Basecamp for Men E292: Creating a Personal Myth

E292: Creating a Personal Myth w Special Guest Patrick Christell

 

E292 Introduction

The topic of myth and narrative, story and mythic imagination is something that I have been fascinated by for decades. My life has been immersed in mythic imagination since I was a boy, really. Even my sports heroes and sports stories I gravitated to and followed as a child had mythic undertones, unbeknownst to me at the time.

And I believe we all long to live by myth. To have our lives have this sort of magical quality to them. I believe that deep down, we all want to live more courageously. Or to follow the path of the Light or the path of the Divine, the path of God, whatever that means to you. Or to really live by our highest spiritual knowing and our highest truth, are you following me?

In short, we were built for more than just work and a few laughs. We’ve just forgotten. A type of mythic amnesia has set in.

It seems the mass consciousness of the human race is looking for these threads right now, doesn’t it? Things seem to be teetering a bit, right? Nobody knows exactly what is going on or what is about to happen. It is times like these where myth is so valuable. By leaning into mythic possibilities, we open up new neuropathways that helps us set a new course in life. Both for ourselves and for our tribe.

Yet, so few reach this point. Why is that? Too many beautiful human Souls coast through life, resting on what has already happened, giving up their sovereignty and ability to set their own course. I believe if more of us were actively engaged in growing our mythic imaginations and living by a personal myth, you would see a lot more courageous people in the world. And God knows, the world NEEDS courageous people right now, doesn’t it?

My guest today is all about building a personal mythic narrative for oneself. I thoroughly enjoyed his company and this conversation. Enjoy.

Patrick Christell Bio

My guest today is Patrick Christell. Patrick is a novelist, a documentary filmmaker, and a story structure expert with over 20 years of screenwriting experience. Earlier in his career he was a Vanity Fair staffer and even worked with filmmaker Wes Anderson. Today, he runs Iconic, a narrative consultancy that turns hidden life patterns into mythic arcs. Helping people to stop drifting and start steering their own epic story. His work is here at: https://iconic.onl  .Here is my interview with Patrick Christell.

E292 Final Thoughts

Well I hope you enjoyed that converstaion as much as I did. His work sounds fascinating, doesn’t it? Create a customized narrative compass to help you navigate the fog of deception and confusion that we are all swimming in. Sounds right up our alley. To get connected to Patrick and create your  unique personal myth, go to https://iconic.onl.Thank you Basecampers and we’ll see you around the fire next week.

Basecamp for Men E177: Basecamp Classics- The Grail

E177 Basecamp Classics: The Grail

 

E177 Introduction

Hello Basecampers, I hope you all had a Happy and restorative Easter. We are taking a breather here in the Rezac household with my son on Easter break.

So instead of trying to quickly patch something together, I thought I would offer a Basecamp Classic this week and then pick up next week with a great interview with Dr. Ken Harris.

Today‘s episode is probably my favorite episode of all time. As in if push came to shove and I had to pick just one Basecamp episode to leave for humanity, this would be the one.

It is an episode full of myth and imagination and, I truly believe, yields new insights with each listen. Enjoy Basecampers and we‘ll see you around the fire next week!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Basecamp for Men E113: Awakening the Mythic King

https://episodes.castos.com/5e90c1501eded1-24910673/f6570791-efb7-44d4-a3b0-25ddfdeb2230-211026-BASECAMP-EP113-AWAKENING-THE-MYTHIC-KING.mp3

E113: Awakening the Mythic King   E113 Introduction Hello Basecampers, come sit around the fire as Tony Rezac does a short riff on awakening the mythic King. Instead of a controlling “ruling over others” dynamic,…

Basecamp for Men E98: Our Mythic Imagination

E98: Our Mythic Imagination

 

E98 Introduction

Without a guest lined up and leaving for vacation for a week, I found myself bringing one of my short format episodes to you. I am calling this one Our Mythic Imagination. It is my hope that it sparks your curiousity or rekindles something in you.

Whenever I step into this mythic landscape,  I always feel supported. There is something much larger than me that is wanting to speak to you. If I can stay out of the way and let the images and words flow, they will hopefully arrive in your ears and hearts in a coherent fashion. It is not always an easy balancing act as all sorts of ideas and images vie for the stage. Such is the way of myth. Messy, a bit chaotic, but ultimately staying true to the central message or motif. The mythic landscape that is our birthright is alive and well. Humanity is resourced for these next chapters.

There is SO much going on in our emerging story. When I say “our” story, I am of course referring to WE THE PEOPLE.  I do not see division in us. I refuse to buy what our adversaries are selling. We seem to have a  spiritual war at the foundation of what we are dealing with.  A battle for our Souls, if you want to state it in a biblical fashion.

The enemies of WE THE PEOPLE, whom we’ve spoken about on a number of occasions, are counting that we don’t wake up. That we continue our slumber, unaware of our situation and what is at stake.

We have work to do. The shadow is asking to be seen and acknowledged. It wants to be found. Both in the world and in ourselves. There is nowhere to hide right now, if I can state it in bold terms.

For me, these are times to lean on our stories and our myths. The ones that bring forth our courage and our mutual humanity. As I see it, we are either listening to the narrative of our adversaries as it blares out along the mainstream airwaves, or we lean on our tried-and-true myths that have been handed to us for to help us in for these very sorts of times. Mythic imagination is our secret weapon. It is how we know where we are and what we need to do. It is the weapon our enemy fears the most.

