Shows
Myth MattersMyths of the FatherSend Catherine a text MessageThe proper way to be a father or mother, questions about who can father or mother, and what these parental roles mean are contentious topics, ripe for creative reflection and renewal. Myths about fathers and fatherhood contain images and meanings that shape society and family life. They're a key part of this cultural conversation.The fathers in myths and fairy tales exert influence over us whether or not we believe in them or know the specifics of the stories. In this episode, we take a look at the...
2023-06-1637 minMyth MattersA psychology of craft: the shirt of stinging nettlesSend Catherine a text MessageOur appreciation of mythology as a symbolic language is central to the contemporary relationship to myth. As people bound to a psychological view of the inner life, myth as metaphor is the key to understanding the old stories. And yet, myth is more than metaphor.The elements in a story, the specific animals, plants, and features of the land that are named in a given story, are more than artistic details. Investigation into the scientific as well as the mythic biography of these elements can result in discoveries that enhance...
2023-05-2622 minMyth Matters"The Wild Swans"--- Powerful Words and Living with WingsSend Catherine a text MessageOn the surface, "The Wild Swans" is a fairy tale about cursed brothers who are saved by their sister. This is a common motif. Closer examination led me to consider the creative power of words and of silence, and how we use and are used, by both.I hope you enjoy the story. Support the showEmail Catherine at drcsvehla@mythicmojo.comPost a positive review on apple podcasts! Learn how you can work with Catherine at https://mythicmojo.comBuy me a...
2023-05-1237 minMyth MattersThe World's Wife, Contemporary Myth Poems by Carol Ann DuffySend Catherine a text MessageIn The World's Wife, Carol Ann Duffy offers myth poems that are also myths for today in the form of a poem. These poems converse with old myths and stories AND they are stories in themselves. They display a deep appreciation for the poignancy of these tales, and a wicked, dark humor. I love them. As the title suggests, Duffy tells her myths from the perspective of the women who are largely silent in the older and more popular versions. This episode includes a handful of my favorites from...
2023-04-2839 minMyth MattersMyth, Poetry, and the Power of the WordSend Catherine a text MessageApril is National Poetry month!Myth and poetry have a long, shared history. In fact, our oldest known myths are poems. Have you ever wondered why this might be?I suspect the intuitive rightness of myth as poetry springs from the ancient understanding of the sacred power of the word. In this episode, we explore the creative power of speech with the aid of a handful of contemporary poems that reference myths. These poems also give us a chance to plumb the q...
2023-04-1140 minMyth MattersAthena, goddess of Reason ?!Send Catherine a text MessageThe Greek goddess Athena was a warrior, the patron of cities and mentor of heroes, clear-eyed, practical, and strategic. What was her great power? She was the goddess of Reason.Yes, the ancient Greek patriarchy, a model of misogyny, imagined "reason" as female. This being myth, there's plenty to unpack and contradicts abound. This episode is your invitation to meet Athena and reflect on the conundrums she presents. She's present today and she's at work--- in what form and to what end, I wonder?S...
2023-03-2337 minMyth MattersMyth, History, and the Woman WarriorSend Catherine a text MessageMyth has an interesting and complex relationship to history. Myth is part of the historical record of our species, and part of the history of a given people. And myth shapes history. Myth gives rise to the beliefs and point of view that create our world, determine the present, and influence the future. This blending of myth and history can lead to important revelations and new understanding, and it can create blind spots. I started thinking about this after watching the movie "The Woman King," inspired by the wa...
2023-03-0430 minMyth MattersFree to Love: Hans Christian Andersen's Little MermaidSend Catherine a text MessageThe freedom to love and individuality. The difference between spiritual love and carnal love. Love for the self and love for a beloved. The fear and fascination elicited by those who don't fit conventional categories and definitions.Hans Christian Andersen was probably not thinking about these ideas when he wrote his fairy tale "The Little Mermaid," at least not with a conscious agenda. And yet this story about a mermaid, a figure with a long mythological history, offers an interesting opportunity to reflect on these themes.This original...
2023-02-1748 minMyth Matters2023 and the Year of the RabbitSend Catherine a text MessageA new year is a time of beginnings and possibility. A fresh and hopeful creativity infuses our aspirations. This is a good time to make conscious choices about the sources we turn to and the images we hold, as we form our goals, predictions, and hopes for the coming year.According to the ancient Chinese zodiac, each year in a 60-year cycle has a particular character, set of opportunities, and challenges. 2023 is the year of the Rabbit. What is the quality of the year of the Rabbit, and how can t...
2023-01-2724 minMyth MattersChristian saints, Norse gods, and magic mushrooms: myths of Santa ClausSend Catherine a text MessageYes, Christmas is grossly commercial, a taint that touches other year-closing holidays as well. And yet this time, and these traditions, have deep mythological roots that connect us to important gifts of the spirit. The mythic figure of Santa Claus reveals the tangled history of our year end aspirations and need for community. I hope this snapshot of some of his origin stories adds interest and inspiration to your holiday season.Warm wishes for a wonder-filled season. See you in 2023!Support the showEmail C...
2022-12-2237 minMyth MattersA Winter Story: Raven Steals the LightSend Catherine a text MessageWhatever your ancestry, wherever your people had deep roots, winter was the time for storytelling. To gather together inside, stay warm, relax, and learn together. Winter stories in particular, are stories about the mysteries that bind our earthly world to the other worlds. Stories about the bridges between the visible and the invisible. Stories of the uncanny. They are myths about the beginning times, when everything came into being and found its rightful place. Stories of the mythic times that bear on today. Raven is one of these my...
2022-12-0833 minMyth MattersQuestions, Connection, and Perceval's Quest for the GrailSend Catherine a text Message“In this universe we are given two gifts: the ability to love and the ability to ask questions.” -- Mary OliverThe Arthurian legend of the knight Perceval and his quest for the grail was written by the French Romantic poet Chrétien de Troyes, who reworked Celtic legends and British history. The story includes King Arthur, his knights, and a number of unlucky damsels, but the mysterious loathly lady is the key.Support the showEmail Catherine at drcsvehla@mythicmojo.comPost a posit...
