Hello friends. I’m looking forward to a lively discussion around my book this November. First, some business:
If you haven’t got a copy yet, the quickest ways to do so are directly from me (www.madnessatthegates.com) through Paypal, or from Amazon. Even quicker, if you have a tablet, would be to order an electronic copy (Kindle, Ipad, etc.) from Amazon. I also have sample chapters and essays available for free on the website. You might also find my blogs interesting (as well as shorter reads) at http://madnessatthegates.posterous.com/
This November could not be a better time for our conversation. Right now, we are “between the worlds.” The entire Hispanic, Catholic and Pagan worlds are focusing on All Souls Day, Day of the Dead (Dia de los Muertos), and Samhain, the Celtic/Pagan New Year. The ancestors are among us right now like at no other time. They require our attention, our celebration and our tears. If you live in the Bay Area, there are still spaces available for our Day of the Dead Ritual (http://www.barryandmayaspector.com/Barryandmaya/Day_of_the_Dead.html).
Now for that lively discussion. I suspect that any proponent of Depth and Archetypal Psychology will agree that we need to look at the soul of a society or culture in the same way we look at an individual soul. We ask such questions as: What has this soul banished to the underworld, to become its shadow? What do those repressed parts want from those who inhabit the light? What sickness results from such repression? What myths are in play? What Gods are being disrespected? What would such a soul look like if it honored those gods?
At the same time, there’s little to be gained by preaching to the choir. I want to encourage dissension and healthy argument from those who disagree with some of my insights (or mistakes, if you prefer), especially in regard to the current political scene. What better theme to start with than a mythological perspective on the election that I offered on my most recent blog: Barry's Blog # 40: The Ritual of the Presidential Debates
The Myth of American Innocence requires periodic maintenance. I am suggesting that the Presidential election is a mass ritual that the nation participates in so as to revive and energize the myth and reconstitute our national sense of denial. What do you think?
Alternatively, there are many other themes we could discuss. If anyone is interested in going through the book doing, say, three chapters each week (twelve in all), I'll be happy to oblige.
And again: This is the time to remember our ancestors and both the blessings and the wounds they have bequeathed us. We are all in this together. Every single American carries a huge burden of unacknowledged grief simply by virtue of living in this society.
Or, in psychological/theological terms, as James Hillman said, every American, regardless of their professed spiritual beliefs, is "psychologically Christian." That is, we are all likely to take our myths literally.
Replies
Barry, I enjoyed your blog on the “Ritual of Presidential Debates” which made me think of smaller, insidious rituals of everyday life that function as acts of group creation. One that comes to mind for me is, since 9/11, singing God Bless America at major league baseball games. Since 1918 (during WWI) the national anthem has been sung at the games but now God Bless America has been added to baseball, the game that is referred to as “America’s pastime.” This, it seems, creates a sense of inflated nationalism against the backdrop of a game where the goal is to make it home safely. This may seem like a small example but I wonder if the cumulative effect of similar rituals makes it easier to sacrifice our sons and daughter to keep our “home” (the U.S.) safe?
On another note, I just started to read the book and three chapters a week sounds good to me. I’m really enjoying the book thus far and look forward to the conversation
Hi Robert - I'm recovering from Saturday's Day of the Dead Ritual, which lasted twelve hours!
The example of patriotic music at sporting events is quite accurate and cumulatively very significant. When I attend basketball games at a major, "liberal" university, the announcer specifically requests that everyone "Rise, remove your hats and honor America" for the playing of the national anthem. I often refuse to do so, just to watch the nervous reactions around me.
I'm thinking of Joseph Campbell's fourth function of myth, the sociological function. At this level, the national state and its spokespersons offer narratives that encourage the individual to adhere to the goals, symbols and interests of the ruling elite. This is how myth functions in a society in which the great myths that once held it together and gave real meaning to life have broken down.
When the myth (in this case, the myth of American Innocence) is fully functional for certain segments of the society, everyone takes the basic assumptions about reality for granted, without ever questioning them.
But when the myth shows great cracks in its facade, and people are opening calling its fundamentals into question, then great anxiety can arise among those who subscribe to the narrative and the need for scapegoating arises. In such a context, certain individuals (our sports announcer, perhaps) will appoint themselves as gatekeepers and use their authority to make explicit what was formerly implicit.
I think I know what you mean by "a game where the goal is to make it home safely," but please say more.
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