Grailworks
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Visit the place ...
"Life is not a problem to be solved,
but a mystery to be lived"
Thomas Merton
Visit the place ...
"Life is not a problem to be solved,
but a mystery to be lived"
Thomas Merton
The Myth of Psyche & You
Check in is 2 pm and we gather the first evening to begin. The workshop continues for the next 2 days. After breakfast (9 am to 1 pm) and then again after lunch (1 to 3 pm) Breakfast, lunch, snacks and beverages are provided. Participants can either leave on the third day, or sleep over and leave the following morning at no extra charge.
The Myth of Psyche & You
Exploring the myth of Psyche is like exploring our own souls. In fact, psyche is
another word for soul.
Psyche is born into a community that has its customs and when things don’t go as
planned; when a goddess is angry at mere mortals, an oracle is called in and the
instructions of this authority are followed. Psyche must be brought to a place alone,
bound there and then await her “marriage to death.”
Fate steps in and Psyche’s marriage happens, but not to death; to Eros, the son of
Aphrodite and the god of love. Psyche is given every manner of material thing so she
will be happy … but she is not allowed to see her husband or to ask him questions.
For awhile she is content.
Then her jealous sisters arrive and stir things up by asking her questions and creating
discontent in Psyche. Curiosity, wakefulness, the desire for more …
Buckle up – things are about to get more interesting.
Eros cannot bear for either his wife, Psyche, or his mother, Aphrodite, to know him
fully. They each get a part of him and he keeps many a secret. As Psyche’s nature
develops and wants more consciousness, Eros panics and leaves, returning to his
mother’s house.
Aphrodite, originally angry and jealous that this young girl could take her place in any way, sets out to punish Psyche for the audacity of still being alive and for marrying her son!
Psyche is overwhelmed, but begins the search for her beloved. Not her parents, nor
the culture, nor the sisters, nor Eros is around to help her in her great distress. And her great distress, her feeling of abandonment, brings her to the death of her old
ways of thinking. It happens that the significant character in this “death” or this
evolution (depending on how you see it) is Aphrodite herself. However, Aphrodite
does not see this as evolution for Psyche, but as her just punishment. Things are not
always as they seem. So, after a search of the world as she knows it, Psyche is
brought to Aphrodite who belittles her and then sets her on the overwhelming tasks of development.
First is the task of sorting … in the myth, Psyche has to sort and separate a room full of seeds. She is overwhelmed by the task.
Sound familiar? The second task is to get some fleece from dangerous rams in a
certain field. Psyche is overwhelmed.
Third, Psyche is to fill a goblet with water from the river Styx … a river that has no
safe place where a mortal may approach safely. Again, our girl is overwhelmed.
The fourth task is a decent to the underworld to get – from Persephone herself – a
small cask of her beauty ointment and return it to Aphrodite. How does one descend into the underworld and return safely ?? You guessed it – Psyche is
overwhelmed!
At the end of her tasks, Psyche gets curious again, and releases something that can
destroy a woman … or bring her to greater creativity.
Despite being overwhelmed at each task, Psyche accomplishes them with the aid of
helpers not in her conscious awareness.
We have all lived through things that at the time we thought would destroy or consume us.
Shining a light on this story, seeing our inner story in another way, (like Psyche
wanted to see Eros) helps us with our ongoing journey (evolution).
We will be 6 to 8 women, including a guide, on a journey of exploration that will
encompass individual and collective consciousness.
The book will be sent to you upon registration (SHE, by Robert Johnson). The space will be provided, I will be your therapeutic guide … you will be given
tasks … theoutcome will be to understand yourself and your life with
compassion and in a greater context.
“There is only one journey: going inside yourself.” - Rainer Maria Rilke
"It's never too late..."