Class Presentations - December 7, 2010

I will preface this by saying that I am awed by the intellect of the people in this class.  It is daunting, and bery overwhelming at times for a dolt like me to be surrounded by, yet inspiring and entertaining as well. 

Taylor:  Henderson is not in touch with reality.  In dream time - the real  past.  He is forever trying to get back to his own beginning.  Hero aspect.  Horn of plenty, and the beginning is the end. 

"You cant get away from the rythm"  page  329 Henderson - read that part over

Melinda:  "What I already knew and learned to remember" Bravo!!! 

Doulas:  Homeopathy, symbolism of the umbrella.  Sorry, this is where my ignorance kicks in, some of these were too deep for me to put into words here.  Well done, I'm just not very bright. 

Stormie:  Did not like Henderson at all!  The person, not necessarily the book.  Felt that if Henderson had been familiar with The Golden Bough, he would not have gotten himself into so much trouble!  Amen! 

Sarah Knox - Four Quartets.  Henderson suffered so much and had a very slow and painful enlightenment.  I love the way she summed that up! 

Sally:  What I learned - Eschatology.  The world is ending, realized eschatology.  Well done. 

Corrin:  Henerson as the Phoenix.  Adonis and Aphrodite, my favorite quote - "The heart and the groin don't have alot of difference:"  Brilliant.  Another one that was hard for me to summarize. 

Mayan:  Compared her life to myth.  Spoke of how personal obstacles (depression) will be easier to deal with the her appreciation of myth. 

Jase:  Focused on the "I want, I want" 

Curtis:  Focused on modern day advertising and the connection with mythology:  Nike - agility, speed - Arachne as an expample of state sponsored art.  Loved it. 

David:  Departure, initiation and return. Henderson had a call to adventure. 

I apologize if my interpretations are terribly limited by my ignorance.   The presentations were all wonderful, enlightening and inspiring.  It is awesome to appreciate the intellect all around me!  Thank you all!!

Presentations: December 7, 2010

First of all let me post my own paper.  With that said, I would like to add that this class and writing this paper was tremendously enlightening to me.  To realize just what I had lost by burying my head and shunning that which I knew nothing about.  Without being weird, I can honestly say that my life is much richer and this experience has been of more value than simply becoming aware of mythology.  I have a clear appreciation for what I have left behind.  Years ago when I was younger, I loved to read.  Did it alot.  Than as I became older and busier and let the outside struggles of life take over, I hate to say that I don't think I have sat down and read a book that was not assigned or required for years.  Again, I hate to admit that.  I always felt that I was much too busy, too tired, too stressed.......This class has made me realize that there is nothing more therapeutical than curling up with a good book.  It is better than beer, more relaxing than tossing and turning and trying to sleep and the best part is it makes you grow, learn and live a better life.  Now, when I am stressed, I will grab a good book and sit down and read for a bit.  Go on a personal vacation.  I missed reading and appreciate what avoiding it has done. 

Catching up! Book 5

I would like to preface this post with some background of my mythological background, which also leads a bit into what my paper will be about.  Prior to this class I would have said loud and clear that "I do not like Mythology!!"  I have always avoided it like the plague (mythological, huh?!) and always thought of it as an old ancient form of science fiction, which I also claim to hate.  I am very happy to say that now that I have taken this course, and yes, read Ovid, cover to cover, I really enjoy Mythology and have a completely different view of it.  I have had a tendency in my life to avoid and or ignore things that I have little knowledge of, or simply don't understand easily.  I grew up in Montana and when I moved to New Jersey at 18 I recall telling some newly found friends that "I hated seafood."  One day one of them asked me how I knew that appreciating there was probably limited amounts of seafood in Montana.  It was at that point I realized I had never tried seafood............and guess what..............I LOVE seafood!!!  Who Knew???!!  My experience with Ovid is no different.  I have learned that I need to pursue that which I am skeptical about and have an open mind and let it in!  When I saw the book Ovid that was required for the course, I remember thinking clearly, Oh, dear god, I hope we don't actually have to read that!!!  I hope we just have to refer to bits and pieces, little bits and pieces!  Now that I have read it all, and many, many parts 2 and 3 times over, I could not be more thankful to have had this experience and learned not only that Mythology is beautiful and lovely and the source of incredible art, and music and has the incredible ability to help us understand human life and behavior.  Thank you for that!  With all of that said, with my newly found interest in mythology, I realize that part of the reason that I avoided it before is because I found it completely unbelievable, and quite honestly just weird.  Now I know that I don't have to believe it, just learn from it.  Let it take me to what I can relate to, it is not my job to make sense of it, but to let it make sense to me.  So, in many of my sentences of the stories, I will relate the story to what it made me think about in my current world.  Much of it seems absurd, and yes, maybe a little disrespectful, but I think it's OK, because taking it too seriously is what made me avoid it my whole life.  I think you have to have fun with it.  So here I go! 

