Cultural Mythology: Myth, culture, and consciousness

Plumbing our depths

There is an important link between my recent talk about Jung's Red Book and his "confrontation with the unconscious," and the last story that I posted, The Old Thief and the Magic Plum Seed--- the value in bringing forth what is buried within us, of finding the gold in the darkness and dark places in our lives. We generally look for solutions to our problems in what we consider to be our strengths and the light aspects of our character. But what we really need is the light found in the darkness. We need the wisdom of the soul as well as the gifts of spirit.

Let's look at the old thief. He was adept at secrets and stealing but eventually got caught. Alone in his gloomy prison cell he discovered the golden kernel, or what Michael Meade calls the "element of destiny" within that fateful situation. "Who is not a thief?" he asks, and this question is both a gift of conscience to the king's court and his ticket to freedom.

There are many kinds of theft and many things worth stealing--- time, for example, solitude, or love, or ideas, or even bread. Some of us must steal our lives from situations that threaten to break us. The point is, we are each in our own way the old thief, with insight to gain and share if we plum(b) the depths of our being and actions. Our imperfection is what unites and heals us.

C. G. Jung also found the gold in his darkness. He was almost broken by the intensely troubling fantasies and dreams that engulfed his consciousness. Was it courage, curiosity, or some other compulsion that led him to address his fantasy figures and meticulously record what they had to teach him? Jung recovered his soul. Like the Old Thief, he freed himself and gave the rest of us a tremendous gift in the process. The result of the Red Book experiment was a collection of depth psychological ideas and practices that have profoundly shaped Western culture and will be a crucial part of a more enlightened future.

We examine our inner selves and work to change external circumstances, addressing both aspects of one task.

"Enlightenment is not imagining figures of light but making the darkness conscious.” --- C. G. Jung

(image is from the Red Book)

Pursuing the inner images

 “I was driven to ask myself in all seriousness: “what is the myth you are living? I found no answer to this question, and had to admit that I was not living with a myth, or even in a myth, but rather in an uncertain cloud of theoretical possibilities which I was beginning to regard with increasing distrust…” C.G. Jung

“The years of which I have spoken to you, when I pursued the inner images, were the most important time of my life. Everything else is to be derived from this. It began at that time, and the later details hardly matter anymore. My entire life consisted in elaborating what had burst forth from the unconscious and flooded me like an enigmatic stream and threatened to break me. That was the stuff and material for more than one life. Everything later was merely the outer classification, the scientific elaboration, and the integration into life. But the numinous beginning, which contained everything, was then.” C.G. Jung

Come explore Jung's ideas and this remarkable work, the Red Book. Thursday December 15th 7-9PM at the Red Arrow Gallery on Hwy 62 Joshua Tree, CA

$10, Pre-registration available online through Transmission Creative Empowerment Sessions.

Making the unconscious conscious

“The self, I thought, was like the monad which I am, and which is my world. The mandala represents this monad and corresponds to the microcosmic nature of the soul […] Only when I began to paint mandalas did I see that all the paths I took, all the steps I made, led back to one point, that is, to the center. The mandala became the expression of all paths.” C.G. Jung

“Everything in the unconscious seeks outward manifestation, and the personality too desires to evolve out of its unconscious conditions and to experience itself as whole.” C.G. Jung

Come explore Jung's ideas and this remarkable work, the Red Book. Thursday December 15th 7-9PM at the Red Arrow Gallery on Hwy 62 Joshua Tree, CA

$10, Pre-registration available online through Transmission Creative Empowerment Sessions.

Jung's Red Book

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

“Tending the 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.

Touching the monster

"Ask a toad what beauty is." Voltaire

The story of Gawain and Lady Ragnell turns on the knight's willingness to wed a hideous hag and the subsequent revelation of the lady's beauty. Her transformation is complete when he offers Ragnell what women desire most, sovereignity, or the right to live by her own will and rules. In the time of actual kings, this tale was often read as a story of king-making, and the lady was understood to symbolize the land. In times past and present, the story also brings the burden of patriarchy into focus, as a function of both outer and inner relationships between masculine and feminine principles and men and women.

