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Myth in the Mojave
Catherine Svehla
135 episodes
2 months ago
“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...
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All content for Myth in the Mojave is the property of Catherine Svehla and is served directly from their servers with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.
“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...
Show more...
Society & Culture
Arts,
Religion & Spirituality
Episodes (20/135)
Myth in the Mojave
Afflatus: Greg Gilbert’s Poetry for the Love of All
“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...
Show more...
6 years ago
51 minutes

Myth in the Mojave
Curiosity, Presence, & Poetry: An Interview with Caryn Davidson
“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...
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6 years ago
53 minutes

Myth in the Mojave
To Hell and Back: The Greek Myth of Orpheus and Eurydice
“It was an adventure much could be made of: a walk On 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 puzz...
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6 years ago
30 minutes

Myth in the Mojave
Love for the Underworld Journey
“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 d...
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6 years ago
25 minutes

Myth in the Mojave
Initiation, Innocence, and Soul
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 a...
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6 years ago
32 minutes

Myth in the Mojave
Demeter and the Groundhog
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...
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6 years ago
29 minutes

Myth in the Mojave
Leaving Home and Letting Go
“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 c...
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6 years ago
30 minutes

Myth in the Mojave
Siblings and the Seven Ravens
“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 i...
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6 years ago
28 minutes

Myth in the Mojave
The Twelve Brothers and Threads of Destiny
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
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6 years ago
29 minutes

Myth in the Mojave
Six Swans and the Power of Silence
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 pri...
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6 years ago
36 minutes

Myth in the Mojave
Nothing is Wasted: Fatima, the Spinner, and the Tent
“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...
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6 years ago
25 minutes

Myth in the Mojave
Tasting the Honey
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 th...
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6 years ago
28 minutes

Myth in the Mojave
Practice In the Real World: The Gentle Heart Jataka
“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...
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6 years ago
30 minutes

Myth in the Mojave
Life Path Mysteries and Meeting Baba Yaga
“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
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7 years ago
34 minutes

Myth in the Mojave
Homer's Odyssey: Book 11 the Underworld Journey
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
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7 years ago
31 minutes

Myth in the Mojave
Homer’s Odyssey: Book 10 & Circe
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
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7 years ago
27 minutes

Myth in the Mojave
Circe: Witches, Power, Heroes, and Braids
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...
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7 years ago
33 minutes

Myth in the Mojave
Looking Foolish & Percival’s Quest
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
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7 years ago
36 minutes

Myth in the Mojave
Not Your Little Mermaid Part 2 of 2
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...
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7 years ago
32 minutes

Myth in the Mojave
Not Your Little Mermaid Part 1 of 2
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 rea...
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7 years ago
34 minutes

Myth in the Mojave
“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...