As we move past the months of daylight savings time into the days where every day has a little less light, I’m motivated to pause for a few moments to give thanks for all the blessings we are surrounded by – even if sometimes seem difficulties are around every next corner. This is the month of Thanksgiving – a time for community, a time for coming together, and a time to stoke the fires of reflection and gratitude. The Myth Salon is immensely proud of the many scholars and educators who give their time and wisdom to serve as the centerpiece of their particular evening. It is very special for us to be able to enjoy these wonderful people and enrich ourselves in the process.
Next week, on Tuesday, November 12, Dr. Maureen Murdock will bring to the Myth Salon “The Heroine’s Journey: Healing the Deep Wounding of the Feminine.” She tells us, Joseph Campbell presented a model of the mythological journey of the hero which has since been used as a template for the psycho-spiritual development of the individual. This model, however, did not address the task for today’s woman, which is to heal the wounding of the feminine that exists deep within herself and the culture. In the interest of equality, many women sought material success in a world defined by masculine values. This quest has left women wondering what happened to their spiritual nature. In this discussion we will explore the stages in The Heroine’s Journey which redefines the heroic quest for women. This journey entails an initial separation from feminine values, making it within a patriarchal culture, experiencing spiritual aridity and death, and finally turning inward to reclaim the power and spirit of the Goddess. Slide show of “Evolution of the Sacred Feminine from Paleolithic Times to the Present” to follow.
Maureen Murdock, PhD, is a Jungian psychotherapist in private practice in Santa Barbara, California. She is the former Chair and Core Faculty of the MA Counseling Psychology Program at Pacifica Graduate Institute and teaches in Pacifica’s Memoir Certificate Program. She is the author of the best-selling book, The Heroine’s Journey, as well as Fathers’ Daughters: Breaking the Ties that Bind; Unreliable Truth: On Memoir and Memory; Spinning Inward: Using Guided Imagery with Children; The Heroine’s Journey Workbook and Blinded by Hope: My Journey through My Son’s Bipolar Illness and Addiction under a pseudonym. Shambhala Publications is publishing a 30th year anniversary edition of both The Heroine’s Journey and the Workbook in 2020. Her books have been translated into 13 languages. Maureen Murdock’s website is http://www.maureenmurdock.com
Please let us know whether you will be able to attend any of the upcoming Myth Salons. In addition to serving as a support feature of Pacifica Graduate Institute’s extended community that includes faculty and staff, students, alumni, and interested friends, The Myth Salon serves those who cultivate their interests in Jungian, Depth Psychology, cultural and mythological studies.
At this time, we are not sure whether we’ll be able to hold a Myth Salon in December, but if we are able to schedule a Myth Salon, we’ll be sure to let you know. On Thursday January 9, the Myth Salon will be visited by Dr. Lionel Corbett, a renowned international scholar, whose book The Religious Function of the Psyche and whose Psyche and the Sacred workshops are centerpieces of depth psychological scholarship. More to follow.
Then, on Wednesday, February 19, we will have Dr. Jennifer Leigh Selig, whose October Myth Salon had to be rescheduled because of an emergency appendectomy. We all continue to send our thoughts towards Jennifer. More on her Myth Salon in upcoming announcements.
Each month, the Myth Salon gathers together from 7-9PM with an invited presenter in my Santa Monica home for an evening of mythic content, ritual and discussion that is moderated by my good friend and colleague, Dr. Will Linn. Finally, and with much appreciation and emphasis, the Myth Salon is grateful to the Pacifica Graduate Institute Alumni Association for its unwavering encouragement and support.
See you in the coming months – we’re very excited about the Myth Salon’s fall and winter lineups, as I’m sure you are!
Be well,
Dana
