Academic Research Papers by Ronald L Boyer
unpublished typescript, 2011
The paper was written as an assignment in Methods& Applications of Depth Psychology (Psy 542b), f... more The paper was written as an assignment in Methods& Applications of Depth Psychology (Psy 542b), for the graduate program in Depth Psychology at Sonoma State University. The purpose of the paper is to examine one or more of the dreams in a dream series recorded in a journal during the period of early February 2011 to May 17, 2011. Given the brief scope of the paper, a single dream was chosen for interpretation: the dreamer's "presenting dream" in psychotherapy, undertaken to support the ongoing personal work of the author with material brought up as part of the academic and group process. The interpretation references relevant unconscious thematic content expressed in the dream series as well as recent sand play experiments, paintings, poems, fairytales, and other expressive techniques conducted in conjunction with the assignment. The dream is analyzed using M.A. Mattoon's Jungian method of dream interpretation.
Berkeley Journal of Religion and Theology, 2021
The paper discusses the major characteristics of modernity and post-modernity presented in Passio... more The paper discusses the major characteristics of modernity and post-modernity presented in Passion of the Western Mind by contemporary depth psychologist and philosopher Richard Tarnas. The essay, created for a course taught by Dominican theologian Fr. Edward Krasevac on the nature and history of Western thought, summarizes Tarnas's view of the larger cultural and historical contexts in which the dominant epistemologies and perspectives of modernity and post-modernity evolved and serves as a basic introduction to some of the distinctive features of modern and post-modern philosophical criticism.
In this study, J. R. R. Tolkien's epic, tripartite mythopoeic novel, The Lord of the Rings, is ex... more In this study, J. R. R. Tolkien's epic, tripartite mythopoeic novel, The Lord of the Rings, is examined through the lens of the story's cinematic adaptation by Oscar-winning filmmaker Peter Jackson. The study emphasizes the underlying symbolic grammar of archetypal imagery in the Quest with special attention given to initiatory death-rebirth imagery in the transformational journey of the narrative's main protagonist, the hobbit-hero Frodo Baggins. This iconographic imagery in Tolkien's fictional tale is interpreted as a locus of psychological meaning, viewed as an example of the "rebirth archetype" (or "archetype of transformation") discovered by depth psychologist Carl G. Jung and interdisciplinary scholars influenced by Jung (e.g., Mircea
Coreopsis: Journal of Myth and Theater, 2020
Dante’s Divine Comedy is an early masterpiece of European literature as a whole and a medieval pr... more Dante’s Divine Comedy is an early masterpiece of European literature as a whole and a medieval prototype of modern mythopoeic literature. In creating his epic mythopoeic narrative, Dante utilizes widely recurring narrative metaphors and symbolic topographical motifs adapted from pre-existing mythologies to describe a mortal’s mythic journey of descent into the mythical Underworld or Land of the Dead. The essay examines Dante’s nekyia or archetypal hero journey of descent into the netherworld of Dis, the archetypal Land of the Dead, led by the spirit of Virgil as they travel ever downward through the dark depths of The Inferno’s underworld landscape. The paper analyzes the poetic text of The Inferno (augmented by the iconographic, pictorial art of Gustave Dore), focusing on symbolic, structural depth-imagery of a conventional nature in Dante’s literary narrative adapted from recurring primordial images found throughout the world’s mythologies and ritual narratives. The Inferno is interpreted as a medieval literary example of mythopoeic imagery common to ancient hero myths (including The Aeneid) and initiatory ritual schema the world over, interpreted as loci of psychological meaning in the interdisciplinary works of psychologist Carl G. Jung, mythologist Joseph Campbell, and others.
