General Class Information April thru December 2007...

A 9 month study program exploring the life, work and ideas of Joseph Campbell- American writer, scholar and teacher of world mythology and religion. (1904-1987). Each class will include a group discussion, presentation from facilitator, and viewing of an episode of the acclaimed series The Power of Myth, with Bill Moyers & Joseph Campbell, followed by a brief processing/Q&A period.

Journaling and short processing papers on the reading is encouraged. Please bring your thoughts and ideas for discussion. Class participation and the exchange of ideas will be the life’s blood of the meetings.

Required Text “The Power of Myth” (the illustrated version as the mythic image is of utmost importance).
The text is a much more complete version of the visual series as well as a companion. (ISBN 038527737 hardcover 0385247745 paperback). You should be able to purchase a new or used copy from several book houses including Amazon.com, Abe.com, or bookfinder.com. Certain essays and chapters from other texts will be provided as well.

*Students will have just this one text and will be expected to read carefully and critically!
*Students should take the time to write down any thoughts and ideas as they occur for sharing with the class.

It is recommended that “Reflections on the Art of Living: A Joseph Campbell Companion” edited by Diane Osbon (ISBN 0060167181 hardcover) also be abtained for the class. It is a wonderful summary of the ideas of Joseph Campbell in a very accessible and clear format.

Course Background..
In the modern era, myth is still alive but only as it relates to the individual life. The obvious and necessary survival of Pluralism (within an ever more globalized society) makes a completely unifying myth impossible, but if we can’t install a new world mythology for the masses, we can, at least, return to the source from which mythology springs, which Joseph Campbell has termed the, “Creative Imagination.”

We have arrived at a point in history where the cultivation of individual development, growth, and empowerment is absolutely essential for our survival. “Group think,” has become far too dangerous to participate in blindly. The return of the Hero is required. Yet, we have been trained to think that the Hero’s quest is only for avatars, religious leaders, politicians and movie stars. This is wrong thinking. Simply by birthright it is yours to take, if only you would find the courage to step off of the well-trodden path (like Dante or the Grail Knights) and journey fearlessly into that deep dark wood.

Certainly, guides will be there waiting and doors to understanding will appear for you in places where they would appear for no one else! Joseph Campbell tells us that by having the courage to "follow our bliss", we automatically set in motion the potentialities of integration, wholeness and a sense of well being in our lives and in our environment.

If this excites you at all, if these statements stir something within, then welcome to the world of Joseph Campbell. His life’s work is a living testament in human potential, the potential to exist (not only viably, but joyfully) within your culture, yet not be bound to it. His is a call to not let anyone (including yourself) concretize any belief or belief system, but always to be open to the mystery behind the energy of your own life; the energy that guides you, and ultimately, helps you to transcend all of the cultural expressions and inherent limitations of the human organism, thus, opening you to bliss. The great western philosopher Emile Durckheim said that, “the goal of life is to be always transparent to the transcendent.” Joe taught this and, more importantly, lived it. It has been his special contribution, “to give people a sense of the universal dimensions of their own life myth.” As it exists, right here, right now!!! The writer (and a mentor of Joe’s) James Joyce stated that the moment of aesthetic arrest, or “radiance,” occurs when the phenomenal object points beyond itself to unveil the universe.” For Joe, the main object is your own life and through his work he boldly calls you to step into the radiance of your own being.

September 1, 2:00pm - 5:00pm

PRESENTATION...Building a Personal Mythology, Tools of Integration and Transformation. In mid-life, Carl Jung arrived at a point where he felt that he could no longer move forward until he discovered exactly what myth he was living. He came to the realization that his life would remain fragmented until he empowered himself to envision and integrate the energies that were at work in his own psyche (in other words, to develop the ability to raise unconscious programming to conscious awareness). Two of the tools that he used to set about this task were the mandala and the major arcana (greater mysteries) of the Tarot. Joe was very inspired by Jung’s work in this area and he spent a great deal of time studying the cross-cultural manifestations of the mandala and the psychological functioning of the Tarot deck. Finally, to wrap up the course, we will take a thorough look at these two powerfully expansive tools. We will also add the symbolism of the labyrinth to our discussion in the hope that we will not only learn to identify, but also empower ourselves to integrate the myths that we are currently living to arrive at a new level of conscious awareness.
VIEWING...
TEXT...

October 6, 2:00pm - 5:00pm

PRESENTATION...Rev. Sacha Bier will work her magic and give a presentation based on the ideas proposed in "Tales of Love and Marriage" drawing from her rich experiences as a licensed therapist, spiritual mentor and interfaith minister. Certainly, she will help illumine Joseph's conviction that..."the head and the heart should not be at war in relationship, they should be in cooperation." Don't miss this presentation by one of the most inspiring, knowledgeable teachers at Mother's Trust!

VIEWING...Bill Moyers: "Tales of Love and Marriage"

November 3, 2:00pm - 5:00pm

PRESENTATION...Joseph Campbell once stated, "If you want to learn about a culture and it's people, listen carefully to the stories they tell." With the help of a very highly respected Native American pipecarrier, we will explore the story world of Anishnabe religion and folktale, learning about the land we occupy and the ancient oral tradition that lives within it, kept alive by the Native people as it continues to function in their culture of continuity and change. Don't miss this wonderful opportunity. Please come help us celebrate Native American Heritage National Awarenss Month!

December 1, 2:00pm - 5:00pm

PRESENTATION...Carl Jung-“There is a thinking in primordial images, in symbols, which are older than the historical man, which are inborn in him from the earliest times, and eternally living; outlasting all generations that still make up the groundwork of the human psyche. It is only possible to live the fullest life when we are in harmony with these symbols and wisdom consists in a return to them.” A picture says a thousand words and Joseph repeatedly said that the mythic image is of the utmost importance in re-connecting to and re-integrating with the energies of our own life. One of our biggest cultural problems in the west is that the symbols and images that used to help guide us and nurture us have almost completely lost their meaning. We no longer know how to appropriately recognize or apply the potent energies of the mythic image to our own lives. Joseph has put this hero’s task squarely on the shoulders of our modern artists. They are to serve as the shamans of our culture and through their work function as our guide, sounding the call that starts us (or helps us) along our inward journey to illumination. I have asked my good friend and national award-winning artist Nancy Spalink P.S.A. to give a presentation on her work as an archetypal artist. She will share the dynamics of her art and we will surely gain a better understanding of the words of W.B.Yeats when he declared; ““The arts, I believe, are about to take upon their shoulders the burdens which have fallen on the shoulders of priests.”

VIEWING...Sukhavati-Place of Bliss: A mythic journey with Joseph Campbell

"Quotes" by Joseph Campbell...

Follow your bliss.

The heroic life is living the individual adventure.

There is no security in following the call to adventure.

Nothing is exciting if you know what the outcome is going to be.

To refuse the call means stagnation.

What you don’t experience positively you will experience negatively.

You enter the forest at the darkest point, where there is no path. Where there is a way or path, it is someone else’s path. You are not on your own path. If you follow someone else’s way, you are not going to realize your own potential.

The goal of the hero trip down to the jewel point is to find those levels in the psyche that open, open, open, and finally open to the mystery of your Self being Buddha consciousness or the Christ. That’s the journey.

It is all about finding that still point in your mind where commitment drops away.

The goal is to live with godlike composure on the full rush of energy, like Dionysus riding the leopard, without being torn to pieces. A bit of advice given to a young Native American at the time of his initiation: “As you go the way of life, you will see a great chasm. Jump! It is not as wide as you think.”