Re: the great idea that struck me at Village Inn

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: Thanks for writing Jason. This is fun. When are you going to post your list? You should participate in the mystery too..... : : : Roan and John : : What is the significance of Roan's name? : Originally it was going to be Rhiannon. I wanted her to have the name of a Celtic goddess. Nothing too small for our daughter :). I had quite a few people tease me about it and I don't know that it ever really settled well with John. Then, when we were staying with the Meigs and I was perusing through their amazing video collection, I saw Cari's copy of "The Secret of Roan Innish" which is a beautiful, amazing movie. The name Roan screamed out at us so we chose it. It's more masculine, like a warrior princess type of thing. The name is an Irish surname meaning "red" which is ironic because the lovely little Roan is a redhead like her Dad. I have a masculine name and feel that it has served me well. I wish the same for her. : : : Joseph Campbell : : Forgive my ignorance, but did he write "Heart of Darkness" ?? : Joseph Campbell, who passed on in 1987, is the premier world mythologist. He brought the idea of myth as spiritual metaphor to the forefront of humanities scholars. He was an amazingly spiritual, gifted, brilliant, gentle man whose message changed my life. I have a web page dedicated to his teachings, http://vaughanj.home.mindspring.com/anthromyth/myth.htm, coupled with things I learned in school. He has a wonderful video series with Bill Moyers called, The Power of Myth that I highly recommend. They are a great inroad to understanding his concepts. His books are extremely hard to read. He took the study of myth to a scientific level, if that's a possible thing. He was also a contemporary of Carl Jung and together they helped us understand the collective unconscious which demonstrates itself in similar mythic themes around the globe. It's ironic that you asked me if the collective unconscious is THE FORCE. I say to you smart man a resounding YESSSSSSS!!!! In fact, George Lucas interviewed Joseph Campbell before writing Star Wars. Campbell has a book called The Hero with a Thousand Faces that the Star Wars saga is based upon. A few of the Bill Moyers interviews with Campbell were done at the Skywalker Ranch. : Here's some of the Campbell paragraph from my Web page: : Joseph Campbell in his videotaped series The Power of Myth, said the mythical Creator is You. The fables and legends we associate with mythology are actual spiritual metaphors devised to represent what Rudolf Otto describes as numinous: a dynamic agency or effect not caused by an arbitrary act of will but actually a force that seizes and controls a person who becomes victim rather than creator (Anthony Storr, The Essential Jung, p. 228). Campbell expounds upon Otto's theory of numinosum by stating that God as Creator lies deepest within the well of our identity and that contemplating his existence is what makes us one with the transcendent, ultimate reality. He also explains that the level of collective or individual energy determines the character of the gods we create. For example, in Western society God is the source of all energy while in Eastern and indigenous philosophies, God is the vehicle for the source to express itself. Basically, as Campbell states "the truth is one but we have different sages who speak in many names". Like Dr. Carl Jung, Campbell believed that if you find the inward thing which you are then you have discovered the "truth". But he warns us zealous journeyers that "he who thinks he knows does not and he who thinks he does not, does". : Evolution, archeology and religion are all very real and very in need of study with new eyes that only seek the truth instead of warped individual agendas. Evolution does not negate God or Genesis and it pains me to think that so many people think it does. I recognize humbly and with awe that the "missing link" has not been found and probably never will be. However, there is scientific evidence of our ancestral tree that is fascinating. : : : cryptozoology (i.e. Loch Ness Monster, Big Foot) : : Have you heard about Florida's own cryptozoological specimen? That's right, the Skunk Ape!!! (try the link - www.floridaskunkape.com : No! I will check it out. : : : Jesus : : What interests you the _most_ about Jesus (for example, historical accounts, spiritual implications, personal experience...)?? : What is currently really getting me is reading the Word, his Words. When I do they are like fire, alive on the page although admittedly, I don't understand half of what he says. I guess that will come later. I am interested in the idea of Jesus being God incarnate. In my mythical studies it was understood that Jesus had the Christ or Christos within and that all people do. It was more intellectual and/or psychological rather than experiential knowledge. I do think that there is a psychological aspect of the Christos within when the male and female halves of the psyche are integrated and a person becomes psychologically whole. I think it is all and everything. My experience of becoming a Christian is a weird and unique one that I will share with you sometime. It was a supernatural call from God that had to occur otherwise I would have continued on the same path, where I was very happy. : : : collective unconscious : : You mean, THE FORCE !!! YES, YES, YES. I saw The Empire Strikes Back 22 times in the theater when I was a kid so this stuff has been with me all along. : : : Tao Te Ching (The Book of the Way) : : I enjoy reading the Tao -- it might seem funny, but every time I read it, I think of the scripture where Jesus said, "I am the Way, the Life, and the Truth. No man can come to the Father except through me." (John 14:6 - I think). This literally echoes in my head as I read... is that normal? : It is so neat that you say this. John and I have been discussing this. Since I became a Christian I have been rereading the Tao from this perspective. It has opened a whole new realm. The Tao has been my "Bible" for many years. I highly recommend Stephen Mitchell's version. It is beautiful. I also see the Tao as the ultimate symbol of God- the unknowable, unnameable. Check out this web page, http://vaughanj.home.mindspring.com/anthromyth/circle.htm. This is my idea of humankind’s spiritual evolution. I made this about 6 years ago and still think it’s accurate- from my perspective. This is also a fascinating topic for later discussion. : : : death and what's beyond : : What's beyond? : To me, even now as a Christian, I think that the Tibetan Buddhists truly know what the after life experience is all about. It's really complicated and I can talk about it with you some time. I believe in reincarnation and karma because I've seen it in my life so vividly. I also believe that if we spend our time healing, mending and being kind and compassionate that we have a chance at getting off the proverbial Wheel and ending the cyclic nature of existence and thereby going to "heaven." This is important because to the Tibetan Buddhists what happens beyond happens in the present as well.

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