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“Writing is a way of thinking. When I compose poetry, the refining of language, the rhythms and compacted structures and the resultant shaped and cadenced language is a still life that captures an instant of ongoing discovery.” Greg Gilbert This special edition podcast with poet and writer Greg Gilbert is part of our annual celebration of National Poetry month. In this interview, Gilbert reads some of his wonderful poems and talks about writing as a way of thinking that can lead to empathetic understanding and advocacy for the life experiences of others.  His poetry is tender and funny, intelligent, and rich with an awareness of the beauty in ordinary life. In the words of poet Cynthia Anderson, “These poems dance on the brink of the apocalypse while urging us to sit together, listen to each other, and transform our world.”  (Anderson’s interview with Myth in the Mojave can be found in the archives). Greg is a retired English professor, and his many contributions to his students, the college community, and the high desert include the founding of several literary magazines, including CMC’s “Howl.” Gilbert’s poetry collection, Afflatus,” is available at these high desert locations: Space Cowboy, Rainbow Stew, and Raven’s Books. Thank you Greg.Support the show

“Nothing is in the intellect that was not first in the senses.” Aristotle We celebrate National Poetry month with this special edition interview with high desert poet and writer, Caryn Davidson. Caryn shared the quote (above), which may lead you to ask, “Why would a poet quote Aristotle, the father of modern science?” According to Davidson, curiosity and attention to sensory experience can be portals into the natural world that illuminate the mysteries of that world, and the meaning one finds there. Caryn’s poetry and prose blend her deep knowledge and love for the desert with keen observation, a willing heart, and an adventurous mind. She allows the outer world and its sensual gifts to lead her into new lands and fresh insight, and offers practical suggestions for being more present and conscious of place, no matter where you live. You’ll be refreshed by Davidson’s humor, writing, and reflection. Desert lovers will revel in Caryn’s poetic portraits of the Mojave and the stories she shares from her many years here.  Thank you Caryn.  Support the show

“It was an adventure much could be made of: a walkOn the shores of the darkest known river…” ---Mark Strand, from “Orpheus Alone” The Greek myth of Orpheus, singer of sweet songs, and his beloved Eurydice, has inspired countless artists and lovers of all stripes. The version shared in this podcast is based on Ovid’s telling in Book X of the Metamorphoses.  This ancient story offers a view of the Greek underworld and underworld journey, and still has the power to move, inspire, and puzzle us with open questions about heroes, love, loss, death, and selflessness.Support the show

“Everything changes and no thing abides.” Heraclitus I’ve devoted the last two podcasts to the Greek myth of Demeter and Persephone, and the connection between the life of the soul and the underworld initiation. These podcasts generated a lot of comments and questions about Greek ideas of the underworld, and fascination with the underworld experience.  Whether you are intrigued or frightened by the prospect, the image of the underworld remains a potent metaphor for our descent into the deepest mysteries in human life. So how is this trip made successfully, and what more can we glean from the Greek perspective?Support the show

In this podcast, I return to the Greek myth of Demeter and Persephone to reflect on the soul’s longing for depth, meaning, and experience, and the violence that may perpetrate on the sunny side ego and the innocent personality.  These reflections lead me to the telling of an Inuit tale called “Skeleton Woman,” and a few wise words from Jungian Anne Ulanov as well. If you missed the last podcast with the telling the Homeric Hymn to Demeter, you can find it in the archives on bandcamp or at the Myth in the Mojave website. “If you will contemplate your lack of… inner aliveness… and impregnate it with the interest born of alarm at your inner death, then something can take shape in you, for your inner emptiness conceals just as great a fullness if only you will allow it to penetrate into you.” C.G. Jung as quoted by Ann UlanovSupport the show

