Using Stories to Process Spiritual/Emotional Issues

[Sperran]

Oh man, this is SO all about what I do. I'd love to participate, but I've got impending nuptials (stoopid wedding!)...we'll see if I can swing it...

 
My idea is that this won't be a highly structured study and something you can come into later and not feel lost.  If the concept is really popular, we might eventually turn it into a SIG.

[Morag]

Hi everyone,

A group of us are interested in investigating the ways that we can use stories to process (and progress through) spiritual and emotional issues.  To that end, we will be using Starhawk's Twelve Wild Swans as a jumping off point for discussion.  Please let us know if you are interested in joining us.  Discussion will start in about a week so that everyone has a chance to get their books.

Thanks,
Sperran

Added by Randall: Here's a link to the book on Amazon: The Twelve Wild Swans: A Journey to the Realm of Magic, Healing, and Action

I really want to do this, as a major point of my First Nations Studies programs is about stories. A lot of us agree with Thomas King when he says "The truth about stories is -- they're all we really are."

I will put in my name as a tentative participant; there may be more lurking than talking for me, as I'm going to have to work really hard this semester.

[Sperran]

 
Just an update.  I'm looking at getting the discussion rolling this Sunday.  I figured we could go through the book a chapter at a time and use that to focus our discussion.  If, as we progress, you notice things that would help with organization of the discussion please feel free to pipe up.

Sperran

[Tana]

Just an update.  I'm looking at getting the discussion rolling this Sunday.  I figured we could go through the book a chapter at a time and use that to focus our discussion.  If, as we progress, you notice things that would help with organization of the discussion please feel free to pipe up.

Sperran

Sounds like a good plan to me as it is.
But that means, I need to start reading the book.

[Vaalea]

Hi everyone, (...)

 
I would be interested, though location + monetary issues considered, I'm afraid I won't be able to get my hands on the book. Would it be possible for the discussion to be publicly viewable? (Or, to interested members.) I'm still new around and reading through things, not sure how this specifically works. My apologies. x_x

[Sperran]

I would be interested, though location + monetary issues considered, I'm afraid I won't be able to get my hands on the book. Would it be possible for the discussion to be publicly viewable? (Or, to interested members.) I'm still new around and reading through things, not sure how this specifically works. My apologies. x_x

We're planning on the discussion taking place in this folder.  Maybe you could get the book with an interlibrary loan.  I just noticed that you are in the Czech Republic, so I don't know if you will have the same sort of access to interlibrary loans.  But you are definitely still welcome to join in the discussion.

[Chabas]

I would be interested, though location + monetary issues considered, I'm afraid I won't be able to get my hands on the book. Would it be possible for the discussion to be publicly viewable? (Or, to interested members.) I'm still new around and reading through things, not sure how this specifically works. My apologies. x_x

 
Can't help with the money issues much, but... http://www.bookdepository.co.uk is generally cheap and delivers free to places all over the world, including Czech republic. Relevant book is here.

--Chabas

[Waldhexe]

Hi everyone,

A group of us are interested in investigating the ways that we can use stories to process (and progress through) spiritual and emotional issues.  To that end, we will be using Starhawk's Twelve Wild Swans as a jumping off point for discussion.  Please let us know if you are interested in joining us.  Discussion will start in about a week so that everyone has a chance to get their books.

Thanks,
Sperran

Added by Randall: Here's a link to the book on Amazon: The Twelve Wild Swans: A Journey to the Realm of Magic, Healing, and Action

Squeeee!!!!!!! Count me in!

I was working through the book in a little German online group for over a year, but the group has become inactive.

[Fier]

I was working through the book in a little German online group for over a year, but the group has become inactive.

Ooo...someone with experience.

How long did the group work on each chapter?
Which path(s) were you working on?
Are you going to start over from the beginning or pick up where you left off?


Does anyone else know which path they will be working on? I think I'm going to do the Elements Path. I would do the Inner Path but I think I need to learn the tools in the Elements Path first.

[Sperran]

Squeeee!!!!!!! Count me in!

I was working through the book in a little German online group for over a year, but the group has become inactive.

 
Wonderful!  Please let us know what things seemed to work and not work about the project.

[Vaalea]

Relevant book is here.

Thank you very much, Chabas, for being so kind to me and finding links I appreciate it.

[Tana]

Sounds like a good plan to me as it is.
But that means, I need to start reading the book.

Alrighty, in my part of the world it's already Sunday and I am up.
I've read through the introduction, the story (I have it slightly different in mind, it's definitely not the original version of the fairy tale, but a tweaked one, to serve the purpose of the book better) and the first chapter.