Keywords: archetypes, Carl G. Jung, comparative mythology, Dante, depth
psychology, Divine Comedy, iconography, Joseph Campbell, literature, mythology,
nekyia
Coreopsis: Journal of Myth and Theatre, 2017
This paper examines archetypal, initiatory symbolism in interconnected Biblical narratives, the O... more This paper examines archetypal, initiatory symbolism in interconnected Biblical narratives, the Old Testament story of Jonah and the Fish (or Whale) and the apocryphal story known as the Harrowing of Hell, a metaphorical relationship alluded to in Jesus Christ’s cryptic reference to the “sign of Jonah.” An amplification of the imagery indicates the symbolic identity of these two mythico-ritual, structural motifs and relates the imagery in both stories to widely distributed primordial rebirth symbolism common to aboriginal people across the world. The interpretive framework for this literary analysis is grounded in a cross-cultural, trans-medial, multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary perspective derived from the psychological criticism of Carl G. Jung and scholars influenced by Jung’s archetypal theories, including Joseph Campbell (comparative mythology/literary mythology), Mircea Eliade (history of religions), Northrop Frye (archetypal literary criticism), and others. The study contributes to an interdisciplinary hermeneutic of archetypal, mythico-ritual imagery found in dreams, fairy tales, and religious myths and rituals, as well as literary and film narratives.
Keywords: literary analysis, hermeneutics, myth-criticism, mythopoeic, mythopoetic, archetypes, amplification, theology, mythology, initiation, rebirth, monomyth, night-sea journey, individuation
Coreopsis: Journal of Myth and Theatre (A Faun Dancing, Spring 2017)., 2017
This paper examines Jung’s rebirth archetype in two popular fairy tales, focusing on how it is de... more This paper examines Jung’s rebirth archetype in two popular fairy tales, focusing on how it is described, how it specifically functions within the narratives, and on underlying mythopoeic imagery from which the narratives are constructed. The preliminary study combines formalist intertextual literary analysis of Fitcher’s Bird (better known as Bluebeard) and Little Red Cap (better known as Little Red Riding Hood) with a multidisciplinary, interdisciplinary, cross-cultural, and transmedial hermeneutical perspective grounded in the theories of Carl G. Jung, Arnold van Gennep, Mircea Eliade, Joseph Campbell, Marija Gimbutas, and other major interpreters. The paper provides a Theoretical Overview and applies the theory to archetypal interpretation in the two tales. The findings hold practical implications for the contemporary relevance of fairy tales as tools of psychological analysis, wisdom tales, and repositories of mythopoeic symbols. The findings also contribute to an increasingly wide-ranging multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary perspective in the social sciences, arts, and humanities.
Key words: rebirth, archetype, mythico-ritual, individuation, initiation, fairy tales, folk tales, mythopoetics, depth psychology, hermeneutics, literature, shamanism, symbolism
Coreopsis: Journal of Myth and Theater, Jun 2014
The 1939 family classic film, The Wizard of Oz, based on the beloved children’s tale by L. Frank ... more The 1939 family classic film, The Wizard of Oz, based on the beloved children’s tale by L. Frank Baum, represents a modern example of mythologist Joseph Campbell’s model of the hero quest myth. This two-part study begins with a theoretical overview contextualizing The Wizard of Oz, as mythopoeic literature, and Campbell’s hero quest paradigm, informed by Carl G. Jung’s theories and methods as well as other key sources. The second part of the study applies Campbell’s model to the text of Baum’s Oz narrative in both its cinematic and literary forms, examining Baum’s tale for archetypal features described in Campbell’s model of the initial stage of the “leitmotif of the monomyth.” This comparative analysis emphasizes the myth-motif of the threshold passage accompanied by sequentially interconnected, recurring myth-motifs identified by Campbell and associated with the initial stage of Dorothy Gale’s transformational journey, i.e., separation from ordinary reality. This narrative interpretation demonstrates key symbolic features of mythico-ritual (initiatory) structure in the initial stage of Baum’s modern fairy tale. Screenshots from the movie visually illustrate that Dorothy’s journey in the other world of Oz closely follows the archetypal, symbolic structure of Campbell’s classic quest myth of the hero.
