The Mythic Journey: Use Myths, Fairy Tales, and Folklore to Explain Life's Mysteries
240
The Mythic Journey: Use Myths, Fairy Tales, and Folklore to Explain Life's Mysteries
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Overview
Since the beginning of time, human beings have relied on myths, fairy tales, and fables to explain life's mysteries. Bringing a fresh perspective to these age-old tales, Liz Greene and Juliet Sharman-Burke reveal how seekers today can find comfort and support in the legends and lore of the past.
The Mythic Journey explores the psychological themes of many mythical traditions, recounting stories from Greco-Roman, Hebraic, Egyptian, Celtic, Norse, and various Eastern civilizations. More than 50 myths are beautifully retold, and each is followed by a psychological overview explaining how we can apply the story to our own lives.
The Mythic Journey is a handbook for human life, guiding readers from the conflicts of family and childhood, through problems of love, intimacy, and ambition, and ultimately to the point when we must face our own mortality. We discover that true self knowledge comes through facing life's challenges with courage and strength; that beauty, talent, power, and wealth bring their own forms of suffering; and that in the darkness of loneliness, failure, and loss, we have always discovered new light and new hope.
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781578636167 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Red Wheel/Weiser |
| Publication date: | 03/01/2017 |
| Pages: | 240 |
| Sales rank: | 404,811 |
| Product dimensions: | 5.60(w) x 8.20(h) x 0.90(d) |
About the Author
Juliet Sharman-Burke is a practicing analytic psychotherapist who has taught tarot and astroloty for twenty years. She is the author of The Complete Book of Tarot, Mastering the Tarot, and with Liz Greene, The Mythic Tarot card-and-book set.
Read an Excerpt
The Mythic Journey
Use Myths, Fairy Tales, and Folklore to Explain Life's Mysteries
By LIZ GREENE, Juliet Sharman-Burke
Red Wheel/Weiser, LLC
Copyright © 2017 Liz Greene and Juliet Sharman-BurkeAll rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-63341-050-3
CHAPTER 1
PART I IN THE BEGINNING
Family life is the most fundamental of life's experiences. Regardless of the nature of our background, we have all had parents – present, absent, loving or unloving – and Mother Earth and Father Sky are the great mythic symbols of the origin of the world as well as our own beginnings. We have all come from somewhere and, whatever we make of ourselves later in life, we cannot undo the past. We inherit not only genetic patterns from our family backgrounds, but also psychological patterns, and the individuals we become are partly our own creation and partly the legacy of the past. Myths do not give us easy solutions to family difficulties. They portray family dynamics just as they are, with all their joys, sorrows and complexities. Yet there is a mysterious, transformative power which lies embedded in these stories. Although the archetypal dynamics of family life are eternal, change and healing are always possible – within ourselves if not in our external circumstances.
PARENTS AND CHILDREN
* * *
Myth offers us a vast array of stories about parent–child relationships. From the hilarious squabblings of the Olympian gods to the tragic destinies of kingly dynasties, the human imagination has always found both solace and enlightenment in creating tales about mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, and the mystery of what binds us together through unbreakable emotional cords. There is no parent–child dilemma that does not have a mythic counterpart, and no resolution of conflict that is not reflected in mythic tales.
Thetis and Achilles
Great expectations
The first of our family myths tells us about how parents expect nothing less than everything from their children. Perhaps the most important theme in this Greek story is the ambition Thetis has for her child – she wants him to be a god. This story has a sad ending, but it conveys profound insight into the secret hopes, dreams and longings we may unknowingly ask our children to carry – sometimes to their cost.
* * *
Thetis was the great goddess of the sea and ruled over all that moved in its depths. But it was time she married, and Zeus, king of the gods, had received a prophecy that, if Thetis married a god, she would bear a son who would be greater than Zeus himself. Worried about losing his position, Zeus espoused the sea-goddess to a mortal man called Peleus. This mixed marriage was not unsuccessful, and the two settled down relatively comfortably – although Peleus sometimes resented his wife's supernatural powers, and Thetis sometimes felt she had married beneath her station.
In time, Thetis bore a son, whom she called Achilles. Because he was fathered by a mortal, he was a mortal child, allotted his time on earth by the Fates, as are all mortal beings. But Thetis was not content with this prospect. Being immortal herself, she did not wish to remain eternally young while watching her son grow old and die. So she secretly carried the newborn child to the River Styx, in whose waters lay the gift of immortality. She held the child by one heel and dipped him in the waters, believing thereby that she had made him immortal. But the heel by which she held him remained untouched by the waters of Styx, and therefore Achilles was vulnerable through this one place.
When he reached adulthood and fought in the Trojan War, Achilles received his death wound through an arrow in the heel. Although Achilles achieved great glory and was remembered forever, Thetis could not cheat the Fates, nor turn that which was human into the stuff of the gods.
