Ch.27 Writing and Re-writing Your Own Mythology
Women’s Summer Conference 2033
Serializing Insight Experiential Colleges, how Women In Congress re-invented liberal arts college curriculum and teaching methods to produce graduates capable of redeeming-restoring SpaceShip Earth
In Chapter 27, we peek into the script of exercise sequences attendees were invited to participate in.
As mentioned last Chapter, this year’s theme was, “Making and Re-making Your Own Myth; Upgrading the Myths We Live By.” Exercise sequences were arranged to explore and upgrade the shared myths which bring us together; and, myths useful for making and re-making our lives.
Day one, first lecturette to Conference attendees:
begin quote
Facilitator: “All of you know what a myth is. Authentic myths are neither factual truths; nor, are they irrelevant fantasy.
“Myths speak primarily to our unconscious. Our unconscious is like a three-year-old who loves the story of the “Three Bears” told again and again. Our unconscious knows how to follow a story like a train track. When an adult tells the tale, the three-year-old will tell the adult if any events are out of order or any details are missing.
A young child — and our unconscious — can accept a story ending happily or sadly. Both feelings are real to a three year old. In this way, myths and stories become habits in the less-conscious mythological level of each person’s Habit Body. Depending on how elevated or how depressed a young child’s self-esteem is, it will accept as its stories either happy or sad ones to follow. Each person decides rather uniquely.
“Authentic myths don’t work at a superficial level; they work at the less-conscious level inside our psyche. If you find yourself stuck, sometimes a story or an older person, sharing their life experience, suggests how to get unstuck.
“How might dreams and myths be connected? Joseph Campbell says, “A dream is a personal myth; a myth is a public dream.”
Death of the American Dream
“A classic “public dream” is the “American Dream.” In the Oxford dictionary, the American dream is a belief America offers everyone a good and successful life if they work hard.
“Our inner three-year-old uses such “public dreams” to navigate thru life. Our inner child comes to expect certain things to happen, in a certain sequence, infancy, school, college, career, marriage, birth, school etc.
“Our unconscious wants to feel the future is safe; and at least, somewhat predictable. We can liken this to a railroad train engine who wants a familiar “train track” to follow. In the USA our unconscious uses the “public dream” of the “American Dream” as its railroad track to follow. This way our unconscious feels safe and can trust what is coming down the track, from the future, is worth working for.
“This is how our unconscious trusts and navigates thru our human experience. Our unconscious, we accept certain “myths” as our defining & guiding narrative.
“This is why the collapse of the American Dream was so hard on so many people, men and women. The familiar, predicable train track outlining, “what happens next” — was blown up, thrown up into the air, thrown into chaos.”
Reference
“The 4 Ways Myths Can Change Your Life, According to Joseph Campbell” — https://nextbigideaclub.com/magazine/4-ways-myths-can-change-life-according-joseph-campbell-bookbite/32469/
Set up for first exercise sequence
Facilitator: “Okay, any questions? [5–10 min max].
Fac to Co-Fac: Tell me, what is one story, script, archetype or myth, are you living your life by? [Co-Fac responds; then, asks the first to respond in an equal amount of time.]
[Buy-in poll question:] “I’m going to ask a question and take a poll in this room. You will vote by sanding up for one of two questions The first question is, do you think which myth, story, etc a person follows is somewhat unique for each person? Or question two, do you think most people follow the same myth, story, etc? [Most people will stand for this being more individual, the more therapeutically useful insight].
“It’s time to meet some new friends. Here’s what we’re going to explore in partner exercises. Which stories, scripts, archetypes and myths, are you living your life by?
[Milling demo on stage:] Now my partner and I are going to demo the next exercise. In a minute, we will move all the chairs to the edges of the tents. There will be some walking-around music. When you hear the chime, find someone to stand face to face with, preferably someone you have never met before.
“Here’s what you will do. Person with longest hair will ask first: ‘What story, myth, or role model has been a guide for your life?”
“After responding, you switch roles. The shorter-hair person will ask the same question back, ‘What is one story, myth, or role model has guided your life?”
“The chime will sound, you will break from your partner, walk around, until you hear the chime again and find a new partner who is new to you. [In this way the exercise sequence gently leads attendees down into their own mythological level, where the roles, stories, scripts they follow can be brought up into more conscious awareness.]
end Q
The partner exercises continued into partner dyads, triads and small group exercises, some with handouts. Exercise sequences alternated with small and large group debriefing and journal writing.
