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Personal Mythology, Lesson #1
Personal Mythology, Lesson #1-at-a-glance
Station Six on the Journey: Initiation into the Mystery
Process:
Recognizing and defining our prevailing myths (core beliefs)
Guiding Words:
“Personal Mythology”
Guiding Questions:
What is a personal mythology?
Guiding Quotation: Carl Jung
“Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate.”
Invitations to the Project:
Record and listen to, or read the guided meditation #1:
“A Shamanic Journey to Meet your Inner Guidance”
Conflict Survey
Family Mythology Exercise
Closing Quotation – Joseph Campbell
“The cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek”
Business: (Just by way of reminder)
***Caveats: individual therapy and/or support is extremely valuable as we move through this process. We’re not meant to feel alone as we do the work.
***Personal Mythology requires significant time, effort and space for contemplation and creation. Don’t find yourself over-committed or over-extended
***If addiction is an issue, 6 months of sobriety are suggested before participating in this deep work
Check in: Pass the talking stick to the left (from the heart)
What does Personal Mythology mean to you?
What are your expectations around Personal Mythology?
Quotation: Carl Jung
“Until you make the unconscious conscious…….”
Teaching point:
Introduce Personal Mythology with the PowerPoint Slides and invite discussion/questions
Invitation to the projects:
Record and listen to, or read the guided meditation #1:
“A Shamanic Journey to Meet your Inner Guidance”
Family Mythology Exercise
Conflict Survey
Check out: Pass the talking stick to the left (from the heart)
Closing with closing quote:
“The cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek”
“In the Bag”
Lesson #1 Small book for note-taking
Tissues Tablecloth
Candle/Lighter Talking stick
Singing bowl & stick
Box of pens, markers, dry-erase markers, etc.
“Until you make the unconscious
conscious, it will direct your life, and
you will call it fate.”
~ Carl Jung
Family Mythology Exercise
Standing in a large circle, with backs to the center, give yourself plenty of room to move in any direction. With masking tape, make an “x” – this is home base for you.
*** Beginning:
Find a comfortable posture and close your eyes. Take a step backward and another step to the right. In doing so, you’re stepping into the persona of your biological father. Imagine yourself becoming your father. Physically assume a posture that would represent your father. Was he larger than you? Taller? Broader? Smaller? Assume his posture and facial expression. Create a living sculpture of your father – become him as much as possible. Move your body until your posture symbolizes for you the life your father lived or is living. You will be responding to the perception he had or has of himself and his life.
Even though you may not know the answers to the questions that are coming up, the answers are nevertheless are at some level echoing in your own life. So, answer the questions “as if” you know the answer and trust whatever answers come up for you. The answers you come up with carry the spirit of your heritage.
Attune yourself to the posture and energy of your father and ask these questions and any others that you’d like to ask:
What makes you most happy?
What is your position in society?
Are you limited?
Are you privileged?
What are your responsibilities to society?
What’s important for you to accomplish before you die?
Do you believe in God or another Divine Source or do you look strictly at your own humanness to explain the mysteries of life?
What is your grief?
What do you fear?
What was the belief that held your family together and that you still believe today?
What is the personal myth that shaped your life?
*** (Repeat) Move out of this posture now, releasing your energy with each exhalation and physically shake your body to come back to yourself. Come back to your own center, the “x” that marks the spot. Consider how this person’s beliefs or mythology affected your own development.
2. Our last exploration begins now; take a large step forward, imagining you are stepping into the body and being of your biological mother.
Even though you may not know the answers to the questions that are coming up, the answers are nevertheless are at some level echoing in your own life. So, answer the questions “as if” you know the answer and trust whatever answers come up for you. The answers you come up with carry the spirit of your heritage.
Attune yourself to the posture and energy of your mother and ask these questions and any other questions that you’d like to ask:
What makes you most happy?
What is your position in society?
Are you limited?
Are you privileged?
What are your responsibilities to society?
What’s important for you to accomplish before you die?
Do you believe in God or another Divine Source or do you look strictly at your own humanness to explain the mysteries of life?
What makes you sad?
What is your grief?
What do you fear?
What was the belief that held your family together and that you still believe today?
What is the personal myth that shaped your life?
*** (Repeat) Move out of this posture now, releasing your energy with each exhalation and physically shake your body to come back to yourself. Come back to your own center, the “x” that marks the spot. Consider how this person’s beliefs or mythology affected your own development.
Finally, standing on home base, step into the image of your own body and being. Find a posture that represents the statement your life is making. As you sense into this posture, formulate the core statement your family mythology seems to be making as an actual phrase or sentence. Allow the statement to bubble up from deep within. Formulate it clearly into a single statement and remember it.
Think about how you might like to change or expand this core statement. If you need a larger statement, stretch your posture to fit it. When you feel complete with this process, you may sit down on your home base.
By speculating on how your parents might have related to the various questions, and by experimenting with physical postures representing their myths, you were inviting new insight into your mythology.
Conflict Survey
Self-Defeating Behaviors Irrational Feelings Physical Symptoms
Guided Meditation #1:
A Shamanic Journey to Meet your Inner Guidance
Lesson One
Adapted from Feinstein & Krippner, The Mythic Path
(Caveat: don’t allow language to be an obstacle here. Inner Guidance may translate into many words: Shaman, God, Holy Spirit, Higher Power. The point is to connect with the Inner Guidance System by any name!)