* * *
COMMENTARY
Many parents unconsciously wish their children to be divine, although usually not as literally as Thetis. We do not hope that our children will live forever, but we may want them to be better than other children, more beautiful, more gifted, more brilliant, unique and special, and exempt from the ordinary limitations of life. No child can live up to such unconscious expectations, and any child may suffer because his or her ordinary humanity is overlooked in the parents' strenuous efforts to produce something superhuman. We may also hope that our children will somehow redeem us – make good what we ourselves have spoiled, or live out what we have been denied in life. We may make sacrifices in the hope that our children will provide meaning for our own lives, rather than allowing them to live theirs. And when they stumble and fall, as all humans do, or show insufficient gratitude for our efforts, we may feel outraged and disappointed. All this can be read into the story of Thetis and Achilles.
Thetis, the goddess mother who wants her child to be divine like her rather than mortal like his father, is also an image of a certain attitude towards mothering. If a mother wishes to wholly possess her child, and is unwilling or unable to share the child's love, then many problems may ensue. The marriage of Thetis and Peleus, with Achilles as its progeny, portrays a marriage in which there is an imbalance between the parents. Thetis feels superior to Peleus and hopes that her child will take after her. This is a common enough dilemma; we may secretly fantasize a child's identity, rather than recognizing that two parents have contributed to the child's existence. This can happen when a marriage is unhappy or unfulfilled. Fathers may also idealize their daughters as Thetis does her son, and may unconsciously strive to separate mother and daughter so that no outsider can mar the unity of the father–daughter bond. (See Orion and Oenopion, pages 19–21.)
All these are dilemmas of parenting which, rather than being pathological, are merely human. But myths are about human beings, even when their main characters are gods. How do we deal with these issues of over-expectation and possessiveness? If we bring children into the world, we owe them fairness and justice in our emotional dealings with them. First and foremost, we need to be conscious of our hidden feelings. If we know we are expecting too much from our children, we can show them love even when they are not achieving what we hope, and we can also encourage them to follow the path of their own hearts and souls rather than the one we ourselves wish we could have followed. Feelings which are conscious and contained do not destroy. Unconscious feelings, which result in unconscious behavior, can cause great injury to a child. No parent's life is perfect and we all harbor unrealistic hopes for our children. This is human and natural. But our children are not divine, nor are they on this earth for our greater glory or the redemption of our own lives. In the marriage of Thetis and Peleus, created through the wisdom of Zeus, lies a profound image of the mixture of human and divine which stands behind every human being's origin. Every child partakes of both. If we can remember this and allow our offspring to be the humans that they are, then this ancient myth can help us to be wiser and more generous parents.
* * *
Hera and Hephaistos
The ugly duckling
The story of Hera and Hephaistos is another tale about parental expectations. Here it is not immortality that is expected of the child, but rather physical beauty befitting an Olympian. Unlike many stories of the gods, this one has a happy ending – Hephaistos is ultimately recognized for his great talent and is given an honored place in the family. But he must suffer to earn this place, and his suffering is unjust.
* * *
Zeus and Hera, king and queen of the gods, conceived their son Hephaistos in an excess of passion before they were married. Sadly, this child was born ill-made. His feet were twisted, and his stumbling gait and dislocated hips aroused the unquenchable laughter of all the immortals when he walked among them. Hera, ashamed that with all her beauty and grandeur she should produce such an imperfect progeny, tried to rid herself of him. She threw him from the heights of Olympus into the sea, where he was taken in by Thetis, ruler of the sea.
For nine years, the boy remained hidden away beneath the waters. But Hephaistos was as gifted as he was ugly, and he spent the time forging a thousand ingenious objects for his friends the sea-nymphs. He was also, understandably, furious at the treatment he had received and, as he grew stronger in body and mind, he planned a cunning revenge. One day Hera received a gift from her absent son – an exquisite golden throne, beautifully wrought and decorated. She sat on it with delight, but, when she tried to rise again, she was suddenly gripped by invisible bands. In vain the other gods tried to extricate her from the throne. Only Hephaistos was capable of releasing her, but he refused to leave the depths of the ocean. The war-god Ares, his irascible brother, tried to drag him up by force, but Hephaistos threw burning brands at him. Dionysus, Hephaistos' half-brother and god of wine, was more successful: he made Hephaistos drunk, slung him across the back of a mule, and brought him to Olympus.
But Hephaistos still refused to cooperate unless his demands were met. He asked for the loveliest of the goddesses, Aphrodite, for a bride. From then on, there was peace between Hera and her son. Forgetting his former rancor, Hephaistos, at peril of his life, attempted to defend his mother when she was being beaten by Zeus. Irritated, Zeus seized his son by one foot and flung him from the courts of heaven. But Hephaistos was taken up to Olympus again and made peace with his father, and forever afterwards Hephaistos played the role of peacemaker among the immortals.