Keywords: archetype, Arnold van Gennep, Carl G. Jung, hero quest, initiation, Jean Houston, Joseph Campbell, J. R. R. Tolkien, L. Frank Baum, Mircea Eliade, monomyth, myth-motif, mythic orphan, mythology, mythopoeic, narrative, night sea journey, primordial image, rites of passage, ritual, shaman, threshold passage, Wizard of Oz
Teaching Documents by Ronald L Boyer
In the beginning was the myth. God, in his search for self-expression, invested the souls of Hind... more In the beginning was the myth. God, in his search for self-expression, invested the souls of Hindus, Greeks, and Germans with poetic shapes, and continues to invest each child's soul with poetry every day.
Conference Presentations by Ronald L Boyer
Psyche and Symbol Conference, London Arts-Based Research Centre, 2023
The Mythic Orphan-Foundling: Archetypal Origins and Identity of the Symbolic Hero in Myth, Litera... more The Mythic Orphan-Foundling: Archetypal Origins and Identity of the Symbolic Hero in Myth, Literature, and Film
By Ronald L. Boyer
The world’s myths are filled with primordial imagery of the “parentless” gods and heroes of antiquity. Arguably the most ubiquitous archetypal figure of all, the mythic orphan—the origin myth of the hero—survives across the millennia, transcending time, location, artistic genres, and the evolving media of storytelling arts. From primordial myths to the contemporary box office, the symbolism of the orphan-hero lies at the heart of the ever-popular archetypal conventions of oral, literary, and cinematic storytelling arts. Parentless heroes and heroines serve as both protagonists and antagonists in countless narratives and dominate the cinematic box office and TV today. From Olympian deities including Zeus and Dionysus to Celtic gods like Lugh. From ancient figures like Moses and Oedipus to medieval heroes like King Arthur to the heroes and villains of Shakespeare. From fantastic heroes including Dorothy Gale, Batman, Superman, Frodo Baggins, Harry Potter and the main characters in Game of Thrones to James Bond and John Wick. This presentation serves as a point of departure for understanding why popular fictional heroes (and villains) are typically imagined as parentless. Simply put, the mythic figure of the orphan-hero symbolizes enduring philosophical-metaphysical questions. As Melville wrote in Moby Dick: “Where lies our paternity? Our souls are like those unwed mothers who die in childbirth. The secret of our paternity lies in their graves, and there we must learn it.”
This first draft of a paper accepted for presentation at the Mythology of Violence Conference bri... more This first draft of a paper accepted for presentation at the Mythology of Violence Conference briefly suggests the implications for understanding war and the epidemics of mass violence of our times within the context of Jungian psychology. An expanded version of the paper intends to explore the works of cultural historian Lewis Mumford and parallel works by sociologist Ernest Becker on the religious and mythico-ritual dimensions of the institution of warfare embedded in the unconscious mythologies that inform the very structure of societies since ancient times.
n/a, 2022
These are PowerPoint slides used to frame my presentation (text not included here) on the relevan... more These are PowerPoint slides used to frame my presentation (text not included here) on the relevance of humanistic psychologist Erich Fromm's work on "malignant narcissism" and fascism to former U.S. President Donald Trump. I organized this symposium, accepted as the keynote address by Div. 32 of the American Psychological Association at the annual conference in 2021. The symposium was hosted by friend and colleague, Dr. Stanley Krippner. Other friends and colleagues also presented with me: Dr. Kirk Schneider, Dr. Ilene Serlin, and Dr. Philip Zimbardo. The session was well-attended, standing room only and offered twice. Following my address discussing Mr. Trump's psychopathology, and those of his legions of followers, an APA Task Force on the relevance of APA to myriad social crises was formed. This was my first major presentation to the APA.
Paper presented at the 33rd Annual International Conference on Indigenous and Ancestral Wisdom, Healing, and Transformation. Honoring the Wisdom of our Ancestors., 2017
This paper introduces the work of a legendary contemporary Indian Doctor, the Mandan (Crow) and S... more This paper introduces the work of a legendary contemporary Indian Doctor, the Mandan (Crow) and Shawnee shaman, visionary and healer to an international conference of traditional wisdom-keepers, spiritual leaders, clinical psychologists, therapists, and scholars. The paper consists of the prepared remarks for the principal author/investigator, Ronald L. Boyer, and those of his co-presenters, Dr. Stanley Krippner and Carly Jean Turner. For the interested reader, a URL prompt for a rare 12 minute video clip of Boyer's ethnographic study with Journeyhawk can be found on p. 9 of the manuscript.
