Festival of the Imagination:
Mythic Journeys Returns in June 2006
By Allison Witherell | Photos by Beth Gwinn

...“Once upon a time,” as Honora Foah tells the tale, “there was an odd band of successful misfits who loved stories and loved stories about stories and loved other people who loved stories. One day they decided, why don’t we hold a great feast and invite every storyteller in the land? And so they did. They invited journalists and psychiatrists, novelists and balladeers, fire-eaters and Internet entrepreneurs, game designers and ballet dancers, doctors and lawyers and, yes, Indian chiefs. When they were all gathered together, the Indian Chief asked them to get quiet, and then he sang to them a song of the whole Creation, a song of thanks, so that they would begin their conclave with gratitude for the amazing experience of the world and each others’ presence in it."

..."At which point, the Rabbi said, 'that has a striking resemblance to our thank-you songs,' and the Christian theologian, the African ritualist and the Hindu scholar began to tell stories about their thank-you songs. The lawyer said his main interest had to do with hard-luck stories, and the Scottish singer was partial to love stories. They told stories, acted out stories, sang stories and talked about stories all day until it was time to get a beer, which, of course, only increased the tales and the tallness thereof until it was time for dancing and then bed. And then they got up the next day and did it again. It was so much fun, they changed their airline tickets so they could be together longer, and then when it really was time to go or else, they vowed to do it again."

...This story is just one of many stories told by attendees of Mythic Journeys in 2004, a one-of-a-kind conference and performance festival which James Hillman, the father of archetypal Psychology, dubbed a “spiritual Spoleto” festival.

...This summer Mythic Journeys 2006 again will gather more than 100 of the world’s leading scholars, psychologists, educators, business leaders, artists, authors, filmmakers and performers to continue a significant interdisciplinary dialogue on the key roles storytelling and imagination play in contemporary life. This second biennial event will be held June 7-11, 2006, at the Atlanta Hyatt Regency Hotel in two segments, beginning with a two-day In-Depth Pre-Conference June 7-8, limited to 250 attendees, and followed by the weekend Main Conference June 9-11.

...Mythic Journeys’ diverse slate of program participants include bestselling author and spiritual leader Deepak Chopra (Peace is the Way), Pulitzer Prize winner Christopher Hedges (War is a Force That Gives Us Meaning), poet/translator Coleman Barks (The Essential Rumi), mythologist Michael Meade (Men and the Water of Life), cultural ecologist and philosopher David Abram (The Spell of the Sensuous), Guatemala’s Minister for Food and Nutrition Andres Botran, former Coca-Cola Company President Jeff Dunn, radio personality Ellen Kushner (Sound and Spirit), artist Brian Froud (Faeries), African spiritual teacher and author Sobonfu Somé, and novelists Peter S. Beagle (The Last Unicorn) and Charles de Lint (Moonheart).

...What’s different about Mythic Journeys is that attendees interact with the speakers on a personal, conversational level each day--sharing stories and ideas in what can only be described as a friendly, informal environment, says Foah, co-president of the Mythic Imagination Institute, the nonprofit arts and education organization that organizes Mythic Journeys.

...“Possibly the most important thing about it is simply the opportunity to meet other people—which includes all the presenters and performers and all the people who have chosen to attend,” Foah explains. “What sets Mythic Journeys apart from other conferences is that it will bring together such varied intellectual minds from different cultures.”

...The first Mythic Journeys honored the centenary of the birth of Joseph Campbell (1904-1987), the great authority on mythology who became familiar to many Americans thanks to Bill Moyers’ popular Power of Myth PBS-TV series.

...The overarching theme of Mythic Journeys 2006 is “Myth and Imagination” itself. From there, stories, conversations, live performances and hands-on workshops will closely follow four daily themes: Thursday- earth, Friday- air, Saturday- fire and Sunday- water, as well as sub-themes such as ecology and economy, adolescence, time and synchronicity and cross-cultural traditions.

...Similar to the previous Mythic Journeys, each day will begin with the “Big Story,” a theater piece or a presentation by a master storyteller and musicians. This year’s program includes writer/actor Charlie Bethel’s acclaimed one man show of “Gilgamesh,” the epic myth of ancient Sumeria, and the immortal Greek tragedy of Orpheus, presented by internationally acclaimed musician/ poet David Gonzalez, known for his “unique blend of Afro-Cuban and modern jazz, and pianist Daniel Kelly.

