Society seems to be caught up
with themes of myth and fairytale these days. Between TV shows like Once Upon a
Time and Grimm, and movies like Percy Jackson and even the upcoming Wonder
Woman remake, we are fascinated by legendary and mythic characters and storylines.
Why? What power do tales like Red Riding Hood, Cinderella, and Oz hold for us
today? Why are we still captivated by Gods, Goddesses and demi-gods? They take
us beyond ourselves, and yet simultaneously into ourselves. They have the power
to transform ordinary reality into something rich and magical. They tap into
deep universal energy, otherwise known as archetypes. We hunger for something
to escape into, that touches us on a level below the surface, that we can lose
ourselves in, experience something vicariously beyond the bounds of our
everyday existence. Even those who would deny having any interest in myth, may
find themselves sitting in a theater, engrossed in the world of Thor or even
Captain America. Myth is not static. It changes with the times and culture.
Today’s resurgence of classic figures does nothing to take away from the pull
of the Star Trek franchise or Doctor Who, for example. The Hero, the Miracle
Worker, the Healer, the Consort, the Companion, the Worthy Opponent, the
Speaker of Tongues, those roles and many others are reborn in the tales of each
new generation.
When you get lost in a story, be
it in a book or on a screen, which characters do you identify with? Do you
become the Warrior Queen organizing the troops to defend her land? Are you the
Shaman who lives alone in the woods, solitary, sometimes misunderstood,
sometimes feared, but never quite part of the tribe? Do you see yourself as the
Courtesan, mastering the arts of pleasure and diplomacy? Or maybe you’re a
darker type than that, say, a Succubus who drains people of their energy? Or a
werewolf that accesses something primal and dangerous in yourself one night out
of every month? No, really, stop and think about that a minute…When you find
yourself in a character, then you begin to get in touch with the story that you
are living. It could be a hero’s journey, or an ordeal, or a misplaced orphan,
or any number of variations on themes.
But here’s the kicker. You are
not a helpless captive in your story. You can change your story. It happens
that a story that has been true in your life for ages will all of a sudden not
fit anymore. Then it’s time for a new story. The myth that’s active in your life
may change many times, sometimes intentionally and sometimes you just stumble
into a new one. There’s a dissonance that you may feel when you’ve been used to
your life playing out along predictable storylines, and all of a sudden things
don’t work that way anymore.
There’s an apt analogy I want to bring in
here. If you are or ever have been in need of vision correction devices, you’ll
understand this. The world looks normal. You don’t think twice about the fact
that you need to hold a book very close to your eyes to be able to read. It’s
just the way life is. Then someone suggests you go to an eye doctor. You sit
down in their magical chair, and view the world through different lenses. You’re
trying each one out to see when the world becomes clear. “#1 or #2? #2 or #3?”
Then a lens flips into place and A-ha! Details pop into alignment that you didn’t
know were even out of alignment. You can see to move through life with much
more richness and clarity than you ever knew you were missing. But, a few years
later, you have to go back and get things rechecked. You go through the whole
process again, but now maybe the new glasses you wear make you feel a little
dizzy and disoriented. Even though the crystalline clarity is now returned, it
takes an adjustment period until you feel like you’re grounded again.
Finding your new myth is
similar. You try things on, and they may or may not fit quite right. But then a
pivotal piece falls into place, and the path becomes clear in front of you
again. This is a delightful part of the work I do. I get to help people explore
old myths and identities and find and flesh out new ones. It’s a privilege and
an honor to have someone sit with me while we explore the lenses that no longer
work for them, and flip new ones down for experimentation. The a-ha moment when
the one that holds the image of Truth for them slides into place is beautiful.
Sometimes it brings smiles and laughter, sometimes tears and raging. But the look
of clarity that accompanies it is unmistakable.
I believe as a culture, we are
trying out new myths. Collectively, we are ready for a new identity and new
footing on the path of life. So we are drawn to timeless storylines and characters,
sometimes garbed classically and sometimes re-imagined for today, looking for
inspiration and transformation. What character
do you want to be? What role will you play in the grand scheme of things? It’s
worth a thought or several.