Book 5

Perseus - This has got to be the worst wedding reception ever!!!  I will always and forever think of this story as I sit and suffer through my friends children's weddings!! 

Minerva and the Muses - I think of this as one of the first versions of American Idol with the whole music competition thing.  Minerva would be the first Simon Cowell and having the singers that did not win turned into magpies could explain many of the outfits that you see on some of the "music stars" at the awards shows, like Lady Gaga!  She must have lost some competition!! 

Book 4

Book Four - Nay Sayers. Some of the stories show folks just not going along with the Gods.  Doesn't usually serve them well. You know how those Gods can be! 

Daughters of Minyas - When a feast day was declared, all of the ladies were to put away their weaving and gather to honor the Gods.  Not these gals!  I think this is the first official "Stich and Bitch" group meeting.  You go girls!

Pyramus and Thisbe - This reminded me alot of Romeo and Juliet.  Just a sad misunderstanding often seen in young love, this time with a tragic ending.  Too sad.  This might explain why it is so uncommon to hear about Women being ready before Men for a date???

Mars and Venus  - Gotcha!!  What more needs to be said.................tee hee.  I love that cupid was involved in all of this!! 

Perseus and Andromeda - Another awesome love story. Really says somthing for love at first sight!!  To think of the wrath that happened over a woman he had just met is pretty amazing!  Glad to know  that the marriage worked out! 

Now with that said, I have to say that this tops the cake for the absolute worst wedding reception ever!!  I will  always think of this from now on as I suffer through my friends childrens' wedding receptions!!

Book Three

Book 3 continued. 

Semele - Another good example of a women scorned.  Juno is a bit mad that another woman, Semele, is about to give birth to her husbands child.  Who wouldnt be?  So she tricks Semele into asking Jove to show himself to her in all his glory.  First of all - oh brother!  So anway, she does, and yes, it makes her blow up!  Couldn't happen to a nicer girl. 

Tiresias - I love this story.  So apparently, Jove and Juno are just sitting around discussing their sex life.  With all of the issues these two have, seems like they need more communcation.  So they decide to turn to the local - bi-sexual, hermophrodite in town.  Well, he does not pick for Juno and we all know how well she handles dissapointment, so she makes him blind, but Jove gives him prophesy for voting for him.  He becomes one of the biggest prophets.  The blind seer. 

Narcissus:  One of my very favorites!  I have found that I can understand and relate to these stories much better by comparing them to experiences in my own life.  Like you said, I am more sure now that everthing does repeat itself. Narcissus is Tiresias's first prophecy.  He says he will never grow old if he comes to know himself.  Well, he catches a glipse of himself in some water and ends up withering away from longing to be with himself.  He basically loves himself so much that he just wastes away staring at himself.  I am almost positive I met this guy in the Cannery back in my single days.  And.....I think he is still there and has turned into a Jukebox facing the mirror.  Yup, thats him!

Book 3

Book Three Sentences. I have to get better at this blogging thing.  I have officially done this three times now and keep loosing it before I post.  UGH!! 
One more try...........

There seems to be a theme in Book 3 of the saying "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned"  I think they had Juno in mind when they came up with that one!  for example:

Acteon:  This poor boy was just out for a walk after a long morning hunt with his buddies and quiet by accident came across Dianna bathing and caught a glimpse of her nude.  Seems not all that unlikely being she was in the great outdoors skinny dipping with a bunch of virgins, and who wouldn't take a glance at that if you came across it on a hike??!??   Although it was a total accident according to Ovid, Diana turns him into a stag and he ends up getting hunted and killed by his own friends that have been turned into dogs.   Bad day.

Book 2 Sentences

Phaethon - The ultimate "my bad" when taking Dad's car.  Seems that something needs to be done about this not being able to take back a promise, especially when it could cause the end of the world.


Callisto - She really got the bad end of things and had way too many Gods seeking revenge on her.  Now that is a bad day!!  She really didn't seem to deserve any of it.   This is when they all realized she was pregnant. 

 Which started here, when she was decieved by Jove disguising himself as Diana.

                                                                 Now Look at her!!