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A message from our generous sponsor, the Pacifica Graduate Institute Alumni Association—with appreciation from the Mythologium

PGIAA Delighted to Help Sponsor the Fates and Graces Mythologium

Pacifica Graduate Institute Alumni Association (PGIAA) is delighted to help sponsor the first Fates and Graces Mythologium, August 2-4, 2019, in Morro Bay, California.

PGIAA, a distinct, 501(c)3 non-profit organization, seeks to provide alumni and the global community with opportunities for personal and professional growth and to serve as a path for making positive changes through service and education.

Ongoing programs include the PGIAA tête-à-tête® conversations, our annual New Year’s A Toast Heard Round the World, and regular Coming Home reunion weekends, including our Alumni Authors’ Spotlight.

PGIAA also offers a Buddy Program, scholarships, professional development, the PGIAA Community Network Help Desk and Training Series, the PGIAA Support Network, including the Ambassador Program and Project Pay it Forward.

Our numerous Regional Chapters hold local Gatherings around the country. Look for upcoming happenings in Los Angeles, Chicago, Salt Lake City, San Diego, and New York.

Watch for these PGIAA Coming Events:

  • Women of Soul: PGIAA Alumnae Share Their Stories – September 2019
  • Pacifica Film Festival – Spring 2020
  • Pondering Peace in a World of Turmoil – Fall 2020
  • Our 8th Annual COMING HOME TO PACIFICA – Jan 17-19, 2020

Dianne Travis-Teague facilitates ongoing collaborations between Pacifica’s Office of the Chancellor and the Pacifica Graduate Institute Alumni Association. Dianne and the Office of Alumni Relations maintain an ongoing and constantly evolving package of alumni benefits in the form of hotel and airline discounts, auto and home insurance discounts, and member discounts to Pacifica’s bookstore and Retreat.  

PGIAA strives to live up to its mission of developing a “different” type of association: one that focuses intently on “tending the soul of the world” as enshrined in the Institute’s motto of animae mundi colendae gratia.  For more information, visit our website at http://www.pgiaa.org/

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The Mythologium welcomes Dr. Olivia Happel

Olivia’s presentation is called, “Teaching Homer’s Odyssey:  Where is your Ithaca?” 

For several thousand years, students have eagerly devoured the tale of the wandering Odysseus making his way home from the war at Troy. In the world of smartphones, paperless classrooms, and Project Based Learning, does this ancient myth fit today? Absolutely. This presentation seeks to explore how one may teach myth through Homer’s epic poem, the relevance of this text for students seeking a path through all their wanderings, and how to engage students with an ancient text. With two paths, students advocate for their desired level of involvement either through examining “what is your Ithaca” or “how does myth inspire art.” While this project is constructed for secondary education, it may easily be scaffolded for junior high or college level courses. 

Olivia Happel, PhD is a Latin, Mythology, Theory of Knowledge, English, and Film Studies teacher at Dos Pueblos High School where she has worked since 2014. There she serves as the Extended Essay Coordinator (a four thousand word research essay comprised by IB students over the junior and senior year). She has created her own curriculum for both the Mythology and Film Studies course at DPHS. Her doctoral dissertation is titled, “That Which Is Not Yet Known:  An Alchemical Analysis of Michael Maier’s Arcana Arcanissima.” She has presented at the American Academy of Religion Regional Conference as well as the Pop Culture Association Regional and National Conference. Her academic interests include myth, religious studies, alchemy, and classics. She seeks to pursue the #immutablediamondbody throughout her life, scholarship, and career. 

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The Mythologium welcomes Dr. Lynlee Lyckberg

Lynlee’s presentation is called, “Psychological Androgyny: Cultural Myths of the Shapeshifter”

Psychological androgyny is a term introduced in 1974 by psychologist Sandra Bem that describes one of four possible constructs of gender identification. Through an exploration of gender identity presented in Eastern myth, Japanese theatrical performance, and contemporary Anime/Manga pop culture, Lynlee examines the subtle differences between “psychological androgyny” and “non-binary” gender identification, and why this distinction matters, especially in terms of the shapeshifter as shamanic “genderless being with suprahuman powers” who appears in times of significant cultural distress and upheaval.

Lynlee Lyckberg, Ph.D. completed her doctorate in Mythological Studies with an Emphasis in Depth Psychology from Pacifica Graduate Institute in 2016, and her MFA in Arts and Consciousness Studies from John F. Kennedy in 2005. Her doctoral dissertation, The Visual Image, Creativity, and the Role of Memory in Healing, examines the potential for healing and transformation latent in the emergent visual images of contemporary culture. Lynlee has presented papers derived from her dissertation at the Jean Gebser conference in Seattle (2017), and at the Jung Conference in Portland (2018), and she shows her paintings nationally in juried exhibitions. She has several pieces in private university collections, including Cal State University East Bay and Pacifica Graduate Institute, and she is currently working on a book of dreams and the transformational process.