* * *
COMMENTARY
This tale speaks of how we may want our children to be a reflection of ourselves, not what they actually are. How many parents, themselves physically attractive, want a son or daughter who is beautiful and will reflect their greater glory? Or perhaps we hope our children will carry on an undeveloped talent of our own, or take over the family business. Whatever we are or would like to be, we hope that our children will be extensions of ourselves, and we may hurt them before we discover their true worth.
This tale is complex and has many subtle motifs. Hephaistos, unloved and unwelcome, finds friendship and support with the sea-gods, who accept him in their underwater domain. Often a child who is not appreciated within the immediate family will be fortunate enough to find an understanding grandparent, uncle or teacher who can recognize and encourage his or her abilities. And we should not be surprised if we discover that the child upon whom we place unfair expectations bears resentment and anger towards us. Hephaistos' revenge is ingenious. He does not wish to destroy his mother; he wishes to be welcomed by her. To accomplish this, he tricks her into bondage.
What is this bondage from which no god can release her? Hera, although she has been harsh and rejecting, is nevertheless not immune to feelings of obligation to her offspring. She is not evil; she is simply vain and self-centered, as human beings so often are. Hephaistos reminds her of the indestructible debt of parenting, which, in human terms, is experienced as what we call guilt. When we experience guilt towards our children, we may know deep down that we have been culpable of failing to recognize the real identity and value of the child. We can only be released when we become conscious of how we have treated those we profess to love, and can offer acceptance rather than imposing expectations.
Hephaistos' forgiving nature also tells us something about the power of love to surmount family conflicts and hurts. Children can forgive their parents a great many acts of omission as well as commission, if they know these acts were committed unwittingly, and if there is some remorse and understanding shown. A genuine apology goes a long way towards healing wounds. This story teaches us that hurts in childhood are not irrevocable. And it encourages us to seek the real value of those we love, even if they do not fulfill the image of what we wish and hope they will be.
* * *
Orion and Oenopion
A father's possession of his daughter
This unhappy Greek myth concerns a father's attempt to possess his daughter, and the destruction he unleashes when a suitor appears to take his beloved child away. It reveals the darker undercurrents that can exist in the parent–child bond. But, although the tale portrays savage emotions and extreme circumstances not likely to be met in everyday life, nevertheless, it offers insight into the emotional confusion and blindness which afflict us when we seek, consciously or unconsciously, to possess our children.
* * *
Orion the hunter was reputed to be the most handsome man alive. One day he fell in love with Merope, the daughter of Oenopion. But Oenopion was no mere mortal; he was of immortal descent, being a son of Dionysus, god of wine and ecstasy; and the intense passions of his father were at work deep within him.
Oenopion promised Orion that the hunter could have Merope's hand in marriage, but only if he were able to rid the countryside of the fearsome wild beasts which threatened the lives of the inhabitants. This was no problem for an experienced hunter, and Orion gladly accepted the challenge. Having completed his task, he reported back to Oenopion, eager to receive his prize. But Oenopion found reasons to delay the marriage – there were still more bears, wolves and lions which lurked in the hills. Oenopion really had no intention of giving his daughter away in marriage, because secretly he was in love with her himself.
Orion became increasingly frustrated with the situation. Once more he scoured the hills for wild beasts, and once more Oenopion found reasons to delay the marriage. One night, Orion got very drunk on Oenopion's finest wine (and the wine of a son of Dionysus was fine indeed, and stronger than most) and, in a thoroughly intoxicated state, he burst into Merope's room and raped her. As a result of this violent act, Oenopion felt himself justified in revenging himself on Orion. He forced more wine into Orion until the hunter fell into a drunken stupor. Then Oenopion gouged out Orion's eyes and flung him blind and unconscious upon the seashore. Eventually, through the aid of the gods, Orion got his sight back and lived to pursue many more adventures. What happened to poor Merope we do not know – raped, abandoned and imprisoned by a father who never had any intention of letting her become a woman in her own right.
* * *
COMMENTARY
The story of Orion is relevant not only to pathological emotional patterns within the family. A healthy bond of love and affection between a father and his daughter may, if exacerbated by unconsciousness, lead to trouble. The father is usually his daughter's first love, and in his little girl many a father sees a magical image of beauty and youth which encapsulates all his most cherished romantic dreams. This is natural and joyful, and does not in any way imply abuse or sickness. But if the father's marriage is unhappy or he cannot accept the rewards of an ordinary human marriage and persists in wanting a magical 'soul bond', he may seek this fantasy of perfect love in his daughter. Then he may find it hard to allow her an independent existence. It takes a generous heart to let a beloved daughter go, especially to a young man as handsome as Orion. Orion's good looks and youthful virility serve as a painful reminder that Oenopion is no longer as young as he used to be, and that his beloved little girl is now a woman who wants a potent young man of her own. There is no mention of Merope's mother in the myth. This father and daughter live in a world of their own, which is the psychological reality of many fathers who relate better to their daughters than to their wives.