The presentation was entitled "A Tribute to Fawn Journeyhawk, Legendary Mandan/Shawnee Indian Doctor, Healer, and Visionary." The paper was presented at the International Society for the Study of Shamanism’s
33rd International Conference on Indigenous and Ancestral Wisdom, Healing and Transformation, Protecting Earth, Water, Air, & Light, Honoring the Wisdom of our Ancestors for Future Generations,
Santa Sabina Center, Dominican University, San Rafael, CA.
Drafts by Ronald L Boyer
unpublished ts., 2018
This paper discusses a re-visioning of the Jungian meaning of the term archetype in Cosmos and Ps... more This paper discusses a re-visioning of the Jungian meaning of the term archetype in Cosmos and Psyche, a book by visionary philosopher, depth psychologist, and cosmologist Richard Tarnas. In his sequel to the bestselling The Passion of the Western Mind, Tarnas picks up a major thread of his earlier work tracing the emergence of Jungian depth psychology in late modernity back through the Romantic tradition in Western thought (Boyer 2017, 28-31) to its more ancient roots in the ideas of Plato. Tarnas creates a hybrid metaphysical-psychological-astrological version of archetypal meaning in a new fusion he refers to as Platonic-Jungian (Tarnas 2006, 85), which he creatively combines with the art and science of astrology.
This paper focuses on a discussion of the meaning, attributed by Tarnas, of the term archetype. The discussion is developed in two parts: (1) a summary of the contextual and theoretical overview and formulation by Tarnas of what he calls an archetypal perspective which consists of: (a) a summary, per Tarnas (2006, 16-49), of the historical context out of which the modern and contemporary views of the archetypal perspective evolved; (b) a historical summary, per Tarnas (62-80), of the archetypal perspective, from the ancient Greeks to neo-Jungian post-modernity; and (c) a discussion of Tarnas’ theoretical interpretive construct of archetypal principles (80-87) in which he creatively combines Platonic, Jungian, and astrological perspectives. In part 2, I offer a brief, closing critical reflection and commentary on issues raised by Tarnas’ novel theoretical construct of archetypal astrology.
No abstract is available.
This paper is a phenomenological study based on field notes recorded in a nature journal and poem... more This paper is a phenomenological study based on field notes recorded in a nature journal and poems inspired by nature observation. The assignment was conducted for a graduate course in “Cross-Cultural Mythology and Symbolism,” and consisted mainly of locating and regularly visiting a “secret spot” in nature during the period from February 15 to April 2, 2011. The practice included techniques for nature observation described in Starhawk’s The Earth Path: Grounding Your Spirit in the Rhythms of Nature (2004) and was augmented by readings from Meredith Sabini’s book, The Earth Has a Soul: C. G. Jung on Nature, Technology, & Modern Life (2002) and other readings. The assignment also included sketches of the natural surroundings and an imaginative dialogue with the natural environment, culminating in a paper on the central theme of the journal notes. This theme is the idea of objective nature as a mirror for inner nature, i.e., the psyche or “soul,” specifically the cycles of nature as a metaphor for “seasons of the soul.” The substance of the paper is a presentation of my initial field notes, accompanied by psychological and mythological commentary.
This paper provides a brief introductory interpretation of some key archetypal motifs in the Celt... more This paper provides a brief introductory interpretation of some key archetypal motifs in the Celtic mythology of Tristan and Isolde. The interpretation is based on elements taken from numerous interpreters of the myth, from Thomas of Brittany and Gottfried von Strassburg to the contemporary retelling by the French scholar, Joseph Bedier, from which the current author’s narrative is largely derived. An archetypal tale of forbidden love, the story of Tristan and Isolde is one of the most profound and thoroughly developed archetypal stories of the hero journey, utilizing more than 60 archetypal symbols and motifs, rich with metaphorical imagery closely corresponding to the images found abundantly in the world’s myths, rites, shamanic initiations and Jung’s individuation process. The narrative is augmented with amplification by archetypal images appearing in the Celtic tale that are also found in mythopoeic narratives of the ancient Greeks, Hebrews and other cultures. Possible psychological meanings of the images are indicated, and a bibliography is provided for further research.
