Greetings everyone…
As summer is finally approaching and the weather seems to be heating up, The Myth Salon is looking ahead to a spectacular lineup of fresh new perspectives.
We are excited to announce that on Thursday, June 20, Sophie Dufresne will take us through “The Struggle to Know Oneself: Confronting the Opposites Through the Love of Art, Stories, and Mathematics.” Using her own art and the colorful imagery of the Renaissance illuminated manuscript, The Splendor Solis, Sophie will present a series of symbolic images inspired by personal stories and developed as a tool for self-discovery by way of a paradoxical marriage of logic and intuition. Expressed as pairs of opposites, these images constitute fundamental patterns of behavior observed first on an individual level and her personal circle of friends and acquaintances then, progressively, also on a societal level through news stories, podcasts, and entertainment media. With an outlook toward historical precedents, she will also explore the images as they relate to the stages of individuation using the medieval imagery of the Tarot and the Splendor Solis. Having seen her art, which I feel has the character and substance of Matisse’s graphic cutouts, I was thrilled when she said she would develop a presentation for The Myth Salon.
Sophie Dufresne is an independent artist offering services in illustration, painting, graphic design, and animation, who alsomarkets and sells products such as notebooks, prints, and accessories embellished with her own designs under the nameSophiequi. She is about to complete the certificate program in Jungian Studies at the Los Angeles Jung Institute while concurrently developing a deck of Oracle cards for use as an aid to personal individuation and Jungian therapy. She brings to her artistic approach a healthy spirit of scientific curiosity and playful logic coupled with rigorous research she inherited from her studies in engineering and mathematics at Montreal Polytechnique and Virginia Tech.
NOW ABOUT JULY!! If the names of Terence McKenna, Rupert Sheldrake or Michael Pollan mean anything to you, or if you have been listening to the news about the influx of psychedelics and entheogens into both the culture and therapy, then, on Wednesday July 10, you really will appreciate Sherree Malcolm Godasi. Once again we are expanding the breadth of scholarship we bring to the Myth Salon. Sherree Malcolm Godasi is a psychedelic educator, certified coach and integration trailblazer working with individuals and groups who are on a path of recovery, healing, psycho-spiritual transformation and life optimization. Her presentation is titled “In the Realms of Consciousness: Decoding Psychedelic Experiences through Jungian Theory.” She tells us that while Carl Jung denied ever using psychedelic substances or administering them to patients and fervently challenged their use as means for personal growth, he nonetheless personally confessed to devoting more than 40 years of his life to studying the same psychic spheres of numinous experience often recognized through the psychedelic lens. Themes that are shared in both the momentous psychedelic realm and depth psychology studies suggest his innovative grasp of the profundity of consciousness is exceptionally relevant to decoding the psychedelic experience. It is also useful for potentiating their ability to catalyze both personal growth and collective development when paralleled with active psychedelic integration. In this presentation we will examine the foundations of the psychedelic integration process through core concepts of depth psychology, and how solidifying potentially fleeting psychedelic experiences through ongoing integration practice can amplify and sustain both individual and collective healing and the undertaking of human transformation.
Sherree’s approach draws from transpersonal & depth psychology, Eastern philosophy and shamanic healing modalities to fuse ancient wisdom with modern & practical practices. A pioneer in the field of psychedelic integration and community building, Sherree Godasi is the founder of PsychedeLiA: Psychedelic Integration, Los Angeles (www.psychedeliaintegration.org) a harm-reduction oriented organization that offers educational resources, emotional support and community-connecting events to people who are interested in psychedelics; and the co-founder of InnerSpace Integration, a specialized professional network for integration providers. She maintains a private coaching practice in Chino Hills, CA and has worked with people who are afflicted by anxiety, depression, PTSD, addiction, substance use disorders, personality disorders, neurodevelopmental disorders, eating disorders, life changes, relationship & social issues and spiritual emergence. As an advocate of psychedelic healing and cognitive liberty she is humbled to support others in conscious transformation and witness the collective psychedelic renaissance. Sherree is married to Dr. Ben Malcolm and is a mother to Myla. She is passionate about writing, learning, Jungian psychology, inner work, creative expression and living a wholly, integrated life.
The Myth Salon functions as a feature of Pacifica Graduate Institute’s extended community that includes faculty and staff, students, alumni, and interested friends. The Myth Salon also welcomes those who cultivate interests in Jungian, Depth Psychology, cultural, creative, and mythological studies. Each month, The Myth Salon gathers together with an invited presenter in my Santa Monica home from 7-9pm for an evening of mythic content, ritual and discussion that is moderated by my good friend and colleague, Dr. Will Linn. The Myth Salon also wants to extend sincere appreciation to the Pacifica Graduate Institute Alumni Association for their continued support and friendship.
So, if you haven’t yet RSVP’d, please let us know whether you’ll attend either or both of the upcoming Myth Salons. We look forward to seeing you here and if you have friends or associates who might wish to receive the Myth Salon email announcements, or if you desire to attend either or both of the upcoming Myth Salons on June 20 with Sophie Dufresne or July 10 with Sherree Godasi, please let us know as soon as you can.
Now, about the Annual Pacifica Community Summer Potluck Barbecue! On and off for the last 15 years, my wife and I have opened our Santa Monica home to the Pacifica community for barbecues and summer events. For the last eight years, our annual Summer BBQ has been largely underwritten and sponsored by the Pacifica Graduate Institute’s Alumni Association, which has been generous in its support for both the Myth Salon and the Summer Potluck Barbecue, which has become an annual tradition where people in the Pacifica community form new friendships, socialize and strut their culinary skills. To that end, this year we want to encourage people to contribute food that they have prepared themselves. Sharing from the heart – especially food – does something very special for the community. My wife and I recently joined our son in New York for a community dinner where an entire home filled with millennials devoted themselves to preparation and sharing dishes they had made themselves. There wasn’t a single store-bought dish, and the effect was overwhelming! Of course, I plan to provide my barbecued wild salmon, and the barbecue will be available should you wish to bring something that wants some heat! Look for upcoming announcements from the Alumni Association! So, save the date: Saturday, August 17 and plan to join in the festivities!
Talk to you soon,
Be well,
Dana
