for entertaining storytelling and thought-provoking conversation.

$10. Pre-registration available online through Transmission Creative Empowerment Sessions at Transmission Joshua Tree.

The High Desert Mythological RoundTable meets the last Tuesday of every month at the Red Arrow Gallery on Hwy 62 Joshua Tree, CA. Anyone with a love for a good story and an open mind is welcome.