Get comfortable now and relax into this perfect moment of exploration and discovery. Watch your breath move through your body as you inhale and exhale and find yourself becoming more present, more relaxed with every breath. I invite you to move your concerns, fear, worries to the “back burner” of your mind and as much as possible allow this journey of clarity and enlightenment.
Be open now as to how knowledge will be imparted to you through your Inner Guidance. You may clearly “see” pictures, images, movies, words, symbols; you may “hear” more than you see; likewise, you may experience this journey kinesthetically, in which you simply “know” or realize information in a feeling manner. In any case, it will be perfect for you.
Relaxing more deeply now, as your body simply melts into the chair, the cushion, the floor; soft belly…………relaxed jaw……open mind, open heart, totally relaxed but attentive, we now find ourselves in the deep woods of the imagination. We’re seeking an entrance into non-ordinary reality where our purpose is to gain clarity and knowledge, to make conscious that which is unconscious. Spotting a mighty tree, we see a small hole at its base and know that we have found our way “in”. We know that the laws of physics no longer apply as we dive into the hole and begin our journey. Anything is possible now and we’re excited and paying attention to what wants to appear. We’re on a path through a winding, underground tunnel, and we notice all kinds of interesting creatures, signs and symbols.
We’re not at all afraid, for we know that this is a very exciting, powerful adventure that is revealing our inner world of deep wisdom. As you move along the path that is both timeless and boundless, you suddenly notice a stone tablet that looks like a signpost, and it is etched with writing. Take a closer look at what is written there, and you’ll notice that it contains a list of your beliefs that you have never challenged. Read and consider them carefully.
Gather your courage now as we move ever more deeply into the unconscious depths of your being. You feel open and curious as you move through the tunnel which now brings you to an overlook into a beautiful valley, the Valley of your Youth. From this vantage point, you can objectively see your early life: your hometown, your home and family, your friends, pets and associates. Your senses are strong as you overlook this valley, and you feel great compassion as you survey the emotional world of your childhood. There’s no shame or blame at this time, only a sense of joy at having survived some very challenging situations, and some very trying times.
Stepping back onto the path, your journey continues as you make note of many interesting signs and symbols. Up ahead you see the Graveyard of Lost Illusions, and you know that more wisdom is being imparted as you prepare yourself to receive more insight and guidance. Scattered all through the graveyard are symbols of your many life lessons. You see a broken scale, symbolic of your naïve belief that life should be fair. There are other symbols of lost relationships, lost loves, beliefs, opportunities, and dreams. Breathe deeply now, knowing that you are safe, that you have prevailed and overcome so much. Just take in as much as you can……….relax more deeply and stay open and curious.
Leaving the Graveyard of Lost Illusions, you now enter more fully the depths of your being. The challenges of your life have proven you worthy of the guidance that you seek. Soon you see a light at the end of the tunnel, and as you approach the light, you know that you are getting very close to the sacred dwelling of your Inner Guidance. You are filled with reverence and peace and joy as you get closer to your source of knowledge. You carefully explore your environment now, noticing the trees, the sky, the foliage, the creatures that accompany you. You enter a beautiful clearing in the heart of an ancient forest and as you do so, take a deep breath.
You are fully present now to the beauty and wonder of the place, the perfection of this timeless moment. Just ahead, you see an amazing sight: a hallway of intertwined trees forming a perfect archway, entrance to the inner sanctum, and as you proceed you find a perfect way to greet the loving, compassionate Presence who awaits you there. Take in as much detail as you can as to the look and sound and feel of this presence, and sense deeply into the nature of this loving friend. Thank this loving presence for meeting you and acknowledging your life’s journey and the courage you have shown in walking through it.
Now you remember your purpose for coming this far and prepare yourself to seek guidance and wisdom regarding an area of your personal mythology that is calling for your attention. As you formulate this question, prepare to ask for it with reverence, knowing that it will be answered in the appropriate way at the appropriate time. When you’re ready, ask, “What beliefs do I hold that are hurting my life and causing me pain and grief?” With great respect and faith, you now pay attention and rest in reverent contemplation, knowing that the answer to your question is being received in the most perfect, comprehensive way possible so that you will surely understand the answer.
It’s almost time to return to ordinary reality. Be mindful in taking leave of your Inner Guidance. In whatever way that is appropriate for you, pay your respects and express your love and gratitude for this sacred meeting and all that has been made evident. Know that you can return to this sacred space at any time that you choose to do so. You’ll always be welcomed with love and respect.
At the sound of the gong, you will begin to make your way back to ordinary reality, to the top-side world where you began this journey. You make your way back through the beautiful archway, through the tunnel past the Graveyard of Lost Illusions, past the Valley of your Youth, past the stone tablet to the opening at the base of the great tree. Very gently, begin to rouse yourself back into waking consciousness. You will be able to remember all that you have experienced on this journey, and you feel rested, deeply moved by all that you have learned. Wiggle your toes and fingers and breathe deeply as you gently re-enter the room. Open your eyes and stretch as if you were waking from a wonderful, restful nap...