...Attendees next can choose among a variety of workshops, panel discussions and performances. Then after lunch, contemporary issues such as “War,” “Money,” “The Perception of Time,” “The Mindset of Iraq” and “The Function of Dream” will be spotlighted in “The Big Conversations,” spontaneous discussions including a mix of artists and thinkers from a variety of disciplines. For example, during “Into the Woods,” storytellers, an arctic explorer, a member of the Findhorn community whose books on spiritual perception often relate to nature and a Native American lodge-keeper come together to contemplate our relationship with the forest from the hero’s metaphorical journey “into the woods” in folk and fairy tales to the issues of modern-day environmentalism.

...In the evening, Mythic Journeys transforms into a performing arts festival with concerts, theater, dance and music. Highlights include a Saturday twilight story told by Coleman Barks and Deepak Chopra, featuring the poetry of Rumi and Tagore to explore concepts of time and eternity, as well as a performance of Snow, Glass, Apples, a new take on a familiar fairy tale by bestselling author Neil Gaiman (American Gods, Sandman comic series) performed by the Atlanta Radio Theater Company.

...Other performers will include internationally acclaimed concert pianist Lorin Hollander; dancer and martial artist Chungliang Al Huang; Congalese singer Jean Paul Wobotai; Celtic rock stars Emerald Rose; Atlanta’s own singer/songwriter Sheri Kling; and Ekiwah, the young Mexican poet recently featured on 60 Minutes.

...Some might say oral and written storytelling are dying arts in today’s high tech world of reality-based programming and short attention spans, but Michael Karlin, Mythic Imagination’s other co-president, disagrees. The biggest blockbuster movies from Star Wars to the Oscar-winning Lord of the Rings trilogy all portray the hero’s journey which Campbell traced back to the world’s earliest myths.

...Karlin adds that the search for meaning through story has far from disappeared but is simply evolving. Where the written word and the invention of the printing press revolutionized knowledge-sharing and storytelling in the past, today, he says, the Internet spreads myths and stories not just within countries but across cultural boundaries.

...“More and more people are recognizing that their lives are more empty,” Karlin says. “I think that there’s a movement among people who want more spirituality. Mythic Journeys’ mission is to help people reconnect to the fundamental foundation for a meaningful life that such stories have provided for millennia in the hope of creating a world with more tolerance, passion, wonder and creativity.”

...Mythic Journeys also will include a Marketplace, featuring vendors, artists and live musicians who work with mythic themes. Potters, sculptors and artisans alike will offer their creations for sale to event guests and attendees throughout the entire weekend, and books and music of this year’s presenters will be available for purchase. Attendees also can create their own tales and art at Imagination Stations, designed to actively involve everyone in the creative process of myth and story and bring together participants and performers with creative and spontaneous expression beyond the barrier of the stage. Stations will include a collage area, a music-making station, poetry and composition stations and an area for creating a community quilt.

...Attending the In-Depth Pre-Conference, which runs from Wednesday evening through Friday afternoon, offers more exclusive opportunities to interact with the guests. The daily cost is the same as for the weekend Main Conference, but Pre-Conference days include all meals, which will be shared together at community gatherings, as well as a Wednesday night opening reception and a gala Thursday night banquet.

...“You’re going to get a different level of content because of the smaller size” Karlin says. “Since attendance is limited to 250 and we have just over 100 guests, each person will have a chance to have some great conversations.” In addition, Mythic Journeys is holding an Education Pre-Conference on Friday June 9, 2006 for attending K-12 educators. Teachers and administrators will get the chance to interact with the presenters during hands-on experiences designed to help them acquire new tools for teaching their students. There is limited ticket availability for the Education Pre-Conference, and early registration is recommended. Ticket prices for Mythic Journeys’ Main Conference (Friday June 9 through Sunday June 11) are $345 general admission and $225 for students. Or attend both the Pre-Conference and Main Conference for $840. And K-12 Educators can enjoy both the Education Pre-Conference and the Main Conference for the special discounted price of $150.

To purchase tickets, find a full list of 2006 program participants, and get more information, email info@mythicjourneys.org, call (404)832-4127, or see the display ad in this issue of Aquarius.