Our lives are full of stories: Our personal stories: how we create in - and interact with - the world around us. Our cultural stories: where and who we came from and the tribal and religious rituals that define us. Our political stories: what we think is important to be a part of a functioning society.
Our practices and our personal rituals can help us decipher and understand these stories. So can the exploration of myth.
In the before times, when I traveled, taught and collaborated with my dear friend, Felipe Gonzalez, he would teach a workshop exploring mythology and practice.
It was always an informative and enlightening experience, and one that I wanted to bring to my community in these, shall we say, in between times.
I recently asked Felipe some questions on the subject:
How would you define myth, or mythology?
Mythology is a symbolic narrative that is used to describe or explain an origin, history, natural, or social phenomenon of a specific culture or religion. Generally involving characters of superhuman power/skills and predates the modern time.
Why do you think It’s important to explore myths in practice?
Myths are archetypal narratives that give individuals access and insight into the vast collective of human consciousness. Myths act like guideposts to give us clues and roadmaps to gracefully pass through the thresholds of the human journey.
Do you think myth is reflective of reality? Or does myth create reality? Or, both?
Both! Myths are a reflection of what the human imagination can conceive and perceive. They help us understand the rationality, functionality, structural, and psychology of the human experience. In turn, they help us access information and perceive situations, outcomes, potential that doesn’t exist yet.
How do you use myth?
I use myths both personally and professionally. Myths often give us the reason or the why we live our lives. When we have a reason, a purpose, a narrative that speaks to our own experience, we can endure almost any condition to live that truth. I often ask myself “what myth am I living? What archetype am I trying to embody?”. It’s often the question, the curiosity that leads one to a personal narrative that gives purpose to the experience of being alive.
Please join Felipe this Saturday, September 25 @ 11 am for