2022-11-2643 minMyth MattersPrince Lindworm and the UnembraceableSend Catherine a text MessageIn this Norwegian fairy tale, the queen makes a mistake.That's not the whole story. There's also a dragon. And an opportunity to reflect on our fallibility, the tendency to blame, our story inheritance, and the empathy we might develop through imaginative engagement with what angers and disturbs us.I hope you enjoyed the story.Support the showEmail Catherine at drcsvehla@mythicmojo.comPost a positive review on apple podcasts! Learn how you can work with Ca...
2022-11-1041 minMyth MattersMeeting the Baba Yaga: Witches, magic, and mysterySend Catherine a text MessageI recently overhead an exchange between a little boy and his mom. The subject was witches and magic. Which got me thinking. Magic involves perception, changes in the way we see and the manner in which things appear. Magic, like myth, is now a matter of "belief" when it could be practice. This episode revolves around a Russian fairy tale called "Vasilisa the Wise." On one level, this is a story about a young woman and a witch called the Baba Yaga. On another level, it's an invitation to...
2022-10-2935 minMyth MattersPsyche and Eros: Our Initiation through AphroditeSend Catherine a text Message“Loving is an authentic psychological task, the most demanding there is, just because it activates in us new ways of knowing ourselves.’" --- Aldo CarotenutoThe myth of Eros and Psyche can be read as a myth of initiation orchestrated by the goddess Aphrodite, a personification (or archetype) of love, sexuality, and beauty as enlivening powers that bring us into relationship with someone or something in particular. The story tells us something about the demands of this type of love, and what is required to express and live it.
2022-10-1328 minMyth MattersLove and Soul: The classical myth of Psyche and ErosSend Catherine a text Message“I have always thought of a myth as something that never was but is always happening.”-- Jean Houston, The Possible HumanEros and Psyche, or Cupid and Psyche to the Romans, a marvelous old myth about love, soul, and what's required to unite the two. Apuleius included this story in The Golden Ass (also called The Metamorphoses) from the late 2nd century AD, drawing on ancient Greek sources.I've worked with this story many times. I often feel that I am living some part Psyche's jour...
2022-09-2937 minMyth MattersWhat Love Inspires: The Greek Myth of Orpheus and EurydiceSend Catherine a text Message“Love recognizes no barriers. It jumps hurdles, leaps fences, penetrates walls to arrive at its destination full of hope.” — Maya AngelouWhat can we do when we are motivated by love?I recently had the great good fortune to see the Broadway production of "Hadestown." This inspires me to revisit the ancient Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, to explore of the power of love to sustain and inspire us. Support the showEmail Catherine at drcsvehla@mythicmojo.comPost a positiv...
2022-09-1433 minMyth MattersBriar Rose: Rethinking the hero and the 13th fairySend Catherine a text MessageThe hero is a central figure in our myths and stories. The hero can often provide inspiration or comfort. These stories can help us find our courage or feel a bit more powerful. The image of the hero is also a burden. Hero narratives in the dominate culture have combined with modern myths of the individual and individualism to paint a picture of the solo actor, the person who battles against enemies or the odds alone. The hero we imagine today, feeds the terrible loneliness of our time. An...
2022-09-0234 minMyth MattersConscious Evolution: The story of Abu Kasem's Slipper'sSend Catherine a text Message“Always you will find that within you the shadow and the light go together… It is up to you to know how to utilize the one to realize the other.” -Sri AurobindoEach of us is called to change, mature, and take responsibility for our conscious evolution. A central task in psychological development is recognition and integration of the shadow. And this is where the concepts and the jargon begin to obscure understanding, right?The Persian tale of Abu Kasem's Slipper's is a humorous story that can shed some l...
2022-08-1930 minMyth MattersEcological Consciousness and "The Queen Bee" fairy taleSend Catherine a text Message"Noting these tokens and examples some have saidthat a share of divine intelligence is in bees,and a draught of (a)ether: since there is a god in everything..."--Virgil, The "Georgics," 29 BCEStories from contemporary indigenous cultures convey an ecological consciousness of balance and symbiosis that is foreign to the way many people live today.Are there stories in the European tradition that can help those of us in that cultural mindset reconnect with our nature and the earth, and refashion this relationship...
2022-08-0532 minMyth MattersWonder and "Valemon the White Bear King"Send Catherine a text Message“We are an impossibility in an impossible universe.” ― Ray BradburyThe impossibilities of our existence are more than a matter of statistics and probabilities. Our stories remind us of the tensions that we are called to live, our impossible longings, and the contradictions that are part of being human.They also tell us that wonder is essential to approaching life with a sense of adventure, and to cultivating the curiosity and compassion that we need to stay open to the marvelous richness of our experience.A sense...
2022-07-1835 minMyth MattersMysteries of Self, Other, and the Greek myth of NarcissusSend Catherine a text Message"He is now struck with wonder by what's wonderful in him..."----Ovid's Myth of Narcissus, translated by Allen MandelbaumIn the most popular version of the myth of Narcissus, a beautiful young man rejects many adoring suitors and falls in love with his own reflection in a still pool of water. This myth inspired the psychologists Havelock and Freud to name a pathological love of self, "narcissism."Narcissism can be a very serious problem, and many psychologists say this disorder is prevalent in our times. B...
2022-07-0632 minMyth MattersOur Quest for Self: "The Six Companions" fairytaleSend Catherine a text MessageOur notion of "self" is one of the deep and enduring mysteries of human existence. The concept of self is both obvious and unfathomable, the meanings elusive and diverse. It can range from the concrete "me" to the illusory-- the self as a shifting fabrication of preferences, experiences, and perceptions. To speak mythologically of the "self" is to speak of our yearning for soul, for depth, for the direct experience of our own inner unfolding. This process is guided by that part of us that knows our unique place in t...
2022-06-1634 minMyth MattersCelebrating the World: "The Nightingale" by Hans Christian AndersenSend Catherine a text MessageBirds have a unique place in our cultural imagination. Observing their habits, our ancestors learned about home building, foraging, and partnership. Their presence inspired our earliest art forms and culture. Today birds still teach us about sorrow and death, love and joy, and the beautiful power found in song, in singing. We're also learning new lessons from birds, about intelligence, cognition, and language."The Nightingale" is one of Hans Christian Andersen lesser-known stories. It's quirky and funny and an interesting reflection on the difference between art and artifice, n...
