Synopses & Reviews
Greek gods, Norse heroes, Polynesian tricksters, and Native American warriors -- they all have lessons to teach us.
Since the beginning of time, human beings have relied on myths, fairy tales, and fables to explain life's mysteries and to elucidate human nature. Bringing a fresh perspective to these age-old tales, Liz Greene and Juliet Sharman-Burke reveal how modern audiences on their own life journeys can find comfort and support in the legends and lore of the past.
The Mythic Journey explores the psychological themes of many mythical traditions, recounting stories from Greco-Roman, Hebraic, Egyptian, Celtic, Norse, and various Eastern civilizations. More than fifty myths are beautifully retold, and each is followed by a psychological overview explaining the application the story can have in our own lives. The tales are further brought to life with striking artwork by Peter Paul Rubens, Gustav Klimt, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, William Blake, and many more artists who found inspiration in these stories.
The Mythic Journey is a handbook to human life, guiding readers from the conflicts of family and childhood, through problems of love, intimacy, and ambition, and ultimately to the point when we must face our own mortality. We discover that true self-knowledge comes through facing life's challenges with courage and strength; that beauty, talent, power, and wealth bring their own forms of suffering; and that in the darkness of loneliness, failure, and loss, we have always discovered new light and new hope.
Synopsis
"The Mythic Journey" extends the tradition of myths, weaving ancient tales into a chronicle of the human experience, including growing up in a family; falling in love; dealing with money, position, and power as adults; and facing mortality. Full-color illustrations.
Description
Includes bibliographical references (p. 284) and index.
About the Author
Liz Greene is the author of nineteen books, including the highly successful
The Mythic Tarot. Her books have been translated into ten languages, and she gives seminars, workshops, and lectures throughout Europe and the United States. She currently lives in Zurich.
Table of Contents
CONTENTSINTRODUCTION
PART I
IN THE BEGINNING
Chapter One
PARENTS AND CHILDREN
Thetis and Achilles
Hera and Hephaistos
Orion and Oenopion
Theseus and Hippolytus
Osiris, Isis and Horus
The Story of Poia
Chapter Two
SIBLINGS
Cain and Abel
Ares and Hephaistos
Romulus and Remus
Antigone
Chapter Three
THE FAMILY INHERITANCE
The Children of the Wind
The House of Thebes
The House of Atreus
PART II
BECOMING AN INDIVIDUAL
Chapter One
LEAVING HOME
Adam and Eve
The Buddha's Departure
Peredur the Son of Evrawc
Chapter Two
FIGHTING FOR AUTONOMY
Siegfried
The Fair Unknown
Gilgamesh and the Tree of Life
Chapter Three
THE QUEST FOR MEANING
Vainamoinen and the Talisman
Parsifal and the Grail
Perseus
PART III
LOVE AND RELATIONSHIPS
Chapter One
PASSION AND REJECTION
Echo and Narcissus
Cybele and Attis
Samson and Delilah
The Enchantment of Merlin
Chapter Two
THE ETERNAL TRIANGLE
The Marriage of Zeus and Hera
Arthur and Guinevere
Chapter Three
MARRIAGE
Gerda and Frey
Nyneve's Transformation
Alcestis and Admetus
Odysseus and Penelope
PART IV
POSITION AND POWER
Chapter One
FINDING A VOCATION
Lugh
A Myth of Two Brothers
Phaand#235;thon and the Sun-chariot
Chapter Two
GREED AND AMBITION
Arachne
The Ring of Polycrates
King Midas
The Corruption of Andvari
Chapter Three
RESPONSIBILITY
King Minos and the Bull
King Arthur's Peacetime Army
The Judgement of Solomon
PART V
RITES OF PASSAGE
Chapter One
SEPARATION, LOSS AND SUFFERING
Job's Trials
Orpheus and Eurydice
Chiron the Centaur
Chapter Two
THE SPIRITUAL QUEST
The Fortunes of Dr Faustus
The Buddha's Enlightenment
Parsifal
Chapter Three
THE FINAL JOURNEY
Maui and the Death Goddess
Er Among the Dead
Indra and the Parade of Ants
Bibliography and Further Reading
Index
Acknowledgements