Published on 7 May 2006 at 4:50 am. No Comments.
Filed under Living Myth.From the perspective of the The Mythic Way, the central question of our life journey are: Who Am I?, Where Do I Come From?, and Where Am I Going? The sense of Mythic Identity is absolutely huge in terms of how we live out our daily lives. It defines our consciousness and limits or expands our perceptions, underlies or undermines our values and so much more. We are forever asking and answering this question, because we are always changing. The definitions of yesterday, while comfortable, are insufficient to lead us forward into the next day’s journey. Many times I’ve wished this weren’t so, but alas, that is the nature of “things.”Mythic Self is fundamentally important when dealing with such thorny issues as immigration policy, as mentioned in my last post. Because we are so immersed in our culture, we rarely glimpse how powerfully our sense of identity is immeshed in the cultural proclivities that surround us. This is never more obvious than when dealing with “aliens” and foreigners. In this context, we create a corporate mythic identity and call this “our” homeland. Them and us are the categories of thinking that enable us to establish and defend positions that might be contrary to otherwise closely held values. One of those cultural underpinnings for many of us is the Christian Mythic System. However, when it comes to illegal immigration, otherwise God fearing, compassionate Christians become hostile and nervous at the large influx of “illegals.”I’m not going to suggest that I have an answer to such huge questions. However, I have been working on a site (http://mythiccave.com) where the central focus is helping us determine, at least in a partial way, the question of “Who Am I?” By undertaking the journey into the cave, through a series of questions, you will be taken to an Oracle, who will help you understand some of the basic aspects that define us. This is not a personality test, but a mythic “character” test. My thought is that the better we understand ourselves, perhaps there will be less pressure to exclude and be hostile to “others.” I hope you will visit the

G. Charles Andersen, M.A.Remember, MythMatters, even when it doesn’t  (http://mythmatters.com). 

Immigration From a Mythic Point

Published on 3 May 2006 at 4:42 pm. No Comments.
Filed under Living Myth.As I sit here in the middle of the week, poised between Monday demonstrations and Friday, Cinco de Mayo, my thoughts wandered to the meaning of it all. Aside from the need for public policy in order to introduce some equity into the situation, the problem of “illegal” immigration is very problematic. I can remember the horror of watching people machine gunned down on the barbed wire fences of the Berlin Wall. Now, that was a harsh “illegal” immigration policy. We cheered for those people when they made it and wept when they didn’t. Not so, with our friends from the southern climes. Economically, we need them. Socially, they are undesirable. As voiced by my Son Geoffrey in his recent comments at the FRAY WATCH, there is some conflict in our own psyche about stealing our Southwestern United States, including

That brings us to the huge mythic concept of home and homeland. First of all, the historonics. Mexican independence from

Toys And Mythic Training

Published on 22 Apr 2006 at 7:24 pm. No Comments.
Filed under Living Myth.Still working and thinking about Myths for Teens, http://mythsforteens.com . I was at Target the other day, looking at computer games to see what was popular with kids these days and was truly apalled. War, battle congquest are the primary games that attract young people. The message of course is that violence is the only way to deal with conflict. Negotiation and cooperation are not fun strategies. If the monsters are too big, just get a bigger blaster to take care of business.When Odysseus was faced with a monter bigger than his weapons (the Cyclops for instance) he was forced to use the mightiest weapon of them all–his mind. It’s so much easier to pull the trigger and walk away than it is to think a situation through, find the weakness and ovecome. Even in the USMC, they taught us to adapt, improvise and overcome–always think first. Sometimes, battling your way out of a tough situation was the path of certain destruction. Negotiation and even surrender were viable options to keep oneself and companions alive to fight another day.If war is one of our primary mythic and archetypal models, we need to be aware of what James Hillman calls “A Terrible Love of War.” In many ways, I think our psyche’s are still pinned on the beaches of