2022-06-0245 minMyth MattersListening to our animal kinSend Catherine a text Message"The spirit wanders, comes here now, now here, and occupies whatever frame it pleases. From beasts it passes into human bodies, and from our bodies into beasts, but never perishes." ----Joseph CampbellAnimals have a significant presence in our mythologies. The meanings we ascribe to them illuminates our uneasy relationship to our other-than-human companions, and offer us a way to think creatively about our place in the world and human nature. The exploration in this episode revolves around two stories, "The Tigress" jataka and a fairytale called "The T...
2022-05-2037 minMyth MattersFables, frogs, and philosophySend Catherine a text MessageFables are probably the best known and most widely used stories in our mythological traditions. These are simple stories that frequently include animal characters. What is their appeal? Do they offer us more than a laugh?In this episode we make some leaps, from a fable about frogs to practical philosophy, to an angry goddess, an ancient Greek comedy, and the mythological history of frogs.I hope you find something entertaining and useful.“We are rag dolls made out of many ages and skins, changelings who ha...
2022-05-0637 minMyth MattersA Strange Feather: 10 Poems for perspective and peace of mindSend Catherine a text MessageThis is our second and final podcast in celebration of National Poetry month. I devote the April episodes to National Poetry month, to honor and recognize the shared origins of poetry, myth, and song. I also want to share some of the power of poetry. A poem, like a song or a story, can evoke a deep and necessary sense of the rightness of things. In his work titled The Relevance of the Beautiful,philosopher Hans Gadamer writes "[...] the experience of the beautiful, and particularly the beautiful in art, is t...
2022-04-2122 minMyth MattersWith the night falling we are saying thank you: 10 poems for National Poetry monthSend Catherine a text Message"Let the beauty we love be what we do.There are hundreds of ways to kneel and kiss the ground." --RumiIn the last podcast, "A Terrible Love of War, A Culture of Peace," I talked about the need to build a culture and societies that are so satisfying and compelling that we are unwilling to sacrifice them or our precious lives to the destruction and death brought by war. I imagine the time that we spend together here today with these poems, as an offering to su...
2022-04-0725 minMyth MattersA Terrible Love of War, a Culture of PeaceSend Catherine a text MessageIn 2004, James Hillman published a difficult and though-provoking investigation of war titled A Terrible Love of War. He writes:"I believe that we can never speak sensibly of peace or disarmament unless we enter into this love of war. Unless we enter into the martial state of soul, we cannot comprehend its pull [...] To know war we must enter its love. No psychic phenomenon can be truly dislodged from its fixity unless we first move the imagination into its heart..." In this episode, I approach Hillman and "A Te...
2022-03-1751 minMyth MattersA Not Just About the UkraineSend Catherine a text MessageNations. Sovereignty. War. Democracy. Citizenship. I. We. Unconscious monotheism. Polytheistic consciousness. Diversity. Complexity.Fluid myths. Culture building. Trickster.Multiple meanings. Art. Some thoughts and two poems.Support the showEmail Catherine at drcsvehla@mythicmojo.comPost a positive review on apple podcasts! Learn how you can work with Catherine at https://mythicmojo.comBuy me a coffee. Thank you!
2022-03-0420 minMyth MattersSometimes you've got to laughSend Catherine a text Message“The secret source of humor is not joy but sorrow, and there is no humor in heaven.” ~ Mark TwainWhen we get stuck, when life hands us a challenging situation and there's no clear way out, our best tool is the ability to shift perspective. To see things from a different angle.Laughter can help us make such a shift. So can a story. The answer might not come immediately and yet, the shift is essential. In this episode, we'll explore this process with the aid...
2022-02-1833 minMyth MattersTrickster lessons and "Don't Look Up"Send Catherine a text MessageMy jumping off point today is a story that's generating a lot of heated debate right now, the movie "Don't Look Up." I'm going to make some references to this movie, but this podcast is not about it, per se. So, if you haven't seen the movie, no worries. And if you have, and are perhaps tired of or already feel deeply embroiled in the conversation that it has catalyzed, I hope to take you in a somewhat different direction. We're going to wander with the Trickster and se...
2022-02-0430 minMyth Matters"The Shadow" Knows EverythingSend Catherine a text Message“How can I be substantial if I do not cast a shadow? I must have a dark side also If I am to be whole.” ― C.G. Jung, Modern Man in Search of a SoulThe creation and maintenance of a shadow aspect of the personal and collective psyche is an inevitable part of psychic life. When consciousness and a sense of personal identity emerges, so does a shadow.Recognizing your shadow and maintaining a healthy relationship with it is a central psychospiritual task. Owning your shadow is essenti...
2022-01-2144 minMyth MattersThe New Year and Happily ever afterSend Catherine a text MessageHere we are, on the cusp on the new year, 2022. Around the world, throughout history, this is a time to rest. To pause and take stock. To restore dreams of harmony. To hope.To begin again.In this episode, I offer a few thoughts on the ancient ritual of this sacred pause, the role of myth, and our need for "happily ever after."Thank you for listening and warm wishes for a very happy New Year.Support the showEmail C...
2021-12-3014 minMyth MattersWinter Solstice and the energy of regenerationSend Catherine a text MessageThe cycle of material and psychic life is often encapsulated as life, death, and rebirth. This cycle is the mythological context of the solstice.But in her formulation of the ancient triple goddess, Marija Gimbutas writes of life, death and regeneration.Rebirth and regeneration are not quite the same, are they? This is the starting point of this episode, which includes the fairy tale "The Handless Maiden" and reflections on the importance of a regeneration mindset as 2021 comes to an end.Support the show...
2021-12-1832 minMyth MattersIron John part 2 Owning your goldSend Catherine a text Message Part 2 of "Iron John," a fairy tale popularized by Robert Bly, and a meditation on outer riches, inner rewards, self-worth, and the quest to own your gold.Support the showEmail Catherine at drcsvehla@mythicmojo.comPost a positive review on apple podcasts! Learn how you can work with Catherine at https://mythicmojo.comBuy me a coffee. Thank you!
2021-12-0228 minMyth MattersIron John and finding the wild manSend Catherine a text MessageThe words "this wide, beautiful, crazy world of ours" have been part of my introduction for this podcast for years. In my experience, this is an accurate picture and yet the meaning and context for the descriptors: "wide," "beautiful," and "crazy,"--especially "crazy," ---has changed over time. Many things happen that surprise me. Developments in all areas of life that I didn't imagine, let alone predict. A level of chaos and uncertainty that I never expected to entertain in my lifetime. Among the pieces of good news, and there are m...
