Myth in the Mojave

The 50th anniversary of the March on Washington this past week brings to mind the power of collective action to bring about positive change. I’m especially inspired by the ability of those activists to transform their sorrow, outrage, and anger into a potent, peaceful, and unstoppable force. 

This is a skill we can all use today, and I’ve got a fairy tale that provides some insight and ideas about how this can be accomplished.

A young woman tries to reconnect with her husband when he returns from war in this Japanese story called "The Crescent Moon Bear." The ending may surprise you.

MITM theme music by Travis Rosenberg. Thanks to Radio Free Joshua Tree for providing MITM a home on internet radio-- and thank you for listening!

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In Part 2 of this two-part series, Stephen Gerringer of the Joseph Campbell Foundation shares his thoughts about mythology, landscape, Native American stories, science, and his mythic connection to Modesto. He also reflects on the connection between poetry and mythology, the song of the universe, and the source of a new myth.

If you aren’t familiar with the important work of the JCF, please visit the Joseph Campbell Foundation website and take a look around.

MITM theme music by Travis Rosenberg. Thanks to Radio Free Joshua Tree for providing MITM a home on internet radio-- and thank you for listening!

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Stephen Gerringer is one of the principle players (and I do mean play) at the Joseph Campbell Foundation, where he is captain of community outreach. He is also a fellow storyteller. 

In this two-part series, Stephen tells the Haida myth of Salmon Boy and shares his thoughts about mythology, landscape, Native American stories, science, and his mythic connection to Modesto. He also reflects on the connection between poetry and mythology, the song of the universe, and the source of a new myth.

This is marvelous stuff from a thoughtful myth-maker. 

MITM theme music by Travis Rosenberg. Thanks to Radio Free Joshua Tree for providing MITM a home on internet radio-- and thank you for listening!

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Grandmother Spider is a central figure in the Hopi creation myths. Each of us has a creation myth. Whether we find our myth in religion, mythology, or science, we all adopt a story, a narrative that explains how this world came into being and makes sense to us personally. 

Our creation myths are very important because they influence our ideas about the meaning and significance of life, and how we should behave while we’re here. Whether or not the creator is masculine or feminine, or a male-female pair, continues to be an important mythological question with far-reaching cultural implications.

In this episode of Myth in the Mojave, I tell my version of the Hopi creation myth of Grandmother Spider. I also share an Apache creation story about a man and a dog that always makes me smile.

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The conclusion of this Persian tale from a collection by Heinrich Zimmer (edited by Joseph Campbell), called The King and the Corpse: Tales of the Soul’s Conquest of Evil.

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Like Abu Kasem’s Slippers, this is another great Persian tale from a collection by Heinrich Zimmer (edited by Joseph Campbell), called The King and the Corpse: Tales of the Soul’s Conquest of Evil. “Soul’s conquest of evil?” you ask.

Part of maturing and evolving our consciousness is continually challenging our cherished self-image. It’s rather hard to do this, I mean, I’m mostly perfect, aren’t you? But luckily for us, life often conspires to bring us the lessons we need and offers up treasures in the most banal wrappings. Sometimes they come in the form of a good story.

One of my favorite things about this story is the riddling tales that it contains. Riddles have long been a tool wielded by mysterious creatures and spirits (the sphinx for example) to test the mettle of would-be heroes.

MITM theme music by Travis Rosenberg. Thanks to Radio Free Joshua Tree for providing MITM a home on internet radio-- and thank you for listening!

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I found this Persian tale in a collection by Heinrich Zimmer (edited by Joseph Campbell), called The King and The Corpse: Tales of the Soul’s Conquest of Evil.

I know “Tales of the Soul’s Conquest of Evil” has a rather ominous sound but this is a humorous story about a miserly merchant a troublesome pair of shoes, and much more. This tale gives you a lot to ponder if you like to approach story images from a Jungian perspective.

I don’t want to give anything away so will leave you with this quote:  “Always you will find that within you the shadow and the light go together… It is up to you to know how to utilize the one to realize the other.” -Sri Aurobindo

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“We live between the act of awakening and the act of surrender.” John O’Donohue

Half myth, half fairy tale, this story was first told by Apuleius in the 2nd century but it stills speaks to the mysteries of love and the challenge of finding your Self in relationship with an Other. Are we talking about men and women? Sure. Are we talking about the inner masculine and feminine? Right again. There are many levels and angles to contemplate in this story, and many faces of the Other, divine and otherwise. 

In parts 1 and 2 I tell the story. In part 3 we walk back through the myth and talk about the psychological implications of the story. Along the way I’ll offer one interpretation of the metaphors and symbols in this tale of love found, lost, and found again.

MITM theme music by Travis Rosenberg. Thanks to Radio Free Joshua Tree for providing MITM a home on internet radio-- and thank you for listening!

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Half myth, half fairy tale, this story was first told by Apuleius in the 2nd century but it stills speaks to the mysteries of love and the challenge of finding your Self in relationship with an Other. Are we talking about men and women? Sure. Are we talking about the inner masculine and feminine? Right again. There are many levels and angles to contemplate in this story, and many faces of the Other, divine and otherwise.

In parts 1 and 2 I tell the story. In part 3 we walk back through the myth and talk about the psychological implications of the story. Along the way I’ll offer one interpretation of the metaphors and symbols in this tale of love found, lost, and found again.

MITM theme music by Travis Rosenberg. Thanks to Radio Free Joshua Tree for providing MITM a home on internet radio-- and thank you for listening!

Support the show

Half myth, half fairy tale, this story was first told by Apuleius in the 2nd century but it stills speaks to the mysteries of love and the challenge of finding your Self in relationship with an Other. Are we talking about men and women? Sure. Are we talking about the inner masculine and feminine? Right again. There are many levels and angles to contemplate in this story, and many faces of the Other, divine and otherwise.

In parts 1 and 2 I tell the story. In part 3 we walk back through the myth and talk about the psychological implications of the story. Along the way I’ll offer one interpretation of the metaphors and symbols in this tale of love found, lost, and found again.

MITM theme music by Travis Rosenberg. Thanks to Radio Free Joshua Tree for providing MITM a home on internet radio-- and thank you for listening!

Support the show