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The Mythologium welcomes Dr. Beth Anne Boardman

Beth Anne’s presentation is called “The Alchemy of Adolescence”

Exploring images, music, science, and the wisdom of depth psychology, this presentation discusses adolescence as a phase we all transit on our way to adulthood.  Our adolescent bodies initiate the prima materia.  Neurologically, hormonally, musculoskeletally, one’s body begins a transformation into physical maturity, bidden or not.  Wrapped in uncomfortable, even painful bodies, possessed by a mélange of hormones, confused by rapidly morphing neurons, we feel a need at some point to mourn the loss of childhood or the dreams of innocence.  With or without the permission of adults, we feel compelled to delve into the sad, dangerous, and even horrible aspects of life.  The nigredo rules adolescence.  Through art, music, movies, gaming, as well as fashion, body markings, and adventure, we learn at adolescence to express our experience of grief, disillusionment, and exhilaration.  Adults can provide understanding and guidance through modeling, mentoring moments, and practicing the art (and terror) of letting go.

Beth Anne Boardman, RN, MA, PhD lives in California and New Hampshire. She travels and lectures on the Mythology of Sport; Women and Myth; and the Alchemy of Adolescence (her dissertation topic), in addition to consulting as a writer to websites.  Recently, Beth has served on the board of the Pacifica Graduate Institute Alumni Association and as Regional Coordinator for local alumni. Her career spans work as a registered nurse, grant-writer, the study of world dance and music, and the profound joy of raising two children.

Beth’s writings may be found at http://otherworldpoetry.blogspot.com and https://mythmuse.wordpress.com.

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The Mythologium welcomes Leon Aliski

Leon’s presentation is called, “Wild Bison and the Buffalo People: Re-imagining ‘the Heart of Everything That Is'”

Passed down from generation to generation for thousands of years, oral histories told by Plains Indian peoples – Lakota, Dakota, Arapaho, Blackfeet, Cheyenne, and many other tribes – account for the origins of how things came to be, the animals, people, plants, and the natural forces of the world. Expressions of a cultural stream of ancestral memory, oral histories are interwoven with a people’s sacred ceremonies, dances, and songs, affirming their cultural significance. The Lakota speak of The Buffalo People, Sacred Beings who live below the surface of the earth and became the four-legged, shaggy-haired creatures we know today as tatanka, the buffalo, or wild bison. Hunted and slaughtered to near extinction by end of the 19th century, wild bison continue to endure, yet their existence as wildlife remains in peril, confined to a landscape we know today as Yellowstone National Park. Leon’s talk will explore the oral histories of Plains Indian peoples, the presence of wild bison, and the influence of Western Christian heritage with respect to how human beings see themselves in the natural world.

Leon Aliski holds an M.A degree in Mythological Studies with an emphasis in Depth Psychology and is a Ph.D. candidate in the same field. He is a writer, researcher and consultant for the tourism industry and has recently traveled to Yellowstone National Park, the Black Hills, Wind Cave, the Platte River, and First Peoples Buffalo Jump near Great Falls, Montana.

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The Mythologium welcomes Dr. Katherine J. Bailes, JD

Katherine’s presentation is about King Minos and the U.S. psyche

Classical Greek mythology includes the story of King Minos of Crete, son of Zeus and father to the infamous Minotaur. Minos was born of privilege, destined to be King, yet his insecurities and actions guided him to use bravado and deceit to secure the throne. The consequences of these actions resulted in a monster son and bad relations with neighboring city states. Dr. Bailes will share aspects of the story to expose the Minos archetype and reveal glimpses of its constellation in the current U.S. political psyche.

View Katherine’s PresentationDownload

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.

She can be reached through her LinkedIn profile or email.

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The Mythologium welcomes Dr. Darlene “Maggie” Dowdy

Maggie’s presentation is titled, “Metamorphoses of Gender and Identity in Ancient and Modern Myth”

“Metamorphoses of Gender and Identity in Ancient and Modern Myth” focuses upon two mythic characters, Tiresias, the blind prophet from ancient Greece, and Estraven, the visionary politician of Ursula LeGuin’s sci-fi novel, Left Hand of Darkness.  An exploration of their masculine-feminine shapeshifting dispels the fallacy that the Western perspective has always viewed gender and gender identity as rigidly fixed in Nature.

Darlene “Maggie” Dowdy received her Ph.D in Mythological Studies with an Emphasis in Depth Psychology from Pacifica Graduate Institute.  Her dissertation, Harbingers of Change: Images and Archetypes of Imminent Transformation, explores the co-creative relationship between psyche, soma, and an ever-changing environment.  She presented a variation of her dissertation, Birds as Nature’s Harbingers, at the 2018 conference for the Association for the Study of Women and Mythology.  Maggie advocates for an interactive approach to learning through myth and literature as is evidenced by an M.A. in English and past volunteer tutoring in English as a Second Language. 