2021-11-1825 minMyth MattersPrecious Bones- Aztec mythology in the 5th worldSend Catherine a text MessageA myth from the Aztec creation cycle, the mythology of bones, and what it might mean to be in service to life today.Support the showEmail Catherine at drcsvehla@mythicmojo.comPost a positive review on apple podcasts! Learn how you can work with Catherine at https://mythicmojo.comBuy me a coffee. Thank you!
2021-11-0530 minMyth MattersCerridwen's cauldron of inspirationSend Catherine a text MessageThe Celtic story of Cerridwen and her cauldron calls to me as Halloween/Samhain approaches. She's a witch in search of a potion and yet, the tug of the story is deeper. Seasonal changes amplify the energies of betwixt and between that give rise to current challenges. This is a good time to examine your creative dreams. What do you long to bring into the world? Who are you willing to become in the process? Where will you turn for inspiration and guidance?Your ideas and e...
2021-10-2127 minMyth MattersThe myth of Arachne and the mysteries of transformationSend Catherine a text MessagePersonal transformation. Do we really want it? What can inspire that deep change, and how far are we willing to go in courting those powers?Support the showEmail Catherine at drcsvehla@mythicmojo.comPost a positive review on apple podcasts! Learn how you can work with Catherine at https://mythicmojo.comBuy me a coffee. Thank you!
2021-10-0728 minMyth MattersThe Bacchae: How do you imagine the dark?Send Catherine a text Message"He is a young god.Mythologically obscure,always just arrivingat some new placeto disrupt the status quo,wearing the start of a smile."--from Ann Carson' translation "The Bakkhai"In the northern hemisphere we began our collective descent into winter's darkness, with the fall equinox on Wednesday September 22nd.This is a good time to meditate on the most famous myth of the god Dionysus, intoxicating god of the night. It's a play written by Euripides in the 5...
2021-09-2442 minMyth MattersInto the Labyrinth and the myth of Ariadne's ThreadSend Catherine a text MessageThis episode is devoted to the Greek god Dionysus, whom Walter Otto aptly named “the epiphany god,” and his wife Ariadne.Dionysus was called “the Loosener” or lysios in Greek, the loosener of limbs and of minds. The Greek word lysios comes from "lysis," which means “setting free" or "unraveling.” I want to pick up this thread to reflect a bit more on the nature of Dionysian loosening and epiphanies, by spending some time with the myth of Ariadne.Who was Ariadne, to be partner to this god? Ariadne like...
2021-09-1034 minMyth MattersThe Greek god Dionysus and the titanicSend Catherine a text MessageWhat does the mythic relationship between Dionysus and the Titans suggest about our titanism and titanic culture, and ways to mitigate the destructive influence of titanic fantasies?“Oh how lucky you are, how really lucky you are, if you know the gods from within…” Euripides, The BacchaeSupport the showEmail Catherine at drcsvehla@mythicmojo.comPost a positive review on apple podcasts! Learn how you can work with Catherine at https://mythicmojo.comBuy me a coffee. Thank you!
2021-08-2026 minMyth MattersStyles of Imagination and Mythic Methods: Zeus and titanism todaySend Catherine a text Message"Let Zeus, born in the open, awake to all under the sky, ever-watchful, ever-noticing, be exemplar for responding to all that the senses present with a richly elaborating imagination. Only well-shaped images fed by the senses can contain and differentiate our innate titanism."--James Hillman In this episode we consider today's battle with the titanic, the excess and pressure of the "unlimited" in Western culture, and the numbness and stress that it engenders in us. How can we participate effectively in the cultural dynamics and find a measure of health a...
2021-08-0737 minMyth MattersPower, justice, and the Greek. myths of Zeus, Far-seeing Ruler of the godsSend Catherine a text Message"I shall sing of Zeus, the best and greatest of the Gods; far-seeing, mighty, fulfiller of designs..." Homeric Hymn to ZeusReal change begins with a change in perspective. The old myths offer a valuable lens and means to make such a shift. They reveal the shared webs of meaning and images that are the source of ideologies, theologies, and other constructs.Greek mythology continues to be a particularly strong influence in the world today, given the colonizing history of Western culture...
2021-07-2343 minMyth MattersMeaning is magic: the trickster Hermes and radical changeSend Catherine a text MessageMeaning is a very powerful thing. The meaning of something is intimately connected with the nature of the thing itself, whether that thing be an actual "thing" or an idea. The meaning of something is central to its appearance, identity, and significance. When you change the meaning of something, you change the truth of it. You change the context. You may change the "rules." Something brand new may come into the world. Changes in meaning = world creation, my friend!I think this is a useful lens t...
2021-07-0542 minMyth MattersMake Room for Magic: Celtic tales about fairiesSend Catherine a text Message"I have had a most rare vision. I have had a dream, pass the wit of man to say what dream it was." --Shakespeare, from "A Midsummer Night's Dream"A few Celtic stories about encounters with fairies, to celebrate the solstice and midsummer, and to consider the need for healthy skepticism and making room for magic."The Celt in all ages of his long history, like the ancient Greek thinkers with whom his ancestors were contemporary, has always been inclined, unlike modern scientists, to seek an explanation for t...
2021-06-2435 minMyth MattersAsk the DwarfSend Catherine a text MessageThe help that we need often comes from unexpected sources, if we have the wisdom to recognize them. We're surrounded by helpers, teachers, and truth-tellers in the visible and invisible worlds, and yet it's easy to miss the advice and magical tools and get stuck. We think that we know what's important. We place faith in illusions of power and control. We're rude to the dwarf who stands at the side of the road.There are so many old stories on this theme. Apparently, learning how to...
2021-06-1026 minMyth MattersRadical Change and The Water of LifeSend Catherine a text MessageWhen the king is fatally ill and radical change is required, you need to make a journey down unfamiliar paths into the symbolic world of story, and find the water of life. "The Water of Life," a fairy tale collected by the Brothers Grimm, provides some guidance about how this quest can be undertaken. What message does it hold for you right now?Support the showEmail Catherine at drcsvehla@mythicmojo.comPost a positive review on apple podcasts! Learn how you can work w...
