Katherine’s talk is called “Healer and Bringer of Plagues“
Grace Dammann, physician and survivor of a near-death accident once said in an interview: “…I know healing when I am in the presence of it. It’s mysterious, magical and God-given.” Healing is numinous and so, it seems, is sickness; they are part of the same archetypal process. In this presentation, we will explore mythic expressions of ancient divinities known for their gifts of healing and plagues such as the Hebrew god Yahweh-Rapha, the Egyptian goddess Sekhmet, the Greek god Apollo and the Fir Bolg, early chthonic inhabitants of Ireland. We will follow this unitive thread through contemporary perspectives on medicine, vaccines, and viruses to ask: What is the message of the plague as it swirls through humanity? What is the unasked question that can heal us now, individually and collectively?
About Katherine
Katherine J. Bailes, JD, PhD is a practicing attorney and an adjunct professor of mythological studies at Johnson County Community College in Overland Park, Kansas. Dr. Bailes holds a BFA in painting from the University of North Texas and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Kansas, School of Law. She later obtained a master’s degree and Ph.D. from Pacifica Graduate Institute, Santa Barbara, California. Her dissertation topic entitled “The Themis Principle: Mystery and Irrationality in the U.S. Legal System” focused on the mythological aspects of the law as expressed in ancient cultures through goddesses such as Athena, Themis, Inanna and Maat. She has received numerous awards and served in a variety of leadership positions in art, law and teaching, successfully combining these fields through her understanding of story and the human capacity for myth making.