unpublished manuscript, 2018
This paper discusses a re-visioning of the Jungian meaning of the term archetype in Cosmos and Ps... more This paper discusses a re-visioning of the Jungian meaning of the term archetype in Cosmos and Psyche, a book by visionary philosopher, depth psychologist, and cosmologist Richard Tarnas. In his sequel to the bestselling The Passion of the Western Mind, Tarnas picks up a major thread of his earlier work tracing the emergence of Jungian depth psychology in late modernity back through the Romantic tradition in Western thought (Boyer 2017, 28-31) to its more ancient roots in the ideas of Plato. Tarnas creates a hybrid metaphysical-psychological-astrological version of archetypal meaning in a new fusion he refers to as Platonic-Jungian (Tarnas 2006, 85), which he creatively combines with the art and science of astrology.
This paper focuses on a discussion of the meaning, attributed by Tarnas, of the term archetype. The discussion is developed in two parts: (1) a summary of the contextual and theoretical overview and formulation by Tarnas of what he calls an archetypal perspective which consists of: (a) a summary, per Tarnas (2006, 16-49), of the historical context out of which the modern and contemporary views of the archetypal perspective evolved; (b) a historical summary, per Tarnas (62-80), of the archetypal perspective, from the ancient Greeks to neo-Jungian post-modernity; and (c) a discussion of Tarnas’ theoretical interpretive construct of archetypal principles (80-87) in which he creatively combines Platonic, Jungian, and astrological perspectives. In part 2, I offer a brief, closing critical reflection and commentary on issues raised by Tarnas’ novel theoretical construct of archetypal astrology.
This personal essay philosophically explores the underlying threat of a renewed nuclear crisis sy... more This personal essay philosophically explores the underlying threat of a renewed nuclear crisis symbolized by the inauguration of Donald Trump as the 45th President of the United States of America. It also offers hope and guidance represented in the wisdom and non-violent tactics of personal and social transformation modeled after Mahatma Gandhi.
unpublished typescript, 2020
This is a study in Japanese (Buddhist) aesthetics concerned with defining the "undefinable" and e... more This is a study in Japanese (Buddhist) aesthetics concerned with defining the "undefinable" and elusive meanings of one of the cornerstones of Japanese aesthetics, the concept of "yugen." The paper addresses the cultural-historical contexts and meanings of "yugen" from its remote origins in ancient China through the medieval eras of Japan, where the concept of yugen--and its complementary and overlapping aesthetic concepts of wabi, sabi, and mono no aware--became deeply rooted aesthetic principles chiefly under the influence of Zen Buddhism--in the artistic genres and media of Japan. Yugen, the author concludes, is a direct artistic expression and embodiment of the equally elusive truth-claims of Zen and an artistic exploration and analogue to Zen teachings.