The father who tries to turn his daughter into a soulmate may inadvertently inflict lasting damage on her. This may be revealed through the time-honored tactic of insisting that the daughter's chosen partner 'isn't good enough'. If a father sets impossible ideals for his daughter, how can she ever leave him and live happily with a partner of her own? The greater the love, the greater the potential damage arising from unconsciousness; for a daughter who loves and admires her father will listen to his apparent 'wisdom' and will then see every prospective suitor as impossibly flawed.
Oenopion apparently wishes Merope to have a husband. This husband must meet certain standards. And how can any father be blamed for wanting the best for his child? In this way, the father's unconscious possessiveness is concealed by a mask of good intentions. And he may ensure that no one will ever be good enough for his daughter. He then justifies destroying all potential relationships she might make – subtly or obviously – because he believes that he has her best interests at heart. Orion becomes infuriated because Oenopion keeps moving the goal posts, and ultimately he rapes Merope. This gives Oenopion the perfect excuse for ridding himself of the criminal. But, all along, Oenopion has no intention of letting his precious daughter go, because he wants her for himself.
The great poet Kahlil Gibran (1883–1931) once wrote that our children are born through us but are not of us. Yet a lonely father may feel justified in treating his daughter as a precious object to be possessed by him alone. The young can only move forward in life if their elders permit them free passage. If a daughter is driven by a father's jealousy to choose between father and lover, then her happiness is ruined and the rewards of her love are soured. Children should not be forced to make such a choice; everyone's heart is torn by the coercions of jealousy. Every father holds in his hand the key to his daughter's fulfillment by allowing her to enjoy the love of both father and husband. It is a hard challenge for any father, yet the rewards are great. But we may need to recognize and contain our secret envy and jealousy. As the myth tells us, such feelings are ancient, universal and quintessentially human. But possession is really all about power; and love and power cannot coexist.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from The Mythic Journey by LIZ GREENE, Juliet Sharman-Burke. Copyright © 2017 Liz Greene and Juliet Sharman-Burke. Excerpted by permission of Red Wheel/Weiser, LLC.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
Table of Contents
Introduction 8
Part I In the Beginning 11
Chapter 1 Parents and Children 12
Thetis and Achilles 13
Hera and Hephaistos 16
Orion and Oenopion 19
Theseus and Hippolytus 22
Crisis, Isis and Horus 25
The Story of Poia 29
Chapter 2 Siblings 32
Cain and Abel 33
Ares and Hephaistos 36
Romulus and Remus 40
Antigone 43
Chapter 3 The Family Inheritance 46
The Children of the Wind 47
The House or Thebes 52
The House of Atreus 56
Part II Becoming an Individual 63
Chapter 1 Leaving Home 64
Adam and Eve 65
The Buddha's Departure 69
Peredur the Son of Evrawc 73
Chapter 2 Fighting for Autonomy 78
Siegfried 79
The Fair Unknown 83
Gilgamesh and the Tree of Life 88
Chapter 3 The Quest for Meaning 92
Vainamoinen and the Talisman 93
Parsifal and the Grail 97
Perseus 102
Part III Love and Relationships 107
Chapter 1 Passion and Rejection 108
Echo and Narcissus 109
Cybele and Attis 113
Samson and Delilah 116
The Enchantment of Merlin 120
Chapter 2 The Eternal Triangle 124
The Marriage of Zeus and Hera 125
Arthur and Guinevere 129
Chapter 3 Marriage 134
Gerda and Frey 135
Nyneve's Transformation 139
Alcestis and Admetus 143
Odysseus and Penelope 147
Part IV Position and Power 151
Chapter 1 Finding a Vocation 152
Lugh 153
A Myth of Two Brothers 156
Phaethon and the Sun-Chariot 160
Chapter 2 Greed and Ambition 164
Arachne 165
The Ring of Polycrates 168
King Midas 172
The Corruption of Andvari 175
Chapter 3 Responsibility 180
King Minos and the Bull 181
King Arthur's Peacetime Army 185
The Judgement of Solomon 189
Part IV Rites of Passage 193
Chapter 1 Separation, Loss and Suffering 194
Job's Trials 195
Orpheus and Eurydice 199
Chiron the Centaur 203
Chapter 2 The Spiritual Quest 207
The Fortunes of Dr Faustus 208
The Buddha's Enlightenment 212
Parsifal 217
Chapter 3 The Final Journey 221
Maui and the Death Goddess 222
ER Among the Dead 226
Indra and the Parade of Ants 231
Bibliography and Further Reading 236
Index 237
Acknowledgements 240