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“The secret source of humor is not joy but sorrow, and there is no humor in heaven.”  ~ Mark Twain

When we get stuck, when life hands us a challenging situation and there's no clear way out, our best tool is the ability to shift perspective. To see things from a different angle.

Laughter can help us make such a shift.  So can a story. 

The answer might not come immediately and yet, the shift is essential. In this episode, we'll explore this process with the aid of a fairy tale called "The Bee, the Harp, the Mouse, and the Bum-Clock." 

Whatever you're dealing with right now, I hope you find something useful in this episode. Thanks for listening.

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My jumping off point today is a story that's generating a lot of heated debate right now, the movie "Don't Look Up." 

I'm going to make some references to this movie, but this podcast is not about it, per se. So, if you haven't seen the movie, no worries. And if you have, and are perhaps tired of or already feel deeply embroiled in the conversation that it has catalyzed, I hope to take you in a somewhat different direction. 

We're going to wander with the Trickster and see what he/she can tell us about the process of cultural change....

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“How can I be substantial if I do not cast a shadow? I must have a dark side also If I am to be whole.” ― C.G. Jung, Modern Man in Search of a Soul

The creation and maintenance of a shadow aspect of the personal and collective psyche is an inevitable part of psychic life.  When consciousness and a sense of personal identity emerges, so does a shadow.

Recognizing your shadow and maintaining a healthy relationship with it is a central psychospiritual task. Owning your shadow is essential to self-awareness, ethical behavior, and psychological wholeness.

The dangerous machinations of the psychological shadow are revealed in this creepy adult fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen. 

"If you imagine someone who is brave enough to withdraw all his projections, then you get an individual who is conscious of a pretty thick shadow. Such a man has saddled himself with new problems and conflicts. He has become a serious problem to himself, as he is now unable to say that they do this or that, they are wrong, and they must be fought against… Such a man knows that whatever is wrong in the world is in himself, and if he only learns to deal with his own shadow he has done something real for the world. He has succeeded in shouldering at least an infinitesimal part of the gigantic, unsolved social problems of our day." --- C. G. Jung, “Psychology and Religion” CW 11

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Here we are, on the cusp on the new year, 2022. 

Around the world, throughout history, this is a time to rest. To pause and take stock. To restore dreams of harmony. To hope.

To begin again.

In this episode, I offer a few thoughts on the ancient ritual of this sacred pause, the role of myth, and our need for "happily ever after."

Thank you for listening and warm wishes for a very happy New Year.

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The cycle of material and psychic life is often encapsulated as life, death, and rebirth. This cycle is the mythological context of the solstice.

But in her formulation of the ancient triple goddess, Marija Gimbutas writes of life, death and regeneration.

Rebirth and regeneration are not quite the same, are they? 

This is the starting point of this episode, which includes the fairy tale  "The Handless Maiden" and reflections on the importance of a regeneration mindset as 2021 comes to an end.

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Part 2 of "Iron John," a fairy tale popularized by Robert Bly, and a meditation on outer riches, inner rewards, self-worth, and the quest to own your gold.

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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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A myth from the Aztec creation cycle, the mythology of bones, and what it might mean to be in service to life today.

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The Celtic story of Cerridwen and her cauldron calls to me as Halloween/Samhain approaches. She's a witch in search of a potion and yet, the tug of the story is deeper. Seasonal changes amplify the energies of betwixt and between that give rise to current challenges. This is a good time to examine your creative dreams. 

What do you long to bring into the world? Who are you willing to become in the process? Where will you turn for inspiration and guidance?

Your ideas and expectations about creativity, and the images of the process that you hold in mind, determine the way that it will unfold. Cerridwen's story has helped me shift my perspective and listen more carefully to messages from the imaginal realm, from soul.

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Personal transformation. 

Do we really want it? 

What can inspire that deep change, and how far are we willing to go in courting those powers?

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