When I contemplate the age of this story, which appears in other well known forms like "The Tale of the Wife of Bath" in Canterbury Tales, I have to wonder if we will ever live in a world without gender inequality. This cause is one reason to continue to tell the story. But we can broaden our view of the hag as any rejected Other that we perceive to be ugly, and find a path through many forms of injustice to healing. Healing for the world and for our selves.

This takes courage and an eye for beauty hidden in the depths. Like Gawain, we have to touch the monster, which transforms our expectations of what it is possible for us to do. In her lovely reading of the story, Trebbe Johnson suggests that deepening soul or Self involves a search for beauty. We can reveal the beauty beneath what is ugly, she says, by showing compassion, acknowledging the sovereignity of the Other, confronting the unbeautiful, and loving actively. In this way we can turn suffering into beauty. She writes,

"Daring to touch the unbeautiful, we realize that not only are we not dragged down into something loathsome, but that just the reverse occurs. We feel empowered, joyous, connected with the other. To give beauty-- to our own misshapen selves, to another person, to a group of people, even to a damaged place on the earth--is to move past the fear or repugnance that keep us separate from life itself. To restore beauty is to marry the world, outside us and within." Trebbe Johnson, "Beauty Redeemed."

You can download the whole article, which first appeared in Parabola magazine, at Radical Joy for Hard Times. I highly recommend it. And may you gaze into the eyes of your monster and give her your sweet kiss of love.

The end of the story of The Marriage of Sir Gawain and Lady Ragnell

The news spread quickly through the castle that a bizarre wedding was to take place between an ugly hag and the magnificent Gawain. No one could imagine what had persuaded Gawain to marry this creature. Some thought she must possess great lands and estates. Others thought she must have some secret magic. Most were just stunned at the fate of poor Gawain.

King Arthur drew his nephew aside.  “A postponement might be in order,” he said. “I gave her my promise, Uncle.  Would you have me break my word?” Gawain replied. Lady Ragnell wanted a big wedding and a fine wedding feast. So the wedding took place in the abbey and the feast was held before the entire court. Ragnell gobbled her food and guzzled her wine. Others were revolted but Gawain remained pleasant and courteous and paid kind attention to his bride.

At last the wedding couple retired to their chamber. The young knight was a bit pale and his hands shook just a little. “You have kept our promise well and faithfully,” Lady Ragnell observed. “Come kiss me now that we are wedded.” Gulp. Gawain went to her at once, his stomach churning, and looked into her eyes. He glimpsed sadness in their depths that stirred his compassion and gave her a tender kiss. “My husband,” the lady murmured in a soft voice that he did not recognize.

Suddenly Gawain realized that the woman in his embrace was not as wide as she was tall. He opened his eyes and took a step back. There was a beautiful woman with a smiling face. “Who are you?” he said in amazement, “And where is Lady Ragnell?” “I am she,” said the beautiful lady. My stepbrother Gromer hated me because I would not bend to his will. He obtained knowledge of sorcery and used it to change me into a monstrous hag until the finest knight in Britain willingly chose me as his bride.”

With great admiration Gawain said, “Then you have won and his evil spell is broken!” “Only in part, my dear Gawain” Ragnell replied. “I can only be beautiful half of the time. You have a choice of which way I will be.  Would you have me beautiful at night in our chamber and ugly in front of the court during the day?  Or would you have me grotesque in our chamber at night and my own shape by day in the castle?  Fair by night, or fair by day- think carefully before you choose.”

Gawain thought for a moment. Then he knelt before his bride and said, “It is a choice I cannot make. It concerns you my dear lady, and whatever you choose, I will willingly abide by it.” Ragnell released a long, deep breath. “You have answered well, dearest Gawain. Your answer has broken Gromer’s evil spell completely. You have given me what women desire above all else, the right to exercise my own free will.”