Uploads
Academic Research Papers by Ronald L Boyer
Keywords: archetypes, Carl G. Jung, comparative mythology, Dante, depth
psychology, Divine Comedy, iconography, Joseph Campbell, literature, mythology,
nekyia
Keywords: literary analysis, hermeneutics, myth-criticism, mythopoeic, mythopoetic, archetypes, amplification, theology, mythology, initiation, rebirth, monomyth, night-sea journey, individuation
Key words: rebirth, archetype, mythico-ritual, individuation, initiation, fairy tales, folk tales, mythopoetics, depth psychology, hermeneutics, literature, shamanism, symbolism
Keywords: archetype, Arnold van Gennep, Carl G. Jung, hero quest, initiation, Jean Houston, Joseph Campbell, J. R. R. Tolkien, L. Frank Baum, Mircea Eliade, monomyth, myth-motif, mythic orphan, mythology, mythopoeic, narrative, night sea journey, primordial image, rites of passage, ritual, shaman, threshold passage, Wizard of Oz
Teaching Documents by Ronald L Boyer
Conference Presentations by Ronald L Boyer
By Ronald L. Boyer
The world’s myths are filled with primordial imagery of the “parentless” gods and heroes of antiquity. Arguably the most ubiquitous archetypal figure of all, the mythic orphan—the origin myth of the hero—survives across the millennia, transcending time, location, artistic genres, and the evolving media of storytelling arts. From primordial myths to the contemporary box office, the symbolism of the orphan-hero lies at the heart of the ever-popular archetypal conventions of oral, literary, and cinematic storytelling arts. Parentless heroes and heroines serve as both protagonists and antagonists in countless narratives and dominate the cinematic box office and TV today. From Olympian deities including Zeus and Dionysus to Celtic gods like Lugh. From ancient figures like Moses and Oedipus to medieval heroes like King Arthur to the heroes and villains of Shakespeare. From fantastic heroes including Dorothy Gale, Batman, Superman, Frodo Baggins, Harry Potter and the main characters in Game of Thrones to James Bond and John Wick. This presentation serves as a point of departure for understanding why popular fictional heroes (and villains) are typically imagined as parentless. Simply put, the mythic figure of the orphan-hero symbolizes enduring philosophical-metaphysical questions. As Melville wrote in Moby Dick: “Where lies our paternity? Our souls are like those unwed mothers who die in childbirth. The secret of our paternity lies in their graves, and there we must learn it.”
The presentation was entitled "A Tribute to Fawn Journeyhawk, Legendary Mandan/Shawnee Indian Doctor, Healer, and Visionary." The paper was presented at the International Society for the Study of Shamanism’s
33rd International Conference on Indigenous and Ancestral Wisdom, Healing and Transformation, Protecting Earth, Water, Air, & Light, Honoring the Wisdom of our Ancestors for Future Generations,
Santa Sabina Center, Dominican University, San Rafael, CA.
Drafts by Ronald L Boyer
This paper focuses on a discussion of the meaning, attributed by Tarnas, of the term archetype. The discussion is developed in two parts: (1) a summary of the contextual and theoretical overview and formulation by Tarnas of what he calls an archetypal perspective which consists of: (a) a summary, per Tarnas (2006, 16-49), of the historical context out of which the modern and contemporary views of the archetypal perspective evolved; (b) a historical summary, per Tarnas (62-80), of the archetypal perspective, from the ancient Greeks to neo-Jungian post-modernity; and (c) a discussion of Tarnas’ theoretical interpretive construct of archetypal principles (80-87) in which he creatively combines Platonic, Jungian, and astrological perspectives. In part 2, I offer a brief, closing critical reflection and commentary on issues raised by Tarnas’ novel theoretical construct of archetypal astrology.
This paper focuses on a discussion of the meaning, attributed by Tarnas, of the term archetype. The discussion is developed in two parts: (1) a summary of the contextual and theoretical overview and formulation by Tarnas of what he calls an archetypal perspective which consists of: (a) a summary, per Tarnas (2006, 16-49), of the historical context out of which the modern and contemporary views of the archetypal perspective evolved; (b) a historical summary, per Tarnas (62-80), of the archetypal perspective, from the ancient Greeks to neo-Jungian post-modernity; and (c) a discussion of Tarnas’ theoretical interpretive construct of archetypal principles (80-87) in which he creatively combines Platonic, Jungian, and astrological perspectives. In part 2, I offer a brief, closing critical reflection and commentary on issues raised by Tarnas’ novel theoretical construct of archetypal astrology.
