The Joseph Campbell Foundation Mythological Roundtable of Ojai presents an evening at the Ojai Foundation on Thursday, December 4th at 5:30 pm in the Council House. This month’s topic is “Cosmogony, Archetype and Story in J.R.R. Tolkien’s Mythology of Middle Earth.”
The topic has been selected in honor of the December opening of Peter Jackson’s new film: The Hobbit, which is, in its own right, a world-wide, mythological, cultural event. It therefore affords us the rare opportunity to engage a deeply mythic topic that is both relevant and applicable to our times.
For although the archetypes may step into new forms directed by present cultural inflection, the quality of their energies remains consistent. The problems of good and evil, fate and free-will, sacrifice and redemption, and internal character development are dynamics we all face on a daily basis. And by attending to the thematic values of myth, we are made more versatile in our navigation of the present times.
The specific focus will therefore address the roots of Tolkien’s rich mythology via The Silmarillion and the dynamics of story via his essay, “On Fairy Stories.” We look forward to an evening of thoughtful introspection (along with some unthoughtful fun) as we venture into this fantastical terrain that so many have come to know and love.
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