I am focusing on the Outer Path. (Anybody else?)
Not that I am already really ready to start a group or do some kind of activist work, but I am ready to think about it now in a more serious manner.

Short note: I have the German edition of the book. So when I refer to anything in it, I have to re-translate it. I don't mind, if someone corrects me, if things are called different in the English edition.

[Sperran]

Alrighty, in my part of the world it's already Sunday and I am up.
I've read through the introduction, the story (I have it slightly different in mind, it's definitely not the original version of the fairy tale, but a tweaked one, to serve the purpose of the book better) and the first chapter.

I am focusing on the Outer Path. (Anybody else?)
Not that I am already really ready to start a group or do some kind of activist work, but I am ready to think about it now in a more serious manner.

 
I will be focusing on the inner path.  I will engage in the outer path, but as an extension of my inner path work rather than as a separate thing.  I guess that this is a good place to start with everyone.  Which path (s) from the work are you interested in focusing on, and why?

[Waldhexe]

First...I'm a bit confused. Do you all want to work through the book as really doing the exercises and rituals or do you want to use the content as a jump-off-point for discussion?

I'm asking because the book offers a lot of personality development and inner work, which might work better in a private group where people are able to built some trust and talk about how they react to the exercises and story material in a closed environment. Talks might come up about how the story parts and exercises make sense to people in relation to their biographies, how they interpret them personally, how the content connects them to their magical work, how some parts maybe hurt some wounds etc...

More a discussion-focus without much personal emotional involvement would be a very different thing. (And I have no idea how to pursue this, because for me it seems to go against the nature of this book - but I'm not saying it can't be done and would be happy to participate!)

How long did the group work on each chapter?

Initially we planned to do one chapter (on each path) in one month so we would need 7 months for one path. We picked the new moon to begin a new chapter because it seemed more witchy.
But...we realized in the process that it would be better to take individual paces because people needed different time frames for the stuff to sink in. Sometimes people felt the urge to go back to a past chapter or to jump over some exercise (sometimes coming back to them later, sometimes just deciding that those exercises don't interest them). People also changed some of the exercises and got creative.

I liked the way we were respecting everyone's own pace and working methods, because I found that this allowed people to really deeply absorb some stuff they wouldn't have when a pace would have been rigidly scheduled and everything would have been done rigidly by the book.

We had an own subforum for the work broken down into the chapters and people would just post threads on whichever part of the chapter they wanted to talk about or about associated subjects which would arrive when working with the chapters.

So the group differentiated somewhat, different people were simultaneously working on different chapters and paths, but there was still plenty of room for discussion because even if you are not at the same exercise you can discuss some stuff about it. Many of the exercises inspired general discussions about certain aspects of magical practice or personal development, so basicly you can talk to people about associated stuff who haven't done the same exercise yet or who have done it 3 months ago.

Additionally every participant had his/her own thread which was like a blog where people could document their own journey through the paths and also talk about stuff that didn't fit into the general discussions. This had the advantage that people had "their own place" to talk about the more personal stuff. I also found it very helpful to review my journey because some stuff overlaps (naturally because all three paths go through related topics in the 7 chapters, so if you're at say inner path chapter 3, it would be interesting to see what you wrote when you were at elements path, chapter 3.)

Which path(s) were you working on?

We started together at the elements path, some people started the inner path while others were still at the elements path. We also got some new people while some were already working on the inner path and the new people decided to start at the elements path. It was really interested to have people posting on the same chapter, but in different paths, for me it made some sort of connection. Some people also left so there was some fluctuation as in every online-group. A few people started the outer path and finished it. Since that the group has been inactive, but it was always a very little group in a little forum, so I was surprised that it was as active as it was in its best times.

Are you going to start over from the beginning or pick up where you left off?

I was working with the elements and the inner path. I don't feel ready for the outer path yet, but I'd like to do some of the elements and inner path stuff again and I'd also be happy to talk about some outer path stuff or try a few of it out later.


Sorry for detailing so much. I'm really not expecting this new group to be anything like my old group and looking forward to new experiences! I'm sure both groups will be somewhat different (different people and this group is initially much bigger - I think), so please take anything I've said with a grain of salt. If I learned anything from this book it is that magic is always a new creation and everytime something different can happen to relate to the needs of the current situation and the people working with it!

[Fier]

Which path (s) from the work are you interested in focusing on, and why?

I will be focusing on the elements path. I am not very good at meditation or trance work, so I would like to hone those skills before trying the inner path.