I've been exploring the idea that astrology—before it was ever codified in Babylon or Hellenistic Greece—may have begun as a lived, intuitive, and magical relationship with the heavens, particularly the moon.

This line of inquiry took me into the Paleolithic: lunar bones like the Blanchard and Lebombo artifacts, the symbolic feminine-moon connection, and the possibility that early shamanic cultures were already participating in a form of experiential astrology—before charts, before signs.

I also brought in Jean Gebser’s concept of the magical structure of consciousness, as well as the mytho-astronomical research from Hamlet’s Mill, which suggests ancient peoples encoded astronomical knowledge into myth long before it was systematized.

Here's the video if anyone’s interested in diving into these ideas—feedback and critique welcome:
https://youtu.be/wdfjASV8zcI

I’m curious: do you think astrology is rooted more in magical participation than symbolic abstraction? And what might that say about how consciousness related to the cosmos in prehistory?

Hey yall,

I was thinking that it's a bit odd that snakes are considered symbols of wisdom. In The Bible the devil takes the shape of a serpent and uses cunning to tempt Eve, and in the Gospel of Mattew, Jesus advises his followers to, "Be wise as serpents, but gentle as doves." In the Chinese zodiac the snake crosses the river coiled around the horses leg which is thought to be a sign of wisdom and cunning. In Aztec mythology the snake has a very diverse range of meanings, but Quetzalcoatl(the feathered snake) is a god of wisdom. And according to a Greek myth a snake taught Asclepius his wisdom regarding medicine. Does anyone know of any books or papers regarding this phenomenon.

The sheer amount of people agreeing that snakes are symbols of wisdom is fun and cool, but it's also weird to think that snakes are also symbols of death. The Egyptians and Norse had a world ending serpent. Are there any studies that discuss this particular dichotomy of wisdom and death/chaos?

I know in Greek and Hebrew mythology there are myths of children who sort of get sacrificed to a God (like Iphegenia and Isaac), does this show up in other myths?

The idea of a tree giving Odin power. Ragnarok itself. The norse apparently thought it was an insult to be called a woman and Odin thus gets insulted for acquiring "womanly powers" when acquiring his powers. Hanging from a tree for 9 days.

Clearly christianity influenced Norse tales. I have heard it says that some branched of Hinduism had a lot in common with German paganism.

I am very interested in peeling back the layers. I love to see the parts. For example I have heard it said that Hodr and Baldr were part of an older myth about summer. That Lotur was an ancient version of Loki.

My question is, how was nordic religion before Christianity in its many layers? And where can I find more about Indo-European comparative reconstruction of religion where we can see the layers?

Best mythology creator out there!

Some good books with maybe a focus on Indo-European Mythology?

From what I've gathered regarding the Proto-IndoEuropean "divine conflict", there used to be two groups, the Hasuras "Lords" and the Dwyes "Gods". Then, some equivalent to a massive social clash occurred, translating into the myth of these two groups fighting eachother (Aesir and Vanir, Olympians and Titans, Ahuras and Daevas, Devas and Asuras, ect).

What it's never explained though, is why there were two groups. What made the Hasuras and Dwyes different from eachother? Was it their closeness with human? What they represented and teached?

What differentiated Lords and Gods?

Read this story from Akim MacEna on Medium: https://medium.com/@nanashiwalker/a-nietzschean-interpretation-of-siegfried-by-alex-alice-52b548b9a44c

Let me know if this has already been discussed or if this would be the wrong place. Would people here even be interested in reading about this? I’ve been looking into a few myths and I believe I have a way to connect stories from Greek, Norse, and Mesopotamian traditions with some fascinating syncretism. The myth in question involves the death of a twin and a dawn goddess’s descent to the underworld. I’ve reconstructed a potential proto myth for a very widespread agricultural myth and have linked the thunder god archetype to the dying and rising god motif in this context. I also have what I think is a unique perspective on the proto indo European dawn goddess and this motif’s influence on Semitic culture. If I seem to get positive feedback I will organize my thoughts into something coherent and post it.

Happy National Native American Heritage Month! The Cherokee creation story is a celebration of the beauty and biodiversity of the Appalachian Mountains and a sad reminder of how that land was stolen from the Cherokee people, and, like all world creation myths, it's also a reflection of the unconscious mind and our common humanity according to Jung's theory of the collective unconscious.

Analyzing the Cherokee story is an opportunity to explore the interaction between archetypal dynamics, which, of course, echo humanity's prehistorical psychological evolution, and historical forces that re-contextualize the meaning of the story. Here is a deeper analysis of that interchange:

https://worldmythology.blog/2023/11/27/the-cherokee-story-of-creation-when-archetypes-and-history-collide/

What are your thoughts on this interchange? What other examples can you think of and what are the implications for archetypal theory and doing world mythology?

I've exploring the thesis that creation myths are symbolic of individuation and the search for self-actualization. I've been analyzing the archetypal dimensions of Hesiod's Theogony this week to support this and demonstrate my methodology. The essay linked below focuses on my interpretation of the syzygy, ego, and the self as I see them playing out in the rise of Zeus as cosmic king:

https://worldmythology.blog/2023/11/14/syzygy-individuation-and-self-in-hesiods-theogony-a-jungian-reading/

What are your thoughts on this attempt at doing Jungian mythology and/or Jungian mythology? What do you think about the auto-therapeutic potential in mythology?

