THE MYTHIC IMAGINATION
‘The Mythic Imagination’ is a unique six-module, six-month self-study online course in the field of mythological studies. It is informed by depth and archetypal psychology, and is designed to present myth and fairy tales not just as entertainment, or a collection of stories which offer insight into beliefs and traditions from the distant past, but as a living principle, deeply enmeshed in our lives and the life of this beautiful, animate Earth. During the course we explore the many ways in which myth can illumine and inform our journeys through life. Theory and background information is presented which will help you in your studies, but the major focus of this course is to offer practical guidance, exercises and writing meditations to help you develop and deepen your own mythic imagination.
The unique content of this course derives from Sharon’s many years of research and practice – as a psychologist, a writer, a Celtic Studies scholar – into the functions of myth and story. It is relevant to anyone wishing to explore the relevance of myth and story to their own lives – to writers, artists and craftspeople who are looking to nourish and inspire their creative work; to therapists looking to incorporate narrative work into their practices, and to anyone else who wishes simply to enrich and enchant their lives. This course is open to both men and women.
The specific examples we work with are drawn from the mythology and folklore of our native Northern European culture, but the principles of the teachings are applicable to all cultural traditions.
Here are some of the subjects which are covered during the six modules:
- Myth, folklore, fairy tale: background, theories, and definitions
- Narrative elements: symbols, archetypes, metaphors, plot …
- A selection of key themes in myths and fairy tales: shapeshifting and animal metamorphosis; the liminal; the Otherworld …
- Mythic and fairy tale themes and imagery in literature
- How to choose and conduct a deep analysis of a myth/story which is relevant to your own life, or to specific life stages and transitions
- The Hero/Heroine’s Journey and other initiatory journeys
- Composing and writing your own personal myth
- Working with the myths and stories of place
Each module contains reading recommendations, and a list of online and other resources. Materials and articles are available for download.
The course is offered on a rolling basis, and so you may join at any time and still begin at the beginning. On the first day of each month following your sign-up you’ll receive an email with links to download your course materials for the relevant modules. (If you subscribe later than the third day of each month, you’ll be held over to the first day of the following month before you can begin. We are sorry but as mailing lists are automated, we can’t make exceptions to this rule.)
This is a self-study course; you don’t need to worry about completing it in any particular timeframe, or being available on any particular day, as all materials are available for you to download and then explore at your leisure. Please note that the course is priced to make it affordable to as many people as possible, and so the fee doesn’t include one-to-one/discussion time with Sharon.
The course fee is £90 if you are based in the UK and paying in sterling, and 100 euros if you are based elsewhere in the world. (With apologies, because of the time we have to spend chasing missed payments, we’re no longer able to offer payment plans on online courses.)
Please use the PayPal buttons below to make your payment; they enable you to pay via a PayPal account or to use any credit or debit card. Please note that, for tax reasons, you may only pay in £Sterling if you are resident in the UK and if your PayPal statement shows a UK address. In all other cases you MUST use the ‘Rest of the World’ option; if you select the wrong option we will be forced to refund you and have you sign up again, so do please take care.
(PayPal will accept payment in any currency and automatically convert it, without fees. Please note that you don’t need to have a PayPal account to make the payment; when you are taken to the PayPal login page, simply click on the link next to ‘No PayPal account?’ at the bottom of the page. If this is a problem and you would prefer to transfer the funds directly into a bank account – available to those who have sterling or euro bank accounts only; we can’t accept other currencies in this way – please contact us to arrange.)
UK PURCHASES ONLY
REST OF THE WORLD
IMPORTANT: PLEASE READ THIS INFORMATION CAREFULLY!
1. If you are paying by PayPal and have a PayPal account, please make sure that the email address associated with your account is correct, to ensure that your course materials are sent to the right place. If you would like to have your materials sent to a different email address, or if you would like to purchase the course as a gift for someone else, please email us (info[at]thehedgeschool[dot]org) with the details as soon as you’ve made your PayPal payment.
2. Once you’ve made your payment you will receive a PayPal receipt for your payment. We always then acknowledge all sign-ups individually by email. If you do not hear from us within three days of signing up (allowing time for weekend breaks or travel-related delays) please check your junk mail folder. Although fortunately it happens only rarely that these emails end up in spam, it is important to be aware of the possibility. So many email programs now have strong spam filters, and links to your course materials will come via emails which are sent to multiple recipients and contain hyperlinks, and so are strong candidates for filtering. If your course emails do not arrive as expected, you will undoubtedly find them in your spam folder! Please do check before you contact us, as if our emails are being sent to your junk mail folder, then you will not receive our replies to your queries and life can get rather complicated. If in doubt, and if your email program permits it, please add the email address info[at]thehedgeschool[dot]org to your ‘safe senders’ list, as this is the email address the materials will be sent from.
We recommend you don’t use a Hotmail email account for this course as it is notorious for screening out emails which are sent to mailing lists before they even make it to your spam folder.
3. Please note that once you begin the course and have downloaded your first materials, no refunds can be given.
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