That is why one of the sites I’ve been working on is http://MythicConsultants.com , to help anyone interested in finding a robust mythic solution to some of the thorny problems that confront our business and political leaders. Time will tell whether anyone will walk that path. In the meantime, please remember, “Myth Matters, Even When It Doesn’t”http://MythMatters.com

Myth And Literalism

Published on 19 Apr 2006 at 7:34 am. No Comments.
Filed under Living Myth.As I have been putting together the site, http://MythsForTeens.com , I have been struck with the terrible situation we have imposed on young people. My generation has systematically abandoned the mythic realm and settled for the mediocrity of literalism–reducing everything to facts. Now, facts are fine, but they are never value free or contextless. Every set of facts invites a whole web of experiences and associations that color the meaning and interpretation of data and information. Literalism tries to isolate facts from context.Unfortunately, literalism is at the heart of so many of the dilemmas we face in the modern world. Terrorism is only an effective strategy against the literal–where it can be very effective. In the light of the mythic, however, such fruitless activities are seen for what they are–the pathetic actions of the literally desperate. That seems to me, to be the key to the whole problem of self-referentiality. Literalism leads to self-reference, and self-reference leads ultimately to self-destruction. The triumph of literalism is forcing our young people into total self-reference and into the self-destructive cycle of suicide, drugs, alchohol, compulsive sexuality and other forms of negation.Myth on the other hand, leads to sef-reliance. Through engaging the mythic realm there is a fundamental shift in consciousness that engenders self-reliance. Friends are companions on our quest–it is our journey and our selves that matter. They can help, they can hinder but they can’t do our push-ups for us. In the mythic journey, we must rely on ourselves for the last few yards of the struggle–alone we will ultimately face our own mortality. No one can do it for us. Literalism blinds us to all of that.Anyway, more on all that as it develops. Speaking of developing, what I have been working on, rather than doing my blog is what I conceive to be the

http://themythicfire.com and explore the things I have been working on. In the meantime–if you’re heading for Amazon.com, please go through my portal http://mythicbooksonline.com. I get credit for your purchase.Remember, myth matters, even when it doesn’t.
Charles Andersen, M.A.http://mythmatters.com

Mythology of the Soul/Self

Published on 14 Feb 2006 at 1:32 pm. No Comments.
Filed under Living Myth.One of the great mysteries of life is the notion of soul. In a sense we all experience the feeling that something in us lives beyond the limits of earthly existence. Perhaps that is merely the ego holding out the hope of eternal life–even unending torment in some sort of hell would be preferable to total non-existence to the ego. While there are some who have claimed to have experienced some sort of near-death encounter, the glimpses we have of the soul’s journey in the after-life are sketchy at best. Given the essential nature of mystery of the soul, that becomes the realm of mythology.Very few have ventured into this tricky realm, because there is little support for speculation in such matters. Other than it may be some form of energy, many shy away from any description of the possible form and function of the soul. However, within the realm of psycho-mythic spirituality we do not avoid such elusive problems.The idea of quantum? soul-self offers an interesting model for dealing? with the complex nature of the soul, or as sometimes called the “authentic self.” Within this model, the soul-self consists of three aspects: 1) Field Aspect, 2) Wave Aspect and 3) Particle Aspect. The Field Aspect is a vast, eternal energy state that forms the ground of our being and manifests itself in the chakras. The Wave Aspect is an elusive, probablistic, constantly fluctuating form of energy that acts much like a solitonic wave, in the sense of continuity and coherence. This wave function is probably the basis of what we call our mind. The final aspect, the Particle Aspect is that particular sense of time and place we experience as we journey through life. It is this particular sense that forms the basis of what we consider consciousness.Again, may I remind you that this mythology of the soul-self is neither right nor wrong, but merely helpful in thinking about the nature of this mystery. It provides a model for thinking about this dimension of ourselves that could account for many of the things we experience, or not. I invite you to visit the models at http://mythicuniverse.com, and consider the matter for yourself. Happy contemplation.G. Charles Andersen, M.A.
http://themythicfire.com