How can one summarize a myth as profound as the one I offer you this week?  The Homeric Hymn to Demeter gave rise to the Eleusinian mysteries, a potent, secret ritual that was performed for millennia, to liberate men and women from their fear of death.  This story of mother and daughter continues to speak to us today about love, grief, and perpetual renewal. Blessed be the great mother Demeter, giver of all good gifts, and Persephone, the Great Destroyer. May we all move deeper into the sustaining mystery with each turn of the seasons.Support the show

“A myth is an image in terms which we try to make sense of the world.” Alan Watts Many stories, old and new, begin with someone leaving home. This leave taking comes in many forms, from answering the call of destiny to running away or being abandoned. Whatever the circumstances or intent, “leaving home” entails letting go of the familiar to engage the mystery. In this podcast, I explore this image of “leaving home” with the aid of stories and poems, to consider our shared challenge of these crazy, interesting times--- to let go and make room for the new. What does the image of “leaving home” hold for you right now? “Your soul knows the geography of your destiny. Your soul alone has the map of your future, therefore you can trust this indirect, oblique side of yourself…” John O’Donohue The poems read in this podcast include:  “Unfold Your Own Myth” (“Shams”) by Rumi, translated by Coleman Barks “Self Portrait” by David Whyte “Unlived Life” by Dawna Markova Support the show

“I had no idea that the gate I would step through  to finally enter this world  would be the space my brother’s body made.” From “The Gate” by Marie Howe  Many of the most familiar fairytales, and the issues and questions these tales raise, revolve around the happily-ever-after marriage between prince and princess, king and queen. But there is another important male-female pairing and another intimate bond, the one between siblings.  In this podcast I tell the last in a trilogy of stories about sisters who save their brothers from enchantments, “The Seven Ravens,” collected by the Brothers Grimm. Support the show

The fairy tale “The Twelve Brothers,” collected by the Brothers Grimm is the story of brothers and sisters, murderous kings, evil queens, and enchantment in various forms. It’s also an interesting meditation on the need for psychic renewal and the process we undergo when that time comes. Support the show

Seasonal darkness is an invitation to move inward, to do the deep soul work that proceeds all meaningful outer action or personal growth. The holiday culture urges social interaction, busyness and brightness and yet, you may feel the warmth of a tiny spark of a new idea burning deep within, a potential that you can’t articulate. You may feel a palpable tension between the existing structure of your inner kingdom and the needs of a new paradigm. The gap between the every day world and your private life may seem especially wide. If this is so, honor the need for introspection and solitude. This is a tremendously creative time, a time to align with the energies of renewal that gather in the earth and the fertile ground of psyche.  This is a good time for a fairy tale about the power of silence, “the Six Swans,” collected by the Brothers Grimm.Support the show

“It takes a long time to learn that nothing is wasted. It takes a long time, and a lot of suffering usually, to understand that there is more to life and to poetry than our conscious purposes.” M.C. Richards   Is there value in the collective storms raging around us, and the ups and downs of life?In this podcast I weave the Sufi teaching story “Fatima the Spinner” with insights gathered from the work of poet and potter M.C. Richards, to offer metaphors and suggestions for a creative response to the inevitable hardships we face.Support the show

Outrage can be valuable spark for action in these trying times and yet there is another beautiful resource available to us as we endure the collective and personal trials—joy.  Joy is not denial or looking away. Joy is found in mindful presence, and it can change everything. Reading poetry is one way to unhook from the habit of dire predictions and negative news, and tap into the sweetness of the present. We need this fuel friends, to participate fully in our shared transformation. In this program, I read poems by Mary Oliver, Robert Francis, Denise Levertov, and others. Sunrise by Mary Oliver Waxwings by Robert Francis The Heart by Maxima Kahn The Sycamore by Wendell Berry Lift Off by Constance Crawford A Blessing by James Wright September Afternoon at Four O-clock by Marge Piercy Constellations by Phillip Rosenberg Making Peace by Denise Levertov A Blessing for the Senses by John O’Donohue I Worried by Mary Oliver Excerpt from This Ecstasy by John Squadra The painting is Fuchsia and Colibri Flowers By Antonia JG Cardona.Support the show