In this way participants were led to uncover, acknowledge and honor their own personal myths — those which were working for them. The second goal was to identify roles, stories, scripts which individuals feel no longer work for them.
Fac to Co-Fac: Tell me, do you have any role-models, myths, or stories which are no longer workable for you? [Co-Fac responds; then, asks the first Fac. to respond in an equal amount of time.]
This was a preview of Day Two content.
Also part of the first two days was Values, which values each of us holds deepest and innermost to our hearts. This was done first in milling then, in a dyad, then in small groups; and finally, among the entire group of Conference attendees. This liberated much locked-up energy inside attendees — which was used for 30–60 minutes of dancing.
Writers made sure at the end of Day Two, feedback and comments were collected by multiple methods. Writers wished to learn as much as possible.
SIDEBAR ~ The Hero Journey (Joseph Campbell)
Campbell’s Hero Journey consists of three stages: separation or departure; the trials and victories of initiation; then, return and reintegration with society. The Heroes Journey is a narrative pattern. Each stage must be successfully completed in turn before the next is undertaken.
Episodes of trial-testing call the hero forward to demonstrate new conscious insight, wisdom and competency. At the end he or she returns to conventional society and shares what they have learned, the gifts they have received. Local culture is quickened and enlightened by new focus on and attention to positive qualities, aligned with truly human values.
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Day three: Hercules, Odysseus (Hero Journey), Scylla and Charybdis
In 2033, which traditional myths were most relevant to the female Hero Journey? From the Facilitator script:
QUOTE
“Hercules wanted to atone for the death of his wife and children by his own hand. Readers can imagine Hercules as an Incredible Hulk character, physical power so prodigious, he is barely able to keep it under his mental a control.
“Hercules waged a victorious war in Boeotia. He then married Megara, daughter of Creon, king of Thebes. However in a fit of rage, Hercules killed his wife and their children. His fit of rage was sent by Hera, wife of Zeus. None the less, Hercules was grief-stricken and wished to atone for his sin. He went to the Oracle at Delphi to ask how to atone.
“The Oracle told Hercules must serve King Eurystheus, king of Tiryns and Mycenae, for 10 years. Do any task the king asked of him. If he did this, he would be forgiven and wouldn’t feel guilty any more. The tasks the king gave him are called the Twelve Labors of Hercules. It was Eurystheus who imposed upon Hercules the famous 12 Labors, 12 “good deeds” to make the world better, feats so difficult they’d be impossible for a mere mortal to accomplish. The most famous of these are:
- the slaying of the Nemean lion, whose skin he thereafter wore;
- the slaying of the nine-headed Hydra of Lerna;
- the capture of the elusive hind (or stag) of Arcadia;
- the capture of the wild boar of Mount Erymanthus;
- the cleansing, in a single day, of the cattle stables of King Augeas of Elis;
- the shooting of the monstrous man-eating birds of the Stymphalian marshes;
- the capture of the mad bull terrorizing the island of Crete;
- the capture of the man-eating mares of King Diomedes of the Bistones.
Closed eye process: Hercules labors
[Closed eye process: FAC: “Now we are leaving Hercules story. … Return to your own life and your own story. … Many life experiences shape us, more than one. … We want you to consider two to five life experiences … which most shaped you. … We’ll play some soft music while you write in your journal the one, two or three challenges, life obligated you to … and how these made you the woman you are today.”
Large group debrief
FAC: Who learned something and wants to share?
How this myth relates to women. See if you can lead them to: As a mother, parent and housekeeper, enduring an endless stream of laundry, cooking, child discipline; and, cleaning — what woman has not thought at one or many times, her penance resonates well with Hercules 12 years of labors?
Odysseus’ Odyssey as Hero Journey
Odysseus’s adventures, in the epic poem The Odyssey, is an example of the Hero Journey. His Hero Journey conforms to the three stages: separation-departure; trials and victories of initiation; finally, return-reintegration into mainstream society.
To participate in the Trojan War, Odysseus must separate from his hometown, Ithaca. He is put through multiple trials and obstacles delaying his return home. Eventually, he makes his return to Ithaca and resolves local problems. His earned wisdoms are socially useful and increase his city’s honor, economic, political and cultural influence.
