An Invitation to Story
Storytelling is one of the oldest forms of teaching, and cross-culturally, it has been the main vehicle for handing down a culture’s important values from generation to generation. From a mythic perspective, a story can support the unfolding of the dynamic purpose that is encoded in the core self. This coding holds one’s life calling, an individual’s greatest potential.
Humans, by nature, are mythic beings. In essence, one could say all humans are “storied.” No one escapes myth, for these patterns are encoded in our cells. They live in our bones, travel in our blood, reach our nervous systems, and incarnate with us into life. Our myths weave throughout all our tragedies and our victories. The question one should ask is not “do I have a myth, a greater story to live,” but “what is my story, and how can I actualize it?” One simple way to open the doorway to this mythic potential is to hear a story. But most importantly, all great stories serve to bring one home to self. It is in this imaginal space that one can find the larger archetypal universal patterns. These patterns are often buried deep in the collective unconscious. People of all times and places are compelled to tell and retell these stories for this very reason. Through these narratives, one can uncover the deepest truth they know about themselves.
Life has many offerings. Untangling the threads of personal experience can often open pathways into more life-enhancing landscapes. Assistance may be necessary at times, for journeyers can become burdened with the painful challenges of suffering often encountered along the way. It is through such compassionate inquiry that our true narrative is born.
Jean Houston, a pioneer in this work, believes that “consciously or unconsciously, all are drawn to stories that provide the missing parts to the puzzle of our own life. When encountering these tales, recognition is instant. There is something about them, a flash of connection that says…in this story, there is a piece of my own.” All children come with this knowledge. There is not a child alive that does not love story time. The magic of the story has not yet been forgotten and put aside. Story and myth serve as clues; they ignite the imagination and invite the heart’s curiosity. Seeing our life as a great story can fill us with passion, give us access to infinite possibilities, and grant us the opportunity of living a mythic life, one rich with creative fire.
I invite you to come and join me in a sacred circle, where we will peel away each story in search of our deeper selves. Together, we will find our roots and grow our wings!