And so in wonder and joy began the marriage of Sir Gawain and the Lady Ragnell.

 

 

The Marriage of Sir Gawain and Lady Ragnell continued

When Arthur returned to the castle, he found himself telling his nephew about his adventure and the loathsome Lady Ragnell. He couldn’t bring himself to mention her proposal however. “I’m sure that she knows the answer,” Arthur concluded, “but I didn’t intend to tell you any of this.” Gawain was confused. “This sounds like good news, Uncle. Why do you sound so discouraged?”

With his eyes averted, the king reported Ragnell’s demand, along with a detailed description of her grotesque face, warty skin, and bulging size. “How fortunate that I can save your life!” Gawain immediately replied. "No," said Arthur, "this is too much. Did I mention her yellow teeth? Did I tell you that she is almost as wide as she is tall?" Over his uncle’s protests Gawain stated, “It is my decision. I will return with you tomorrow and agree to the marriage, on the condition that her answer saves your life.”

Early the next morning Gawain rode out with Arthur to meet the Lady Ragnell. She was truly loathsome, but Gawain did not betray his disgust. He bowed to her courteously and said, “If tomorrow your answer saves the king’s life, we shall be wed.” Ragnell beckoned to Arthur and whispered the answer into his ear.

The fateful day arrived. Gawain rode with Arthur to the edge of the oak wood and the king assured him that he would try all of the other answers first. Then he rode on alone to his meeting with Sir Gromer.     The tall powerful chieftain was waiting for Arthur, his broadsword gleaming in the sun. Arthur got out the two big books and read out one answer after another. “What a woman desires above all else is admiration,” he said. “No” said Gromer. “What a woman desires above all else is fine clothes and jewelry.” “No,” said Gromer. “A big, beautiful house with maid servants.” “No.” “A lusty man.” “No.” “A lusty man on a Hawaiian vacation.” “No.” Arthur read through his list and Gromer shouted “No! No! No!” until at last he raised his sword high above his head. “Wait!” the king cried. “I have one more answer. What a woman desires above all else is sovereignty, the right to exercise her own free will.”

With a loud curse Gromer dropped his sword to his side. “You didn’t find that answer on your own! My cursed stepsister Ragnell gave it to you! I must let you go unharmed, but I’ll run her through with my sword!”  He turned and plunged back into the forest, shouting.

Arthur returned to where Gawain waited with the Lady Ragnell. All three rode back to the castle in silence. Only Lady Ragnell seemed in good spirits.

The Marriage of Sir Gawain and Lady Ragnell

One day, King Arthur was out hunting. He followed a great white stag to the edge of the oak woods, where a powerful chieftain, swinging his great broad sword, suddenly confronted him. “Greetings King Arthur,” he said, “I am Sir Gromer and you have taken some of my northern lands. Tell me, is there any reason why I should not cut you down on this spot?”  “I am unarmed,” said Arthur, “You would not kill a man without a fair fight.”

“True enough,” Gromer replied. “I will show you mercy today. But you owe me your life so you must meet my challenge. In exactly one year, you must return to this spot unarmed, with the correct answer to the question I pose. If you do not have the right answer, I will kill you.” “What is the question?” Arthur asked. “Only this,” replied Gromer, “What do women desire above all else?”

“You must be joking,” said Arthur, “No one can answer that question.” He was certain that this was a trick. But Gromer would not be shaken. Arthur rode home to his castle, very discouraged.

Back at the castle Arthur told the entire story to his nephew Sir Gawain, who was known as the wisest, bravest, most handsome, and most courteous of all the Knights of the Round Table. “I’m doomed,” Arthur told him. But the young Gawain was hopeful. “We have an entire year to question everyone in the kingdom,” he said, “Surely we will find someone who knows the answer to this riddle.”