2021-05-2833 minMyth MattersLeaps of faith: The story of "Jumping Mouse"Send Catherine a text Message"I’ve been terrified every moment of my life—and I never let it keep me from doing a single thing I wanted to do." -- Georgia O’KeefeHow do you find the courage and commitment to be true to yourself?A relatively small happening in your life, a minor mystery or random thought, even an irritant, can be a moment of awakening and the start of your quest. In this Native American story, a busy little mouse hears a strange roaring in his ears. This experience has no...
2021-05-1345 minMyth MattersBeyond Conventional Wisdom: Poetry and the Imaginal RealmSend Catherine a text Message"Imaginal knowing is the only way that the unconscious can move into consciousness [... it happens through pictures, events, and well-told stories. It happens through poetry, where well-chosen words create an image that, in turn, creates a new awareness [...]" In this episode we do something a bit different, in celebration of National Poetry month.Here is a kaleidoscope of poems and voices, of topics and perspectives, a short journey beyond conventional wisdom, to deeper knowing and recognition, to appreciation of the gift of living in this time. ...
2021-04-2938 minMyth MattersPoetry and Soul, A conversation with Brian Michael TracySend Catherine a text Message"Art is the informed translation of soul." ---Brian Michael TracyApril is National Poetry month in the United States. I'm joined by fellow myth-lover and poet, Brian Michael Tracy, for an exploration of the connections between poetry and soul. Psyche is the mysterious wellspring of myth, dream, and poetry, and our source of creative vitality. As Brian writes, "Art is the informed translation of soul." Brian's poetry weaves through our conversation. I hope you find inspiration and a reflective respite here, and perhaps hear a whisper of...
2021-04-1543 minMyth MattersApril foolsSend Catherine a text Message"April 1st is the day upon which we are reminded of what we are the other three hundred and sixty-four days." Mark TwainThere's been so much abuse of the truth, deception, and erosion of our trust in each other that April Fool's Day feels a bit dicey. And yet, laughter is more than the best medicine. Laughter is life.Here are some fun facts about April Fool's and a handful of humorous tales. I hope they give you laugh, and some perspective, and help you feel that you...
2021-04-0230 minMyth MattersEternity in an Hour: Urashima TaroSend Catherine a text MessageTo see a World in a Grain of Sand And a Heaven in a Wild Flower Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand And Eternity in an hourfrom "Auguries of Innocence" by William Blake Among the paradoxes posed by Blake, I find the notion of "eternity in an hour" particularly compelling. Events of the past year have changed our relationship to time. I wonder how to retain the gifts as we move into spring, fresh starts, and new life. ...
2021-03-1825 minMyth MattersStories that Disturb UsSend Catherine a text Message“Perhaps the greatest stories are those which disturb us, which shake us from our complacency, which threaten our well-being. It is better to enter into the danger of such a story than to keep safely away in a space where the imagination lies dormant.” -- N. Scott Momaday, The Way to Rainy MountainWhat are these stories that disturb us, and why would you venture into the danger zone of such a story?When you think about "a disturbing story," you may think about stories of brutality and dest...
2021-03-0328 minMyth MattersA world without stories and the trickster AnansiSend Catherine a text MessageThis entertaining Ashanti story about the trickster spider Anansi reveals the threads between story, imagination, and possibility.Who controls the stories that we tell, and why is it important to reach beyond our personal experience to hear the stories of those who are different from ourselves?Support the showEmail Catherine at drcsvehla@mythicmojo.comPost a positive review on apple podcasts! Learn how you can work with Catherine at https://mythicmojo.comBuy me a coffee. Thank you!
2021-02-1827 minMyth MattersShipwrecks, Donkeys, and Holy FoolsSend Catherine a text MessageThis episode includes a series of Sufi teaching stories that address change, loss, and renewal, and the power of story to shift our perspective and life the spirit.Includes Nasrudin and the man with the sack, Fatima the Spinner, Nasrudin and his neighbor, and one of my favorite poems by Rumi, "The Guest House.""With its concentration, among other things, on awareness and psychological balance – “mindfulness”, if you like – Sufism is a natural antidote to fanaticism." -- Jason WebsterClick here to read Webs...
2021-02-0425 minMyth MattersDumuzi's Dream and the Regions of Kindness (Inanna myth 4)Send Catherine a text MessageThis is the fourth and final episode in the 4-part series on the Sumerian myth of Inanna. We've crossed into the new year in the meantime, and this mixing of beginnings and endings felt appropriate for this myth and for these times.What is the difference between a "beginning" and an "end?" What binds the realms of the Great Above and the Great Below? What is the shared reality of Inanna and her sister Ereshkigal, and Dumuzi and the rest of us mere mortals, for that matter?I...
2021-01-0630 minMyth MattersInanna's Descent to the Underworld, episode 3 in a 4-part seriesSend Catherine a text MessageThe ancient Sumerian story of Inanna's descent to the underworld is an iconic myth about a psychological and spiritual journey of great significance. There's loss and suffering in this story. And there's a return to new life. Feels like a fitting end to 2020, and this season of Myth MattersA belated happy solstice and hurrah to the dawning age of Aquarius! Wishing you a safe and happy holiday. See you in 2021.Support the showEmail Catherine at drcsvehla@mythicmojo.comPost a positive review on...
2020-12-2429 minMyth MattersInanna and Dumuzi: Her Honey Man (part 2 of 4)Send Catherine a text MessageIn this episode I tell the second part of Inanna's story, the courtship and marriage between Inanna and her honey man, the shepherd Dumuzi. I've always delighted in the description of their courtship and the way it captures the excitement and hesitation that is part of falling in love and discovering the power of your sexuality. At the same time, I bridled at the need for such a powerful goddess to marry and make her husband king. But is this merely a patriarchal degradation of a figure who rules heaven a...
2020-12-1130 minMyth MattersQuest for New Metaphors: The Sumerian Myth of Inanna part 1Send Catherine a text Message"Symbol systems cannot be simply rejected, they must be replaced. Where there is no replacement the mind will revert to familiar structures at times of crisis, bafflement, or defeat." --Carol ChristThe corruption of the old forms, of old institutions and ways of thinking, continues to be revealed. The need for a new paradigm, myth, or metaphor that carries new values is clear. This involves working with our mythological inheritance, to reclaim or renew truth in the images and stories that inspired our predecessors, and sort through to find what i...