Myth and Psychology–Wisdom Beyond Healing

Published on 13 Feb 2006 at 2:10 pm. No Comments.
Filed under Living Myth.While studying at Pacifica Graduate Institute I was inundated with Jungian and other depth psychological formation and information. When they advertised mythological studies with an emphasis in depth psychology, they meant an “exclusive” emphasis, not one among others. I have no intention of criticizing anyone, but the emphasis was often within the context of therapy, not so much discovery. I even wrote a paper suggesting that Jung with his many theories went way beyond the merely therapeutic, exploring areas that could not be reduced to healing the psychologically wounded. That particular paper was panned heavily, as I knew it would be.As I understand the wisdom of the

Toward a Mythology of Myth

Published on 8 Feb 2006 at 12:33 pm. No Comments.
Filed under Living Myth.One of the things I realized during my sojurn away from the daily task of blog writing was: besides making babies, human beings make stories, tools and systems. After post-modernism, people are reluctant to employ reductionism, and absolutes, because there are no perfect systems. My realization of the three essential activities of humans positions puts me square in the zone of forbidden thought. However, with my notion of systems, stories and tools, mythology becomes an absolutely fundamental part of being human–a fact which the evidence already shows, but many refuse to recognize the obvious.Since my notion is merely a mythology, it can be neither right or wrong, but merely a story. However, as a story that I am using to develop a system that becomes a tool for understanding some of the deeper aspects of life, it actually validates my proposition. My contention is, from a mythic perspective, that we basically cannot function without those three essential elements. I hope this notion will stimulate some thinking and responses. Please let me know.G. Charles Andersen
http://themythicfire.com?

Mythic Landscape Emerges

Published on 6 Feb 2006 at 10:18 pm. No Comments.
Filed under Living Myth.The rose tipped fingers of morning find me a bit worn from the labors of late. I have been endeavoring to layout for everyone the basic structure of the ideas I have been working on. It seems only fair to me that people who are new to the field of myth, and those who are narrowly focused should know the extent and detail of the ideas I have been developing. While it is not quite ready to launch, I am quite excited about the whole endeavor.In the meantime, time passes and the blog sits a bit idle–not for lack of ideas, but for lack of the wherewithall to balance all the details I have become involved with. As I construct the various websites and work further with the material, things become ever clearer to me–which then demands a response and a certain amount of revision of various aspects.For instance, last night I awoke with a strange energy and realized the delicate relationship of being and spirituality. What I had been referring to as “Psycho-Mythic Spirituality” is really more appropriately (but more obscurely) understood as “Psycho-Mythic Ontogenics.” That may be a distinction without a difference to most folks, but to me, it opened up a whole new host of possibilities. I wish I could elaborate more on this, but then that’s what the website is for.For now, I guess we’ll just have to see how things unfold.

Published on 6 Feb 2006 at 10:15 pm. No Comments.
Filed under Living Myth.

Passage of Time–Oh My!

Published on 5 Feb 2006 at 2:24 pm. No Comments.
Filed under Living Myth.One of the joys of spiritual living is focusing on one day at a time, walking in wonder each day. Unfortunately, the side effect is that time passes very swiftly and one can only wonder, “What happened?” As I expressed in a poem ” Dimly, only now I see
? There’s no recapturing what used to be.
Isn’t it strange to realize
? That then was forever, or so it seemed?
? Oh, how I laughed and dreamed
? Of that far-away tomorrow! Have I been asleep, like some
Rip Van Winkle suddenly awakened?
? How can it be?
? Are those tomorrow’s really yesterday?Sadly–I know it all too well. However, some compensation for my sloth is that I have been working on a number of exciting myth projects that I will be announcing soon. In the meantime, patient reader, know that I am summing up the inner resouces to return to this task soonG. Charles Andersen, M.A.
http://themythicfire.com

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Reflections On The Sacred

September 12th, 2005
Posted in Myth & Spirituality
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On the mythic path, there are four fundamental aspects to consider: 1) The nature of things, 2) the mythic way of being in the world, 3) the mythic way of seeing, and 4) the way of action. These four aspects work together, for instance when we “see” something as “sacred” it can make us move–or when we experience something as “sacred” it will do the same.