“Flying has it uses but walking on the ground is not as easy as it looks from up here.” Rafe Martin, from “The Gentle Heart Jataka” Some days, the boundaries between the turbulence and change in the outside world, and what’s taking place in my own head and heart, are hard to define.  I'm called to question, re-evaluate, and revisit everything, AND to imagine new possibilities, even if my usual methods seem to work just fine. Transformation is underway and the discomfort is collective and personal. How do we participate? What do we practice?  How can we support and encourage each other? My telling of “The Gentle Heart Jataka,” a story of one of Buddha’s incarnations on the path to awakening, is inspired by Rafe Martin’s version in Endless Path.Support the show

“Life can only be understood backward; but it must be lived forward.” Soren Kierkegaard.How do we become who we are meant to be? What lends a life its integrity and coherence? How does meeting the Baba Yaga help us along the way? A few questions to bring to a Russian fairy tale called “The Tsar Maiden.”Support the show

In Book 11 of The Odyssey, Odysseus tells the Phaeacians how he followed the strong advice of the goddess/sorceress Circe and made a journey to the underworld to consult with the dead seer Tiresias. The ghosts that he meets there remind him, and us, of the important connections between memory, story, and life, and how honoring the past can help us stay aware of what matters most in the present.Support the show

At the turning point in his journey, Odysseus and his men land on the island of Aeaea and meet the enchantress Circe. This is my paraphrase of Book 10 of the Odyssey, based on Robert Fagles translation. “They found Circe’s polished stone palace in a clearing. Mountain wolves and lions roamed around the doorway like dogs, bewitched into gentleness by her drugs. They could hear the goddess inside at her loom, weaving beautiful fabrics and singing in an enchanting voice.”   Support the show

Circe, a secondary goddess in ancient Greek mythology, is best known as the sorceress in Homer’s Odyssey who turned the men into swine and later helped the hero Odysseus make a required trip into the underworld.  Circe’s powers of seduction and evil enchantments have titillated the Western imagination for centuries. Now Madeline Miller gives us Circe’s whole story, told from the perspective of the goddess herself. Miller skillfully handles the mythological fragments of Circe’s documented past to create an absolutely beautiful story, a story that led me to consider the importance of works that reshape the old stories, and how they can help us deconstruct the dominate paradigm of heroes and heroics and power. Treat yourself to this book and better yet, listen to the audio version narrated by Perdita Weeks. I hope you enjoy my reflections too.Support the show

What if looking foolish, mistakes and regret are essential to living your purpose?This famous Arthurian tale provides an interesting backdrop to questions of seeking, destiny, and character.Support the show

This is the 2nd of two podcasts devoted to telling and exploring the fairy tale of "The Little Mermaid" by Hans Christian Andersen. We reach the end of the story with lots of questions and possibilities to consider, questions and possibilities that reflect on us, the listeners. What was Andersen’s “happy ending” for his Little Mermaid? Can you imagine making such a bargain, simply to gain the opportunity to try to win your deepest desire? What was she after, in the end? How does our/your interpretation of the story reveal the nature of your own quest? Your expectations about women? Death?  Whatever answers you find to the questions raised by this story, I hope you’ll pursue them as valuable reflections of your own heart, mind, and soul.  Support the show

Millions of little girls (and many boys and adults), fell in love with Ariel, the mermaid in Disney’s popular movie, based on a fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen. As is often the case, Disney’s version differs significantly from its source. Andersen’s mermaid is nameless, for example (and I won’t say more to avoid spoilers). My version of the fairy tale follows Andersen. You may be surprised, moved, inspired, or disgusted by this story. You may love it or hate it. All and any of these reactions are opportunities to reflect on important questions with cultural and personal implications.This is part 1 of two podcasts devoted to telling and exploring this story.  Support the show