2020-11-2838 minMyth MattersImagination and Hanging by a ThreadSend Catherine a text Message"Imagination is destiny." James HillmanYour greatest gift in times of change is your imagination. What is your vision? Are you ready to live it?In this episode, a story about the Hopi creatrix Spider Woman and a poem by Diane di Prima offer inspiration to feed your imagination and creative power." history is a living weapon in yr hand& you have imagined it, it is thus that you"find out for yourself"history is the dream of what can be...
2020-11-1221 minMyth MattersThe King and the CorpseSend Catherine a text MessageThis Hindu story, "The King and the Corpse," is one of my favorites, rich in metaphor, humor, riddles, and insight. A king spends a long night with a talking corpse and realizes a profound truth. No spoilers-- so I'll end on this note: you may also learn something about the power of story to teach, transform, and awaken.I hope this story provides you with a few sweet moments of respite and reflection. Take good care of yourself in this liminal time of the year (Halloween, Samhain around t...
2020-10-2032 minMyth MattersHow to escape the "nothing but"-- practices and gifts of the symbolic life with Rohini WalkerSend Catherine a text MessageIn the last podcast, we talked about the crisis of a life of "nothing but" and the inherent dangers in what C.G. Jung called "the one-sidedness" of Western consciousness. The overly rational person is psychologically crippled, and vulnerable to what is repressed in the unconscious. This is also true of cultures, and we are living with the ills and effects of this one-sidedness right now.So, how do you become a healthier person, and a better citizen in a saner world? You learn to live the symbolic life, decolonize...
2020-10-0846 minMyth MattersOnce Upon a Time and the Crisis of "Nothing But"Send Catherine a text Message"Everything is banal, everything is 'nothing but;' and that is the reason that people are neurotic. They are simply sick of the whole thing, sick of that banal life, and therefore they want sensation. They even want a war; they all want war..." --C. G. Jung from "The Symbolic Life," CW 18.According to Jung, most Western individuals suffer from a pervasive soul sickness, a sickness created by the one-sided nature of Western consciousness. The single-minded pursuit of "reason" has driven the deep need for wonder, meaning, and mystery into...
2020-09-2431 minMyth MattersMythic Animals: wonder and shadow in the OtherSend Catherine a text Message"Our identity is shaped not only by our differences from the Others but in the alchemy by which assimilating them informs the genesis of self. They are both the reciprocal and the constituents of our consciousness." --Paul Shepard, "The Others, How Animals Made Us Human"Dragons, griffins, chimeras, unicorns, talking horses, and helpful toads-- images of fantastic creatures like these typically come to mind when we think of "mythic animals" and yet animals, the first companions and teachers of early homo sapiens, have always been an essential part of human m...
2020-09-1138 minMyth MattersThe Roaring in Your EarsSend Catherine a text Message"I’ve been terrified every moment of my life—and I never let it keep me from doing a single thing I wanted to do." --Georgia O’KeefeHow do you find the courage and commitment to be true to yourself?A relatively small happening in your life, a minor mystery or random thought, even an irritant, can be a moment of awakening and the start of your quest. In this Native American story, a busy little mouse hears a strange roaring in his ears. This experience has no pla...
2020-08-2743 minMyth MattersTwo Jatakas: A thought experiment in bodhisattvas and heroesSend Catherine a text MessageThe popular image of the hero is ripe for reflection. In this episode, I share two Buddhist teaching stories (jatakas) that offer an interesting perspective. The Tigress Jataka and The Prince Five Weapons Jataka illustrate different courses of action taken on the path of the bodhisattva. Are the "heroes" in these tales, heroes? What do you think?So you should view this fleeting world—A star at dawn, a bubble in a stream,A flash of lightening in a summer cloud,A flickering lamp, a pha...
2020-08-0746 minMyth MattersWomen, Power, and the Right to Speak OutSend Catherine a text Message"We moms are often underestimated. But we're stronger than we're given credit for. So what do you say, will you stand with me?" Bev Barnum, catalyst for the Wall of Moms protest in Portland, OR USA In 411 BCE, Aristophanes' comedy the “Lysistrata” was performed in Athens. Athens was embroiled in the Peloponnesian War, and the play was a dream of peace in which women played a significant role. In this podcast, I give a gloss of the plot of this play and consider some connections between the an...
2020-07-2433 minMyth MattersHeroes, Buddha, and How to Read a MythSend Catherine a text MessageCultural and personal transformation begins with conscious evaluation of value systems and the stories that express and perpetuate them. In the West, this includes the idea of the hero, and the mythic pattern of the hero's journey delineated by Joseph Campbell.A close critique of Western heroes and heroism is long overdue in my opinion, and yet the incredible popularity of this image of the individual and the road to fulfillment signals the need for careful, nuanced reflection. In truth, I am often inspired by the courage, feeling, vision, and...
2020-07-0741 minMyth MattersAllies: Being One and Finding Them Through SoulSend Catherine a text MessageThe old forms are dissolving. I find myself thinking about allies--how to be an ally, and also, where are my allies? These questions are important in my "outer life" as a citizen, and a human being making my way through the day-to-day. I can find some answers in movies and books and my community... but can these take me far enough, deep enough, into the desired transformation? How can depth psychology and the soul life help me grapple with the challenge of allyship, alliances, and support today? Support the...
2020-06-2035 minMyth MattersSoul and Your New Story: Stepping Into the Fairy GlenSend Catherine a text MessageWhat do you do when the old ways don't work anymore? When the roles that you've played, and the activities that have engaged your time, must change? What do you do when your ideas about the world and about yourself must evolve? When you need a new story to live?You turn to soul and your soul life, that imaginative capacity in your nature that enables you to bridge what exists and what could be. Soul---that imaginative ground-- is a portal that is always available, to take you into the...
2020-05-2230 minMyth MattersA moment of respite: Clever MankaSend Catherine a text MessageHere we are, two weeks further into this process, a process that few, if any of us, can define, a collective transformation. Sometimes I feel a certain fatigue in all of this, and maybe you do, too. I remind myself that all I can do, really, is express - through how I live, what I do, what I say and my own being- the values that I want to see in the world. In that spirit, I offer you a little bit of humor and sweetness in today's story, a Cz...
