Myth Matters

Iron John and finding the wild man


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The words "this wide, beautiful, crazy world of ours" have been part of my introduction for this podcast for years. In my experience, this is an accurate picture and yet the meaning and context for the descriptors: "wide," "beautiful," and "crazy,"--especially "crazy," ---has changed over time. Many things happen that surprise me. Developments in all areas of life that I didn't imagine, let alone predict. A level of chaos and uncertainty that I never expected to entertain in my lifetime. 

Among the pieces of good news, and there are many, is this: we're in the boat together my friend. Called to re-evaluate and re-imagine what has importance and value. Called to change. The company that you keep and the places that you look for guidance will determine how you feel about this present moment.

This line of thinking brought me to the story that I want to tell you today, a fairy tale called "Iron John," or "Iron Hans" if you look for the Grimm Brother’s version. This fairy tale resurfaced in the popular imagination in early the 1990s when Robert Bly shared it with men in need of story work. Bly also published a book under that title that you might find interesting. 

I'm going to tell the story in two parts over two episodes, so you and I both have some time to let the details and images of the story sink in. Time to imagine with and through it. This is part 1.  I'll tell the rest of "Iron John" in the next episode.

Now on with the story....

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Myth MattersBy Catherine Svehla

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