Keywords: archetypes, Carl G. Jung, comparative mythology, Dante, depth
psychology, Divine Comedy, iconography, Joseph Campbell, literature, mythology,
nekyia
Keywords: literary analysis, hermeneutics, myth-criticism, mythopoeic, mythopoetic, archetypes, amplification, theology, mythology, initiation, rebirth, monomyth, night-sea journey, individuation
Key words: rebirth, archetype, mythico-ritual, individuation, initiation, fairy tales, folk tales, mythopoetics, depth psychology, hermeneutics, literature, shamanism, symbolism
Keywords: archetype, Arnold van Gennep, Carl G. Jung, hero quest, initiation, Jean Houston, Joseph Campbell, J. R. R. Tolkien, L. Frank Baum, Mircea Eliade, monomyth, myth-motif, mythic orphan, mythology, mythopoeic, narrative, night sea journey, primordial image, rites of passage, ritual, shaman, threshold passage, Wizard of Oz
By Ronald L. Boyer
The world’s myths are filled with primordial imagery of the “parentless” gods and heroes of antiquity. Arguably the most ubiquitous archetypal figure of all, the mythic orphan—the origin myth of the hero—survives across the millennia, transcending time, location, artistic genres, and the evolving media of storytelling arts. From primordial myths to the contemporary box office, the symbolism of the orphan-hero lies at the heart of the ever-popular archetypal conventions of oral, literary, and cinematic storytelling arts. Parentless heroes and heroines serve as both protagonists and antagonists in countless narratives and dominate the cinematic box office and TV today. From Olympian deities including Zeus and Dionysus to Celtic gods like Lugh. From ancient figures like Moses and Oedipus to medieval heroes like King Arthur to the heroes and villains of Shakespeare. From fantastic heroes including Dorothy Gale, Batman, Superman, Frodo Baggins, Harry Potter and the main characters in Game of Thrones to James Bond and John Wick. This presentation serves as a point of departure for understanding why popular fictional heroes (and villains) are typically imagined as parentless. Simply put, the mythic figure of the orphan-hero symbolizes enduring philosophical-metaphysical questions. As Melville wrote in Moby Dick: “Where lies our paternity? Our souls are like those unwed mothers who die in childbirth. The secret of our paternity lies in their graves, and there we must learn it.”
The presentation was entitled "A Tribute to Fawn Journeyhawk, Legendary Mandan/Shawnee Indian Doctor, Healer, and Visionary." The paper was presented at the International Society for the Study of Shamanism’s
33rd International Conference on Indigenous and Ancestral Wisdom, Healing and Transformation, Protecting Earth, Water, Air, & Light, Honoring the Wisdom of our Ancestors for Future Generations,
Santa Sabina Center, Dominican University, San Rafael, CA.
This paper focuses on a discussion of the meaning, attributed by Tarnas, of the term archetype. The discussion is developed in two parts: (1) a summary of the contextual and theoretical overview and formulation by Tarnas of what he calls an archetypal perspective which consists of: (a) a summary, per Tarnas (2006, 16-49), of the historical context out of which the modern and contemporary views of the archetypal perspective evolved; (b) a historical summary, per Tarnas (62-80), of the archetypal perspective, from the ancient Greeks to neo-Jungian post-modernity; and (c) a discussion of Tarnas’ theoretical interpretive construct of archetypal principles (80-87) in which he creatively combines Platonic, Jungian, and astrological perspectives. In part 2, I offer a brief, closing critical reflection and commentary on issues raised by Tarnas’ novel theoretical construct of archetypal astrology.
This paper focuses on a discussion of the meaning, attributed by Tarnas, of the term archetype. The discussion is developed in two parts: (1) a summary of the contextual and theoretical overview and formulation by Tarnas of what he calls an archetypal perspective which consists of: (a) a summary, per Tarnas (2006, 16-49), of the historical context out of which the modern and contemporary views of the archetypal perspective evolved; (b) a historical summary, per Tarnas (62-80), of the archetypal perspective, from the ancient Greeks to neo-Jungian post-modernity; and (c) a discussion of Tarnas’ theoretical interpretive construct of archetypal principles (80-87) in which he creatively combines Platonic, Jungian, and astrological perspectives. In part 2, I offer a brief, closing critical reflection and commentary on issues raised by Tarnas’ novel theoretical construct of archetypal astrology.
Key terms: Japanese, culture, arts, aesthetics, Buddhism, poetry, literature, Saigyo, Middle Ages, impermanence
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/circle-for-original-thinking/id1544841210?i=1000552894445
http://www.societyforritualarts.com/coreopsis/autumn-2017-issue/portfolio-item/now-we-must-fight-for-the-children/