Like Hercules labors, Odysseus’ Odyssey has distinct episodes. However Odysseus’ Odyssey is more psychological in its insights and outcome. The episodes, Odysseus’ “labors,” can remind women of the choice points, decision points, gains and losses not under her control, which have made her the well-integrated woman she has come to be.
FAC: “Among the several adventures of Odysseus and his crew, we wish to draw your attention to one in particular.”
Closed-eye process: Scylla and Charybdis
FAC: “Once they passed the Sirens’ island, Odysseus and his men must navigate the straits between Scylla and Charybdis. Scylla is a six-headed monster; who, when ships pass, each head can swallow one sailor.
“On the other side is Charybdis, an enormous whirlpool who threatens to swallow the entire ship. As instructed by Circe, Odysseus holds his course tight against the cliffs of Scylla’s lair. As he and his men stare at Charybdis on the other side of the strait, the heads of Scylla swoop down and crew are lost.”
Lecturette: Co-Fac: “In women’s literature of the 1800s-1900s, many, many books portrayed a young woman forced into a classic Scylla and Charybdis choice point. She has to choose between not marrying, remaining poor, growing old as a spinster; or, accepting a marriage proposal from a man, which she believes will be a marriage without love or intimacy.”
Let’s consider two more ‘Scylla and Charybdis choice points’ in women’s history.
1) A modern example of this from the early Civil Rights era is the story of Ruby Bridges and her family. In November 1960, at the tender age of six, Ruby advanced the cause of civil rights when she became the first African American student to integrate an elementary school in the South. However the constant emotional abuse she endured was harrowing. The economic abuse her family received was equally harrowing. The family paid a high price for being heroic. [Show slide images from Ruby Bridges life under this lecturette.]
2) Rosa Parks is another example. In 1955, in Montgomery, Alabama, instead of going to the back of the bus, which was designated for African Americans, she sat in the front. When the bus started to fill up with white passengers, the bus driver asked Parks to move. She refused. Her resistance set in motion one of the largest social movements in history, the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Rosa too was arrested and endured irrational emotional abuse for years. Everyone wants to be the hero. Few are ready to endure the hardships which come with pioneering more humane laws and behavior. [Show slide images from Rosa Parks life under this lecturette.]
Rosa Parks, Ruby’s parents, like Odysseus, like any decision-maker, felt stuck, unable to go backwards; yet, tremendous opposition confronts them if they try to move forward. Sometimes, we have to go forward, even thru the fire of our fear.
References
“Ruby Bridges” — https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/ruby-bridges#:~:text=At%20the%20tender%20age%20of,elementary%20school%20in%20the%20South.
“Rosa parks” — https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/rosa-parks
Large group debrief
FAC asks: Raise your hand if you can share from your own life, a Scylla and Charybdis choice point which was meaningful for you. [Facilitators lead attendees to use Scylla and Charybdis as reference point imagery for times and situations where attendees were faced with two equally bad options — how they overcame — and what they learned.
Fac to Co-Fac: Tell me one Scylla and Charybdis choice point which was meaningful for you. [Co-Fac responds; then, asks the first to respond in an equal amount of time.]
Guided closed-eye process
FAC: “Please close your eyelids. While your eyes are closed, I invite you to recall, a time when you had to choose between two unpleasant or fearful choices … What was the choice you faced? … How did your decision shape your life? … Recall the courage you manifested to step forward and accept the consequences and sacrifices of your choice.”
[Another sequence of partner and small group exercises here invited going deeper into attendees own experiences; and, learning from each other’s life experience thru empathy.]
end Q
In this way, many Conference participants found new clarity and useful poetry in the myths brought to their attention. Much discussion and sharing ensued over the many quiet ways, women accomplish in their journey into child-bearing and parenthood.
As well, much celebration occurred over the liberation and freedom many women felt after her children went off to college and careers (especially if children do not need to return to live with her again). Many empty-nester women talked and demonstrated how they were radiant in ways not possible since the birth of their first child.
In this way, character-education was made into questions, explored in sequences of interactive partner exercises. Writers watched audience responses and body language closely, each writer with a notebook. This was the “research” for composing 50% or more of all classroom lesson plans, for four-years worth of interactive exercises.
Next ~ How to “spin straw into gold,” conclusion of the five days of Summer Conference 2033.