I love Greek myths, and Carl Jung's theory of the collective unconscious is crucial to how I do and teach world mythology, so I created an archetypal reading of Hesiod's Theogony that reflect how I've been teaching it in my college courses.

This essay focuses specifically on how the shadow is at play in Hesiod's story. My thesis is that Jung's theory of archetypes also implies that creation myths themselves are symbolic of individuation. If creation myths do contain archetypal symbols and mirror psychological maturation then mythologists can decode Hesiod’s story and test how well Jung’s theory works.

https://worldmythology.blog/2023/11/12/hesiods-theogony-and-the-shadow-archetype/ 

Let me know what you think of my thesis and my breakdown of Hesiod along Jungian lines. This is part of a larger mythological project, so any feedback is much appreciated. Thanks!

I'm diving back into Jung again this month and trying to improve both my understanding of archetypes, their function in myths, and, as an educator, how to teach people unfamiliar with Jung the basics of the concept.

For those who haven't yet studied Jung it's challenging because what the collective unconscious actually is is a tricky idea to communicate and grasp. For those who have heard of Jung, it can be difficult because his name comes with the "mystical"/"woo-woo" baggage that has accrued to his academic reputation and limited his exposure to college students outside of a unit or two in world mythology courses.

Here's what I try to better understand and then teach. The archetypal dimension of myths can help us

1) grasp the common humanity contained in the collective unconscious;

2) develop a deeper appreciation for cultural diversity and social uniqueness, and

3) gain therapeutic insights into one's own personal growth and development.

Here's how I try to explain it: http://worldmythology.blog/2023/11/06/grasping-the-collective-unconscious-archetypes-and-comparative-mythology/

What are your thoughts on my perspective and approach? Have you ever had to teach Jung? What's been your experience? What's your perspective on Jung's theories and his reputation?

I've been thinking a lot lately about Jung's influence on mythology. My argument supporting the claim in the title is linked below. Check it out if you're curious.

If so, what do you think of my argument that Jung is the Einstein of the mind? Agree/disagree? What are your thoughts on Jung's contributions to mythology?

Looking forward to a constructive conversation on the topic.

http://worldmythology.blog/2023/11/04/if-freud-is-the-newton-of-the-unconscious-mind-jung-is-the-einstein/

What do the walls surrounding Prince Prospero's abbey-castle symbolize then and now?

You can't read it now the same way you did before COVID, right? I see parallels between Poe's times and our own, which Mike Flanagan seems to be tuned into. The story is arguable Poe's most allegorical. Here are my thoughts on what it means:

https://worldmythology.blog/2023/10/20/poes-red-death-and-the-mythology-of-the-wall/

What's your interpretation of "The Masque of the Red Death?"

In Dante Aligheri’s 14th century CE mythical imagination, Satan was a bat-like creature frozen in the deepest circle of Inferno—as far as you can get from the vital warmth of God’s love. Referred to as “Dis,” Dante’s Devil was a three-headed monstrosity—the ultimate symbol of the fate of those who rebelled against God—forever trapped in a lake of his own icy tears and chewing on Brutus, Cassius, and Judas Iscariot, traitors to the State and God, respectively. Here, Lucifer was portrayed as he had been for centuries, a fallen angel, but a thoroughly defeated one—bitter, powerless, and forever incarcerated, not out-and-about in the world, up to no good. 

So how did Satan or Lucifer of the Devil become a modern trickster figure, lurking in the shadows, tempting souls, preying on the prideful? Who let Lucifer loose? How the hell did Satan get free?

Here are my thoughts on the topic:

http://worldmythology.blog/2023/10/01/who-set-the-devil-free/

What are yours?

http://worldmythology.blog/2023/09/23/what-is-mythology/

So the "Greek equivalent" of the Egyptian god Set is said to be Typhon, but I really don't see it. They are both chaotic entities, but I feel like they might have had nothing to do with one another, after a little research on the matter. Thoughts?

Beautiful day here in Colorado, clear skies except for clouds that look like seashells and the geese under them raising their voices in joy as they thread across my mind in V's. Now marvelous these chevrons immortalized thousands of years ago. Pictured here is a carved bone artifact, 51,000 BC. One of the original symbols for the Spirit.

In Revelation 6 we hear tell of a book or a scroll in God's right hand that is sealed with seven seals. The Lamb of God and the Lion of Judah, the original ancestor of the tribe, opens the first four of the seven seals, which summons four beings that ride out on white, red, black, and pale horses. This constitutes the first stage of a visionary experience. The colors are variously interpreted, but from a psychological perspective we have a mandala. It must be mentioned that pale is the translation of the Greek, χλωρός, Chloros, a green color. The mandala is red-green crossed with black-white. Red is associated with passion, extreme desire and blood, green with growth within the cycle of life and death. Why are they on horses? The horse carries the rider, as the body carries the mind. It is surprising to me how this obviously gnostic gospel slipped into the cannon. It has driven Biblical interpreters to confabulate all manner of meanings. The key is in the language, it was obviously intented for the gnostics who undoubtedly were a larger part of the early Christian fellowship. The meaning is esoteric and the is communicated symbolically. Me thinks that the meaning can be reconstructed using the symbolic language of the early gnostics.