I will share with you today how I spark my own mythic imagination and hopefully this will help awaken what is beginning to spark inside you. We are one tribe. There is no division. All separation is an illusion. Or as Gnostics say There is Just ONE of Us Here.

Once you arrive at this universal truth (and really know it in your bones), all confusion and fog will dissipate. You have now arrived at the fork in YOUR Hero’s Journey.

The  Great Awakening of humanity has been prophesied in every wisdom tradition. The Quickening that brings an acceleration of the Divine Light and inner knowing into our tribe.  We are at the part of the story where mythic motifs and themes, long-forgotten characters, and unexpected movements in the story line start to assert themselves.

There seems to be magic afoot. As if each one of us, RIGHT NOW, is playing a crucial part in  this unfolding story. Something is stirring in the tribe. Are you aware of it? Is there inner work you need to do to better prepare yourself for the coming days?

I am inviting you to bring mythic imagination into your being. Into your Soul. It is how you will know what is unfolding. The chosen myth will whisper its secrets. It is not as hard as you might think. Sitting quietly as you contemplate your Hero’s Journey or The Grail or the Fallen Goddess Myth. These myths will, with a fisherman’s patient mentality, whisper where you are at and what you need to do or who you need to grow into to complete your Divine mission.

Myths are meta-stories. They create transcendent imagery and feelings in the initiate to guide the brave soul who awaits his or her instructions.

Basecamp for Men E89: The Myth of the Fallen Goddess

E89: The Myth of the Fallen Goddess

 

E89 Introduction

It seems that season three is the season to deepen our mythic imagination. And since the tagline of BFM is “Men, Myth, and the Hero‘s Journey”, this seems like an appropriate direction right now. Among Gnostics, May is the month of the Divine Goddess. So what better month to pay homage to her than this one. 

Throughout our history, there were always groups that held secrets to our heritage and our potential. These groups were not confined to one region or one philosophy or one way of thinking. Yet, when you compare their essential truths and expressions, there is a tremendous amount of agreement as to who we are as a species and how we got here.

These groups had many myths and tales for future generations. Yet the central myth, told in secret over and over again so it would not be forgotten, was the myth of the fallen goddess Sofia. It was the story of the descent of the Soul into the material realm. It is, in every sense,our story.

I will do my best to represent this myth but please allow me a bit of clumsiness. I have been working with it for just a few short years. One finds that the more you work with a myth, the more fluent and powerful your speaking becomes when it comes to expressing the central themes and motifs of that particular myth.

I was first exposed to this myth a number of years ago. I came across it in my interest in Gnosticism and soon found that the Fallen Goddess Myth was central to Gnostics. After all of my “men’s work”, I had finally arrived at the footsteps of the Goddess herself. I was spellbound.

As I began my study of and courtship of Sophia, as fate would have it, she seemed to take an instant liking to me. She was approaching me in dreams and visions, and making herself know in all sorts of ways throughout the day. I found myself typing Gnosticism and Goddess Sophia into You Tube and following the rabbit hole. The myth (and the Goddess) was starting to talk to me. It seems, perhaps, that I have been here before.

“It is truly a miracle that our species has survived the patriarchal campaign to eliminate the Goddess and her Mysteries. Without the indigenous peoples all around the world preserving the native wisdom in their lives, we would never have seen it today. At any given moment there are vastly more good and decent people in the world than evildoers. Yet those who intend evil and practice deceit gain a disproportionate advantage because they rely on the passive consent of the believers.”

Author, Jacques Lacarriere

 

What is the myth trying to say to you? What wisdom does it hold? How do you begin to interact with it so as to bring you to your own awakening?

“The Watchers became jealous. They could sense that humankind’s mercurial intelligence provided the potential for the awakening of the Divine Sparks within matter. The imprisoned Light had been active all this time.

     The very resistance of the enemy was bringing the Divine plan to fruition. In each human there emerged the potential to have contact with a Higher Self or Holy Guardian Angel. The enemy angels now took a more concentrated interests in humans. Forming a plan to thwart the All-Mind from realizing Itself. The cosmic battle between the Light and Darkness descended from the macrocosm to the microcosm.As above, so below.”

By entering this myth with your consciousness, what might you learn? How might it transform you?

We are on the verge of something historical. In the world and in ourselves. Myths such as the Fallen Goddess or the Grail are here for us. Pointing us in a direction we can trust. Restoring our Kingdom, our world, and ourselves. We have come this far together. Walk with me just a bit further. I promise you that this transformation includes you my friend. For you are within earshot of the faint trail near the clearing.

E89 Final Thoughts

To dig deep into this myth, there are a slew of resources at your disposal. I hate to endore You Tube but there is a lot on Gnostic myth and thought there. Any search from any source will lead you to all sorts of interesting threads.

John Lamb Lash is, in my humble opinion, the great bard of the Fallen Goddess Myth. He is exquisite in his embodiment of Sophia’s wisdom. He actually pronounces her name Soph Ia because he says, Sophia is too ordinary name for such a powerful deity. His book Not in His Imageis a top shelf book in my library.

Two other books I love. Anne Baring’s The Dream of the Cosmos and Return of the Divine Sophiaby Tricia McCinnon. Both are exceptional and will help build your understanding of this myth, no matter where you are at with it today. I promise that if you work with either of these books, you will come to a deeper understanding of yourself and our place in the Cosmos.