As an example, some years ago, the area in which I live was infested by the Mediterranean Fruit Fly. The only way to deal with the infestation is to quarantine the affected areas and then spray Malathion on the fruit. Usually this is done from helicopters flying over a geographic area and spraying everything–houses, trees, autos, pets, lawns, whatever. The insecticide is suspended in a sticky solution, that leaves a coating on everything. It washes off easily enough, but it can be a bit annoying. So, what does that have to do with the sacred?

During that time, I was working with a particular church helping them develop their worship services–worship being considered a “sacred” activity. The group that I was working with were dedicated to helping shape the services so that people could more readily experience God. We were doing “sacred” work, dealing with “sacred” things. However, at about ten minutes to nine in the evening, there was the sound of helicopters flying over, to begin spraying at 9:00pm. Suddenly, without saying a word, everyone got up and left the meeting–because they wanted to get their cars in their garages before the spraying began. My question is what was truly “sacred” to those people, the activity or their automobiles?

A young person I know wanted to move out of state to be with his children, who were with their mother. The kids were “sacred” to him, so he was willing to give up his home and move to be with them. However, the logistics of moving were somewhat overwhelming and he just couldn’t get the resources needed to move everything he wanted to take with him. As the deadline to move approached, the stress on him increased dramatically because each time he neared having the resources needed, something would happen to postpone the move. After talking with him for a while, he was able to see that his “stuff” was “sacred” to him and keeping him from being near his kids, whom he considered “sacred.” So which was truly “sacred?” He finally decided to sell off his “stuff” and get going with whatever money he had–by lightening his load he needed much less money to pull off the move. As I stated earlier, “Sacred is what makes us move.”

So, what do we consider “sacred,” and what actually makes us move? Something to consider.

A World Changing Day

September 11th, 2005
Posted in Living Myth
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Today, amidst the carnage of hurricane Katrina, Americans remember that fateful September day four years ago when our world changed. On that day, we took a blow deep in our collective psyche that changed our world. Obviously, the

From a mythic perspective, there is a connection between symbols, rituals and myths that people in a “scientific age” don’t readily comprehend. If you want to attack a myth, you can do so by attacking an attendant symbol or ritual. In the case of 9/11, that is exactly what the attackers were trying to achieve. They hit us on a symbolic level and wounded us mythically. As the recent election demonstrated, many Americans are ruled by fear–a condition created by a dozen men.

On the other hand, we have responded in Afghanistan and

I suspect this result is because our leaders are unaware that we are living a mythology and are blithely ignorant of the dominant mythology controlling the

As we suffer mythically at home, the forces of chaos and terror grow ever stronger within the societies we have conquered militarily. Our people grow ever more fearful, theirs grow ever more fearless. Hopefully, our leaders will wake up and smell the mythic coffee before it’s too late. The blood of our heroic soldiers is too precious to be wasted by the ignorance of mytho-myopic leaders. In the meantime, we remember, we mourn, and we recover.

Mythic Pathways and Spiritual Journeys

September 11th, 2005
Posted in Myth & Spirituality
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Rhoberta gave me a wonderful book to read: Practicing the Presence by Joel Goldsmith. I found it to be stimulating and quite challenging, because he is advocating a path that involves total surrender of the ego and immersion in the reality of God. There is no work or effort required; there is no need because there is no separateness. Just perfect unity.

This got me to thinking about the various mythic pathways by which we undertake our spiritual journeys. We tend to think that our particular pathway may be the only or best path to follow, without recognizing there may be several that actually work as well or better than our own. For instance, Wayne Dyer recently advocated the “Power of Intention” as the ideal pathway for people to follow. That pathway is similar to Chopra’s “Seven Laws of Spiritual Success” and much of the writing of Ernest Holmes.

However, there is a long history of people following a pathway that is expressed in the phrase, “Pray as if everything depends on God, act as if everything depends on you.” Rhoberta likes the phrase “Treat and move your feet.” Such a pathway is quite different than that advocated by Goldsmith.

