You did a great job, and clearly what is here is only a sampling of your thoughts. From your conversations, many of you had begun talking about not just the characters, but their interactions (the deeds, the tasks, how things happen, what didn't happen) to get further into the possible psychological understanding of the myths.

Joseph Campbell says each myth teaches us about how to live with one of the mysteries of life. What are we learning about how to live? Notice the process, like going from innocence to knowledge in Little Red Riding Hood, and also notice the content, what is she losing innocence about? What mystery of life does she understand better? The frog had to ask for a favor, rather than go it alone (like Luke has to). What might this represent?

As people amplify, you can ask "Why this form of the myth?" Why a hero who is thrust into an adventure, rather than choosing to go on it? Why the crow as tempting with _____ rather than Christ's temptations (money, power, faith) or Buddha's temptations (money, power, women)?

What was going on

1. Identify archetypes in stories. Remember the descriptions of Apollo & Dionysus, how many different words.
2. Amplify archetypes - how has the symbol been used in other stories? You have to take the stories and characters as a whole.
3. What real life situation

How it fits in the dream process

Next Steps you may do for practice

Rebel Stories vs. Status Quo stories

How Frog Lost His Tail

Frog

ignorant, ugly, selfish, materialistic

Sky God

power, supportive, wisdom, responsibility

Well

unconscious

Frog's Tail

equality, hope, material, selfishness, vulnerability

Other Animals

society, conflict between conscious and unconscious

Little Red Riding Hood

Wolf

villain, trickster, sly, greedy, dark side of unknown, sin

represents unknown & unconscious, animal instincts, aggressive, pleasure-seeker (feeding)

Grandma

helpless, dependent, goodness, innocence

revered, frail, elderly, needy

LRRH - Hero

taste of all archetypes, intuition, rebellion, Luke

innocent, gullible, messenger, well-meaning

Huntsman

hero?, consciousness, Han Solo

2nd chance - Fairy

Narrative:

1. LRRH's house

   House of everything known, secure

2. thru the Forest:

   conscience/conscious, journey

3. meeting the wolf -

   curiosity

4. G'ma's House -

   intuition, Adult and conscious house

Jack & the Beanstalk

Characters

Jack, Jack's mother, Mum (big tall lady), Ogre, Milky white, Bean seller

Hero -

the gold, the hen, harp

The Tiger's Whisker!

Yun

- ok "shadow" unconscious to her problem (Ignorant)

Hermit

"Hero"

Tiger

"Persona" mask of the husband

Tiger's whisker

= love

"potion"

= lesson = Yun ok's realization

The Coyote and the Crow

they complement each other

The crow

like a teacher, clever, mentor, disciplinarian

trickster, mean, teacher, wise, decietful, bad , chooses...

Amplifications: evil, trouble maker from Snow White, Poe, Indian Lore, Sleeping beauty, symbolizes temptation, Dumbo - crows create false hopes by offering Dumbo a feather guaranteeing him the ability to fly.

The coyote

impatient, scavenger, curious, naive, gullible

simple, ignorant, gullible, lesser evil, hunger - instinct, self absorbed, has to, cannot resist temptation

Amplification: roadrunner, coyote is driven by hunger, instinct, survival, doomed to failure, symbolizes desire

The Coyote and the Rabbit

The Rabbit

He was quick-witted. He had instinctual knowledge. He knew what the coyote was plotting right away. He represents survival of the wits.

victim/Apollo

The Hole:

the hole represents an escape but if you aren't careful, your escape can trap you!

The coyote

coyote was the trickster. he represents deception. He tries to take advantage of a bad situation.

villain/Dionysus

"Cousins"

Dionysus & Apollo are still connected

Amplification:

"3 Little Pigs", Tom & Jerry cartoon, "Rumpelstiltskin all have to do with deception of some sort.

The Coyote and the Fawn's Stars

The Deer

first - helpful, caring innocent victim

last - deceitful, cold hearted, sly, being mean to survive

conniving - protect her children, cause trouble to coyote

The coyote

first - predator, sly deceitful

last - nice, innocent, sensitive, naive

innocence - curious, naive, give children stars

strong, instinctual, protective, menace,

in the story they switched roles

we first thought that the coyote was trying to trick the deer but we found out that the coyote was the naive one

Meaning: brains (win) vs. brawn

Amplification:

Bambi, tortoise & the hare, Wily E. Coyote (coyote never gets road runner), Robin Hood

The Three Hares

Father Hare

wisdom, advice, role model, higher power, logic

wisdom, experience, nurturing, teaching, like Apollo, Obi-Wan

1st & 2nd Hare

selfish, independent, irresponsible, failure, lazy, inventive

foolish, youthful, short-sighted, naive, didn't think about possible consequences for their actions, both like Dionysus

3rd Hare

clever, responsible, industrious, sensible persevering

practical, thoughtful, holistic, saw the big picture, like Apollo,

Fox

consequence, death, inner voice, guilt, conscience

villain, bad guy , antagonist, opposing, following natural instinct,

Amplifications:

like Epimethius, wolf in 3 pigs, whale in Pinocchio

Amplifications for story:

like the 3 Pigs, the are prey for predator, trying to stay alive, houses.

Questions

What parts of the psyche could be "trying to stay alive", based on the imagery of the story?

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Last Modified: Friday, October 3, 1997

Tom Link