Arthur and Gawain rode around the countryside and asked every man and woman for their answer to this question. They collected many answers and wrote them down in two big books. But the year was almost over and the pages were full and not one of the answers had the ring of truth. King Arthur was close to despair.

One morning, he rode out alone through the meadows and purple heather, deep in thought about his predicament.  At the edge of the oak woods, a large, grotesque woman suddenly confronted him. Her skin was red and coarse and her hair was lank. Her long yellow teeth overhung her flabby lips. She was covered with warts and almost as wide as she was tall.This hideous woman took a fearless step toward him and declared, “You are King Arthur and in two days you must meet Sir Gromer with an answer to a question.” “Yes,” Arthur replied hesitantly, “But how do you know about this?”

“I am Lady Ragnell and Sir Gromer is my stepbrother. You don’t have the right answer, do you?”

“I have many answers, and I don’t see how it concerns you,” Arthur retorted, gathering his reins to turn and ride home.

“You do not have the right answer,” said Ragnell in a tone that made him pause. “I have the answer.”

Arthur turned and leaped off his horse. “Tell me the answer and I will give you a large bag of gold!” “I have no use for gold,” she calmly replied. “Nonsense, woman, you can buy anything you want with it! Or maybe you want land or a fine castle. Whatever you want, I will pay you—that is, it you have the right answer.”

“I know the answer, I can promise you that,” she responded. “Then tell me what it will take to get you to share it with me,” Arthur asked. After a slight pause she said, “I demand in return that Sir Gawain become my husband.” Arthur gasped. “Impossible! You ask the impossible, woman. I cannot give you my nephew. He’s his own man, not mine to give!” “I did not ask you to give me the knight Gawain." she said. "If Gawain agrees to marry me of his own free will, then I will give you the answer. Those are my terms.”

“Terms!  What right do you have to give me terms? I could never bring him such a proposal” Arthur said. Ragnell stared calmly at the king’s face and simply said, “If you should change your mind, I will be here tomorrow.”  Then she disappeared into the woods.

Shaken from this strange encounter, Arthur road home at a slow pace, thinking that he could never speak to Gawain of this matter.  The loathsome woman!  How dare she ask for the finest knight in marriage!  But the fateful meeting with Gromer weighed heavily on him...

Carrying our own oats

We've been reflecting on stories about the mysterious relationship between love for an Other, and the inner union of masculine and feminine energies that fuels our personal development. For example, when Psyche and Eros were separated she was not presented with tasks that tested her love for him or proved her devotion. She had to learn the value of discrimination, strategy, and single-minded focus. In Valemon the White Bear King, the youngest princess must save the white bear who possesses the golden wreath that she cannot live without. That is, her highest Self is realized through participation in their mutual adventure of transformation. After adversity and challenges, comes the happily ever after.

Have you ever fallen into a magical love with your perfect soul mate? In the beginning there is nothing and no one else in the world but the beloved. But that cocoon ultimately becomes a crucible, and we understand that we are first and foremost, in relationship with our self. We don't get to this stage in every love affair, but if we're lucky we climb the glass mountain at least once.

The funny thing is, we take the journey to discover what was always present. Like the horse in the Hirshfield poem I posted last week, we carry the oats we will eat on our own back. We don't find our Self in relationship because the beloved has something essential that we lack. We can complete ourselves in relationship because loving calls forth from within us, what is required for our own realization.

"Briefly, briefly, we see it, and forget" Hirshfield writes, "As if the spell were too powerful to hold on the tongue." Thank goodness for the poetry and stories that help us remember, and wake up.

These Women! and the Institute for Cultural Change

An extraordinary weekend of dialogue, exploration, and dynamic conversation with the seminal voices whose life work shaped and expanded the evolution of Depth, Archetypal, and Jungian psychology.

This first annual event will honor: Pat Berry, Lyn Cowan, Christine Downing, Nor Hall, Ginette Paris, Hendrika De Vries, Mary Watkins, and Marion Woodman. More information and registration is available at Institute for Cultural Change.