Mything in Action

One of Joseph Campbell’s earliest influences were Native American myths. The Austin Texas Pow Wow is on November 1st, celebrating Native American dance, culture and heritage. The festival is free and more information can be found at http://www.austinpowwow.org/austinpowwow.htm. The RoundTable will meet at the nearby La Madeline on Brodie Ln. for coffee and discussion about Native American myth, ritual and dance. Hope to see you there!

Details:
The Pow Wow:
Tony Burger Center
3200 Jones Road
Sunset Valley, Texas (South Austin)
10am-10pm

The RoundTable:
La Madeleine
5493 Brodie Lane
Sunset Valley 78745 (South Austin)
5pm-??

Please RSVP by the morning of the 1st.

This month’s topic: Mythopoesis and Personal Myth

Mythopoesis is myth creation. As we go through our lives, we are writing another segment of our own personal myth. This month, we will discuss the various paths this process can take and some of the guiding myths passed down through the ages. Feel free to share a personal story or experience that has served a part in your own personal mythopoesis.

We will meet at Book People as usual, but please note the new time:
August 30, 2008
2:30pm-5:30pm
Book People Cafe
603 N Lamar
Austin, TX 78703

Please RSVP by the morning of August 30th. Guests are welcome. I look forward to seeing you there!

As promised, we are having another RoundTable this month due to various scheduling mishaps on my part. That being said, I’ve planned a “hands on” event this time around. Inspired by Italo Calvino’s book, The Castle of Crossed Destinies, this RoundTable will explore the various levels of storytelling using the tarot. The rules are simple: the storyteller cannot use any words, only tarot cards and some minor gestures. He or she can interpret the meaning of the cards however he or she sees fit. The “readers,” or other participants, try to guess the meaning of the story based only on what they see. This exercise demonstrates the various levels that go into understanding a story, from the teller’s original intent to the actual understanding by the readers. I will be providing a “study deck” based loosely on the Marseilles deck. Anyone is welcome to bring a deck they don’t mind sharing.

We will be meeting at the Book People Cafe on Saturday the 28th at 4:30pm. I made a little table sign with the RoundTable logo that will be on display.

Book People
603 N Lamar
Austin, TX 78703

Please RSVP by the morning of the 28th. I look forward to seeing you there!

So, as already mentioned, I somehow spaced on the fact that I originally scheduled the next RoundTable for May 31st. It took the most recent JCF announcement to remind me. Since I have a conflict on this date, I have pushed this RoundTable back to June 7th. We will still have the scheduled RoundTable on June 28, but I am still working out the topic.

This month’s topic: Literary Alchemy

“Literary Alchemy” is a phrase coined - as far as I know - by John Granger, theologian and writer of hogwartsprofessor.com, to describe how one can induce personal transformation through literature, especially Harry Potter. This process of transformation resembles Campbell’s hero’s journey. We are going to explore alchemy, literature and unleashing personal myth through literature (movies, television shows, etc. count, too).

The meeting will be held at the Book People cafe starting at 4:30. I will be there wearing my black JCF t-shirt with the red circle logo on the front.

Book People
603 N Lamar
Austin, TX 78703

Please RSVP by the morning of June 7th.

I look forward to seeing everyone there.

I’m always amazed by time. Suddenly, before you know it, time has passed and there’s no more to spare. Between that and a couple unexpected personal events, I have been delayed in getting this announcement out to the world, but…

It’s the April RoundTable!

For this roundtable we will be exploring the experiences of war and how it relates to the liminal period so often attributed to initiation rituals. We will also be examining how story telling relates to integrating and making coherent the paradoxes of war. This roundtable is meant primarily as a starting point for a dialogue on how our study of mythology and depth psychology can help those returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. With this focus we will highlight the film “The Deer Hunter” and the Tim O’Brien novel “The Things They Carried”. They about intitiatory experiences and story-telling during the Vietnam War respectively. Author and Vietnam veteran O’Brien explains that “story-truth is truer sometimes than happening-truth”. If this is so mythology may be integral to helping our heroes make the transition back to civilian life.

February 23, “An Inconvenient Truth: Is Global Warming Affecting Nature Myths?”

Check out the Roundtable page for details.

I have already received a little criticism about this event, so let me just clarify: In my mind, there is no debate about global warming. What I want to explore is myth’s relationship to the effect: are the myths changing, or is the mythic fighting back?