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The Mythologium welcomes Dr. Karin Zirk

Karin’s presentation is called, “Using Trickster Mythology to Create Change”

Tricksters change shape, cross boundaries, and shatter dysfunctional ideologies without intentionality. From traditional mythologies to modern characters we know and love, tricksters occupy a liminal space. However, tricksters are unique beings with their own needs and wants. Karin’s talk will dig into the subtle distinctions between specific trickster characters—past and present—from a mythographic perspective and empower trickster energy to create new paradigms both in our personal lives and our culture. A handout will be provided with trickster information and journaling prompts conference attendees can utilize to engage their inner trickster at a later date.

View Karin’s presentationDownload

About Karin:

Karin Zirk, Ph.D. completed her doctorate in Mythological Studies with an Emphasis in Depth Psychology at Pacifica Graduate Institute where her dissertation focused on using mythic artifacts and journal writing to enhance well-being in family caregivers. She has taught Humanities courses in the San Diego Community College District and she facilities workshops that incorporate mythic narratives, active imagination, and journal writing to animate human connections to the natural world. She will be presenting, “We Already Have a Border Wall: The US/Mexican Border as Cultural Complex” on a panel for the Psychology, Culture and Religion panel at the American Academy of Religion conference in November 2019. Her novel, Falling From The Moon, will be released later this year from Talk Story Publishing. She lives in San Diego, California and is deeply involved in protecting and restoring her local creek.

You can connect with Karin through her website.

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The Mythologium welcomes Andrea Slominski

Andrea’s presentation is called, “The Goddess and Women’s Embodiment in Four”

Representation of Goddess has transformed throughout human history. From the early forms of the Great Goddess unearthed at Catal Huyuk and decoded by Marija Gimbutas, through the work of Jane Ellen Harrison who explored the archaic Greek development of dual and triple female deities, to the poetic interpretations of Robert Graves with his adoption and popularization of the triple goddess as Maiden, Mother, Crone, we can see the development of the expression, interpretation, and experience of the goddess throughout history. In the last century the life span of women has expanded statistically from 45-50 years to nearly 90 years. Running parallel to the increase in life expectancy, women’s lives have also expanded from three stages to four, psychologically and spiritually. If women are the metaphoric embodiments of the goddess in the flesh, if we are living metaphors of the goddess’ creative power as womb and tomb, and if we are living metaphors of the cycle of the seasons, as personified in the seasons of a life, then it is fundamental that the metaphors of the goddess have expanded right along with us. We are the goddess and she is us. Women cannot separate themselves from the goddess anymore than the goddess can separate herself from women. The goddess’ metaphors have transformed in the past, have done so again and will always continue to reflect the lives of women. I maintain that we are now squarely in four, Maiden, Mother, Regent, Crone. The four-fold goddess is one expression of the new emerging mythos that may, hopefully, find its full expression in the balancing of the masculine and feminine attributes within the psyche and in the external world.

Andrea holds an M.A degree in Mythological Studies with an emphasis in Depth Psychology and is a Ph.D. candidate in the same field. She has created a coaching/counseling program that guides women during midlife and menopause to rediscover their authentic selves, so often back-burnered during the hectic householder years. In her creative and supportive workshops and one-on-one coaching/counseling, she incorporates the work of personal story and depth psychology, honoring the changes women’s psyches and bodies must navigate through the profound transformations of midlife and menopause. A writer, speaker, coach, and workshop facilitator, Andrea’s leadership in creative expression and group dynamics was honed for over 25 years as a producer and a director for the stage, in TV and video projects, and as a college adjunct instructor.

You can connect with Andrea through her website, Facebook, Instagram, and email.

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The Mythologium welcomes Arthur George

Art’s presentation is entitled, “Depth Psychology Aspects of the Christian Myth”

Art’s talk will think outside the box of traditional methods of biblical criticism to examine pivotal biblical stories as myth, particularly from the perspective of depth psychology. He will emphasize the Garden of Eden story, the accounts of the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus, and the Gnostic Christian myth. Understanding these stories from such a perspective gives us a deeper appreciation of them, which we can then use to enhance our spiritual lives – regardless of whether we are Christians – because that’s what myths can do.

Download Art’s presentation Download

About Art:

Arthur George is a mythologist, cultural historian, blogger, and winemaker; formerly he was an international lawyer. He has written the award-winning The Mythology of Eden (2014) about the mythology of the biblical Eden story, and before that the leading and award-winning history of St. Petersburg, Russia, entitled St. Petersburg: the First Three Centuries. He has a mythology blog, frequently speaks at scholarly conferences, institutes, JCF Roundtables, and other audiences on mythological topics, and authors articles on the same. He is currently finishing a book about the mythology underlying our seasonal holidays, and has commenced another about the mythology of wine.

You can find Art’s blog and connect with him at www.mythologymatters.wordpress.com.