From a mythic perspective, each of these pathways place different demands and various rewards on those who follow one path or another. If we see them through our mythic lens, we recognize them as mythic pathways, each connects to the source and no one can claim superiority for one over another. In the Gospels, there are several paths demonstrated by Jesus–so I suspect each can be considered biblically valid. So, even in the realm of spirituality, recognizing the mythic nature of our path can be ever so important. Just something to think about.

Perfection Myths

September 10th, 2005
Posted in Living Myth
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Speaking of toxic myths, perhaps the most pervasive toxic myth is the myth of perfection that torments our culture. The fear of inadequacy fuels the fires of marketing, because we’re never skinny enough, beautiful enough, smart enough, rich enough or whatever. The culture torments us with our imperfections and exploits the pain for profit.

We all “know” that we’re not perfect, so why does this myth have so much power over so many people. I suspect it goes back to the four points from my earlier post. Many of us don’t even know that we’re participating in a perfection myth. If we did, what would be the payoff for continuing to play? Perhaps it’s to cover up the even deeper level of fear that we’ll be discovered for the “phony” we believe we are. Who would love us if they knew the person we truly are?

Unfortunately, most of the myths we have been given don’t address this deep down fear–because there is something within us that knows our personalities are just a story we tell ourselves. Maybe it’s time to look deeper–or maybe not.

Mistakes–A Toxic Mythology

September 9th, 2005
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I suspect there are very few people who get up in the morning and say, “I’m going to go make a mistake that will affect the rest of my life.” Most of us get up and go live our lives as best we can. Sometimes things turn out better than we could have imagined, and sometimes we experience more pain and difficulty than we can possibly imagine. We and others happily condemn ourselves to a toxic mythology, the myth of “mistakes.”

We live, we make choices, and those choices have consequences. Unfortunately, after the fact, we create a judgement of what the outcome of those choices means. In the “nature of things” there are no mistakes. Everything happens for a reason–however obscure it may seem at the time. Sometimes, mistakes lead to great discoveries, and sometimes success leads to catastrophic failure. There is no impartial jury to decide at any given moment whether a decision is a mistake or not.

For instance, I know a young lady who recently became pregnant, though unmarried. There are those who have tried to convince her that she had made a terrible mistake and should do something about it. However, courageously she decided that the life she carried within was not a “mistake” but a blessing. For her, doing something about the situation would have been a mistake. There is no absolute standard for what constitutes a mistake, because there is no absolute script for our lives. Who knows how our lives are “supposed” to turn out. Lacking that most basic knowledge, who can say with any conviction what constitutes a “mistake?”

However, there never seems to be any shortage of people willing to impose their “Mistake Mythology” on others. I refer to my earlier post about the need to recognize the mythology of which we are a part. The idea is that we need to eliminate self judgement. Not only will this improve the myth we’re living, but it will tend to eliminate our judgements of others. As Maxwell Maltz says, “We need to look at ourselves with ‘kinder’ eyes.”

A Mythic Wish

September 8th, 2005
Posted in Living Myth
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There are four things I wish people understood about the mythic world we live in: (1) We are all living a mythology. (2) We should be aware of the myth we are already living. (3) We should consciously choose the myth we want to live. (4) We should actually be living the myth we choose.

The hardest thing for anyone to do is recognize the myth they are living–because for each of us it is not a myth, it is the way things are. The Greeks did not think that what they believed were myths–for them what we call mythology was the way they perceived the world. The same is also true for us.

There is no escape from mythic living–we can only replace one myth for another. We can continue to be trapped in a myth that was chosen for us by our parents and our culture, or we can mindfully develop the myth of our lives that truly reflect our true aspirations and desires.

Joseph Campbell says that we enter the realms of original experience through fire. Camp fires, hearth fires or mythic fires can perhaps lead us into those realms where we can wander, wonder and embrace a whole new world. Choose wisely.