2020-05-0727 minMyth MattersCreativity, Faith, and the Turning TideSend Catherine a text Message"If this life be not a real fight, in which something is eternally gained for the universe by success, it is no better than a game of private theatricals from which one may withdraw at will. But it feels like a real fight." William James The words above are the epigraph to a chapter in Annie Dillard's book "The Writing Life." In this podcast, I share a story from Dillard that helps me greet the day and take up my work despite uncertain outcomes. I hope that it does the sa...
2020-04-2315 minMyth MattersMeanwhile, The World Goes OnSend Catherine a text Message"Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine. Meanwhile, the world goes on..."--Mary Oliver, "Wild Geese" The world that you and I knew has ended and many things are changing and yet, the sun still rises and sets, and the spring flowers are blooming here in the Mojave Desert. The earth--- our source and ground---is beneath our feet. Here is a program of poetry to connect you with all the life and beauty that remains despite the great changes underway. I've in...
2020-04-1541 minMyth MattersDrinking the Waters of Life, and the five sons of King EochaidSend Catherine a text MessageYou and I are living through huge changes. My day to day is a roller coaster ride through grief and fear of loss, to joy at the birdsong, gratitude, inspired resolve, and anxiety. I'm energized and exhausted at the same time. Maybe you're riding a roller coaster too.It's tempting to devote all energy to practicalities and logistics, to the newsfeeds and the search for distractions, or to disconnect and retreat into your private world. But we're needed. You and me. Right now. So how do we ride t...
2020-04-0133 minMyth MattersJoyful Participation in the Sorrows of the WorldSend Catherine a text Message“Participate joyfully in the sorrows of the world. We cannot cure the world of sorrows, but we can choose to live in joy.” Joseph CampbellA lot has changed in a mere two weeks and I hope that you are safe and healthy. In the recent podcast about Loki and the quantum cosmos, I suggested that we need to use our ability to question and cultivate a new state of openness. I received requests to talk more about this "openness," which led me to consider these words from Josep...
2020-03-1325 minMyth MattersLoki and Chaos in a Quantum CosmosSend Catherine a text MessageMyths of the Norse god Loki combine with understanding of the quantum cosmos to offer insight into the necessity of chaos, and a perspective on the restructuring of our lives.Support the showEmail Catherine at drcsvehla@mythicmojo.comPost a positive review on apple podcasts! Learn how you can work with Catherine at https://mythicmojo.comBuy me a coffee. Thank you!
2020-02-2842 minMyth MattersFinding Perspective As Things Fall ApartSend Catherine a text MessageHow can a thoughtful person think, in a useful and creative way, about the seeming insanity of many politicians and the turmoil in public life and community affairs? What does mythology have to do with the conflict, and do the old stories offer any insight?These are big questions. The role that mythology plays in shaping every aspect of communal life is too big for one podcast, but this Yoruba story about Eshu and his love of discord offers a good starting point in the search for a healthy, helpful...
2020-02-1428 minMyth MattersThe Valiant Horse and the Soul LifeSend Catherine a text MessageAre we solitary and relatively powerless egos in a mechanical world, or do we belong to a community of seen and unseen Others? What does it mean to live the life of the soul, and why is this necessary? “The Fire-bird and the Princess Vasilisa,” a Russian fairytale about a hunter and a horse, a king, a magical bird and a mysterious princess, offers a way into the imaginal realm where such questions can be considered.A transcript of this podcast is available at http://www.mythicmojo.com...
2020-01-1730 minMyth MattersThieves, Tricksters, and Golden PlumsSend Catherine a text MessageIn the last podcast I told you the fairy tale of “The Three Feathers” and talked about the connection between gratitude, imagination, and possibility. This was an invitation to look beyond what you perceive to be a limited situation and actively entertain the unknown, to unleash the power of imagination and the magic that arises from a place of willing curiosity. The story that I now offer, “The Old Thief and the Plum Seed,” extends those reflections in ways that I didn’t foresee. And that may be the point(!).Tricks...
2019-12-2030 minMyth MattersThe Trapdoor to GratitudeSend Catherine a text Message“we are saying thank you and wavingdark though it is”--- W.S. MerwinThe wise ones tell us that true gratitude, gratitude beyond the platitude, is gratitude for everything, even hardship and suffering. Easier said than done, right? How can we move into a fullhearted posture of thanksgiving? How can the old stories help us reach this peaceful state of acceptance?In this podcast, a fairy tale called “The Three Feathers” provides a meditation on imagination and a trapdoor down into that realm of possib...
2019-12-0535 minMyth MattersGilgamesh Part 3: Crossing the Waters of DeathSend Catherine a text Message“Here is the epic of the fear of death.” Ranier Marie RilkeThis program is the third and final episode in my telling of the ancient Sumerian myth of Gilgamesh, the hero-king of Uruk. When he was a young man he terrorized his people, but at the end of his story they say that Gilgamesh was wise, that he traveled the world and knew secret things. What happened to Gilgamesh? He faced his fear of death.Death isn’t something that we’re generally encouraged to contempla...
2019-11-1547 minMyth MattersThe Sumerian Myth of Gilgamesh Part 2: Humbaba and the Cedar ForestSend Catherine a text MessageIn part 2 of this 3-part series, Gilgamesh and his friend Enkidu venture into the sacred cedar forest to confront the demon Humbaba and make great names for themselves. These actions and motivations may seem questionable today, and raise questions about the enduring value of the ancient story. What do these two have to teach us about the human condition? Do they simply illustrate timeworn heroic values—for better or for worse--- or does this poem connect past and present in a meaningful, useful way?A transcript of this podc...
2019-10-3144 minMyth MattersGilgamesh Part 1: The Creation of EnkiduSend Catherine a text MessageThe Sumerian myth of the hero-king Gilgamesh may be the oldest story in recorded history and yet, his quest for meaning is poignant and powerful today. This podcast is part 1 in a 3-part series on this myth. In this episode we meet Gilgamesh and his friend and alter ego, the wild man Enkidu. Transcript and links to bonus material available at www.mythicmojo.comSupport the showEmail Catherine at drcsvehla@mythicmojo.comPost a positive review on apple podcasts! Learn how you can w...
