This episode begins with the idea that myths of creation are also intended to be understood as re-creation tales that reveal the world’s capacity to renew itself. Critical to this old understanding of the potential for a renewal of life on Earth is the primordial idea that humans are mythic by nature. It is our mutual fate to be denizens of history and be limited by the restrictions of time and place; it is also our destiny to be tied to eternal things. By virtue of being human we live in two worlds and at critical times we can become vessels through which the eternal seeks to enter the daily world and bring a renewal of life on Earth.

Seen in this old way, the mystery of creation is not a problem to be solved through logic or evolutionary theory or religious doctrines. Rather, it may best be apprehended through deeper levels of consciousness, as presented in myths which speak directly to a person's imagination through primordial images and life-changing, life-affirming, life-awakening narratives.

Mythic stories depict universal patterns and symbolic codes that continue to speak to the deepest levels of the human soul and that also can inspire the highest levels of spiritual imagination. Through myths of creation, we can touch again the timeless images and archetypes from which the living world first arose. In doing that, we can find inspirations for our own lives, as well as insights into how the world might be renewed precisely during the time when it is most divided and out of balance.

The hidden aim of a dark period on Earth, like a dark night of the soul, is to dissolve our assumptions about ourselves and about the world around us, so that we might find our way back to the origins of life. For, in the age-old dynamic of chaos and creation, humans are revealed to be the missing link between heaven and earth, between the eternal and the time bound.

In the dark times, when all else seems lost, what we secretly seek is a connection to the deeper self within us that is, on one hand, truly personal and unique and on the other hand is transpersonal and touched by the divine. Surprising as it may seem in this time of fixed ideologies and systems of blind belief, what can truly change the course of history, in ways that heal divisions rather than deepen them, is an awakening of the deeper sense of self and soul in each of us that is secretly connected to the origins of life and to the powers of re-creation.

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This episode takes us back to the origins of the theater in ancient Greece where many of the ideas of democracy also originated. Tragedy began with a lament for the fatal flaws in human character, while comedy used the cutting edge of humor to expose the hypocrisy of those who misuse power. Throughout history, satire has served as an instrument of the powerless against the powerful and as a necessary expression of freedom of both imagination and speech.

The term stage comes from roots that mean “to stand or to take a stand;” not to simply be a stand-in, but to play a major role in the essential drama of living out the inner character and living truth of our soul. For, life requires that we stand for something meaningful, something beautiful, something enduring, especially during tragic times.

Psychological maturity, whether in a person, a political party or a nation depends upon the ability to stand in the tension of opposites long enough for an unexpected third way to arise. By contrast, seeing life simply as a zero sum game of winners and losers can only lead to those in power demonizing others in order to sustain a false sense of superiority.

While the two poles of a polarity may seem to be irreconcilable opposites, they are secretly part of a hidden unity, for existence itself is an essential unity appearing as a de facto duality. In times of polarization, the real point of meaningful discussions and debates is not simply to prove one side to be right or be superior to the other, but rather to seek to a “catharsis,” an emotional and mental release that clears both the mind and the heart and can lead to a genuine sense of healing and wholeness.

The healing effects of a catharsis were considered to be an essential part of both tragedy and comedy. The point would not be to simply provoke strong emotions in the audience, but rather to create ways in which the expression of strong feelings could lead to new insights and greater realizations about life and how people, though we may disagree, each and all suffer both the inevitable conflicts of life and a deep longing for a sense of unity.

As has been said, all the world is but a stage and we, by virtue of being alive at this critical time, are the only players available to take a stand for the essential freedom and life changing imagination of the human soul. And surprising as it may seem, each soul born bears a genius self, that should it become conscious, can reveal layers of understanding and ways of healing and creating that can help change the course of the world.

Thank you for listening to and supporting Living Myth. You can further support this podcast by becoming a member of Living Myth Premium. Members receive bonus episodes each month, access to the full archives of over 700 episodes and a 30% discount on all events, courses and book and audio titles.

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While often being considered the leading nation in the world, the United States increasingly finds itself on the cutting edge of cultural upheaval, political polarization and increasing violence that includes mass shootings and politically motivated killings. The recent tragedy of a political activist being shot and killed by a radicalized young man, while appearing distinct in the sense of being a political assassination, can also be seen as part of the larger tragedy of young men acting out cultural violence.

Whether we like it or not, young people tend to manifest, express and even act out the psychological and emotional symptoms of the culture in which they must grow. In particular, if young men are not fully invited into social life and given a genuine sense of meaning and purpose, something volatile and potentially destructive inside them can drift towards the darker areas of the psyche and in the modern world, can pull them into the darkest parts of the world wide web.

While specific causes and motivations for shootings by young men are complex, there are familiar patterns to the trajectory that leads to acting out violently. Research indicates that there is often a strong sense of grievance that comes from a disconnect between the lives they actually lead and the lives they think they should have. This inner disconnect can lead to fantasies of having unlimited power along with intense desires for recognition and admiration. Aided by the extremes of social media, their sense of grievance and their violent visions take up more and more of their mental and emotional lives.

While modern societies lack clarity, understanding and wisdom when it comes to issues of men and violence, traditional cultures developed rites of passage in order to directly engage and temper the wild energies of youth and the reckless urge to battle with both life and death. For, there is an inner volatility that cannot be denied or be ignored without consequences that can turn inward as depression and self-harm or erupt outwardly in violence and destruction aimed at the society that failed to recognize, accept and include them.

It seems to me that in this group, we also have to include those who appear to be grown men, but who demonstrate untempered emotions, reckless immature attitudes about violence that contribute to the tearing apart of society. In many ways, we are all in the midst of a collective rite of passage that requires that we awaken to the deeper issues that can turn a society against itself, while leaving young people in growing gaps of isolation, alienation and despair.

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If you enjoy this podcast, we appreciate you leaving a review wherever you listen and sharing it with your friends. On behalf of Michael Meade and the whole Mosaic staff, we wish you well during this challenging and uncertain times and thank you for your support of our work.