2019-10-1734 minMyth MattersPerceval: Wandering in the WastelandSend Catherine a text MessageIn the last podcast I told you the beginning of the Arthurian legend of Perceval and his quest for the grail, written by the French poet Chrétien de Troyes in the 12thcentury. This story, and others about King Arthur and the Knights of the Roundtable, were part of an important cultural conversation, a conversation about the rights and authority of the individual. Perceval’s quest for the grail is easily understood as a quest for self-realization, and an assertion of the need felt by each and every one of us...
2019-10-0449 minMyth MattersLife is an Adventure: Perceval's Grail QuestSend Catherine a text Message“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 [...] If you follow someone else's way, you are not going to realize your potential.” ― Joseph CampbellSome people seem to know the purpose for which they were born very early in life. Others of us stumble along searching for a long time. The Arthurian legend of Perceval and the Story of Grail can tell us something about how the quest for self-fulfillment begins.
2019-09-2033 minMyth MattersThe Greek God Pan: Nature or Human Nature?Send Catherine a text Message“Tell me Muse, about the dear son of Hermes, the goat-footed, the two-horned, the lover of the din of revel, who haunts the wooded dells with dancing Nymphs who tread the crests of the steep cliffs, calling upon Pan the pastoral god of the long, wild hair…” Homeric Hymn to PanMany, if not all of the old gods, are embedded in what we now call the “natural world” in one way or another, so what makes Pan the Greek god of “nature?” How has he been treated by Western culture over t...
2019-09-0637 minMyth MattersWandering Aengus and Singing the Swan's SongsSend Catherine a text MessageWhat is the source of creative ideas and guiding visions, and how do they come to us? How do our creative ideas change and how do we change along with them? In this episode I share a Celtic story that offers an opportunity for meditation on these questions. The story of Aengus and Caer is based on myths that inspired the poet William Butler Yeats to write his poem “Wandering Aengus.” Here are a few words from Yeats about the creative life:“The greater energies of the mind seldom...
2019-08-2230 minMyth MattersReciprocity and Right Relationship: Reflections on “The Queen Bee”Send Catherine a text MessageFairy tales are inherently subversive. If you sit with one, if you think about what puzzles, delights, or infuriates you, you will be changed. And there are thousands of fairy tales and stories in cultures around the world, that have this power. “The Queen Bee,” a fairy tale collected by the Brothers Grimm, was new to me when I set out to record this podcast. It’s pretty short and I didn’t expect much. I didn’t love the story or think that it would find its way into a podcast, b...
2019-08-0942 minMyth MattersTaking Flight: The Conference of the BirdsSend Catherine a text Message“These lofty words are an antidote for anyone sickened by extremism’s poison.” AttarThe Conference of the Birds is an epic poem from the 12thcentury written by Sufi poet Farid ud Din Attar.The story is an enduring source of insight and inspiration for truth seekers everywhere. Rumi, said, “Attar is the soul itself.” If you want a story to speed you down the path to your fulfillment then let Attar be your teacher.If you are feeling lost, beat down, angry, or despairing...
2019-07-2637 minMyth MattersPoseidon and the Best Laid PlansSend Catherine a text Message“I sing of the great god Poseidon, mover of the earth and fruitless sea […] god of the deep, shaker of the earth […] tamer of horses and savior of ships […]” Homeric Hymn to PoseidonAfter the Olympians defeated the old gods, Zeus and his brothers, Hades and Poseidon, divided the world into three realms. They drew lots to establish which of them would rule over each.Poseidon was awarded the ocean.In this podcast I talk about Poseidon and share some his myths, including his role in Homer’s Od...
2019-07-1238 minMyth MattersFate, Free Will, and Being Human: Insights from the Greek Myth of OedipusSend Catherine a text MessageIn the Greek myth of Oedipus a king tries, unsuccessfully, to avoid fulfilling a horrifying prophecy. He doesn’t escape his fate and yet free will exists, doesn’t it? Did Oedipus make a critical mistake? Did he have other options? Do we? Reflections on the message and meaning of the tragic fate of King Oedipus and how it can illuminate the dance with fate and destiny today.A transcript of this episode is available at www.mythicmojo.com. Thanks for listening!Support the showEma...
2019-06-2727 minMyth MattersKnowing Thyself: The Greek Myth of OedipusSend Catherine a text MessageHow do you come to know yourself? What does this mean and how is this task accomplished? Most importantly, do you really want to know? The quest for self-knowledge lies at the heart of human experience and it is a quest surrounded by questions. Some of them are addressed in one of most famous Greek myths, the myth of Oedipus, immortalized in a trilogy of plays by Sophocles from the 5th century BCE.In this podcast I tell the story of Oedipus and reflect on the connection between t...
2019-06-1441 minMyth MattersArtemis and Your Place in the Family of ThingsSend Catherine a text MessageWhen the moon shone, Artemis was present, and beasts and plants would dance.” Karl KerenyiAn exploration of Artemis, Greek goddess of the moon, the hunt, and wilderness, and the myth of her fateful encounter with Acteaon, that may help you find your place in the family of things.A transcript of this episode is available at www.mythicmojo.com. Thanks for listening!Support the showEmail Catherine at drcsvehla@mythicmojo.comPost a positive review on apple podcasts! Learn how you can...
2019-05-3138 minMyth MattersMoonstruck with Selene and HecateSend Catherine a text MessageSummer is almost here, bringing warm nights perfect for stargazing and communion with the moon. A full moon rises here in the United States on Saturday May 18th, so this podcast includes stories and information about two Greek moon goddesses, Selene and Hecate, and an invitation to develop your night vision and capacity for magic. Bathe in the silver shimmer, get moonstruck, and maybe a little bit mad.A transcript of this episode is available at www.mythicmojo.com. Thanks for listening!Support the show
2019-05-1735 minMyth MattersLove and Beauty: The Greek Myths of Aphrodite and ErosSend Catherine a text Message“Without warningAs a whirlwindSwoops on an oakLove shakes my heart.” ---SapphoIn this podcast I share some of the ancient Greek mythology about Aphrodite, the Goddess of Love, and Eros, the God of Desire, the force that brings people and things together. These are universal, timeless energies and the Greek ideas about them, personified in this Goddess and God, can help us expand our thinking about the role love, beauty, and desire play in our lives.Aphrodite is depicted as ve...
2019-05-0230 min