The 2022 Mythologium will be held July 29-31, 2022, and the theme will be Myth and Ecological Consciousness.
Myth and Ecological Consciousness
Ecological consciousness involves an awareness of the intricate relationships among beings in an ecosystem: animals (including people), plants, places, and things. These connections allow ecosystems to flourish. Becoming aware of those connections brings us closer to awareness of what the Buddhist leader Thich Nhat Hanh calls our “interbeing.” But all too often, we experience what seems like the opposite: an over-focus on individualism and separation, an instinct to harm or be harmed, a fevered hunger for more-more-more.
How does mythology comment on ecological consciousness? What myths, images, and archetypes foster or subvert eco-consciousness? As mythologists, how can we think and work more ecologically? How can mythic eco-consciousness help us strengthen connections between each other and between groups? What does myth suggest about the balance between eco-consciousness and individual needs, desires, and agency?
Areas of focus
We are especially interested in presentations that center the following areas of focus:
- Colonialism and decolonization - LGBTQIA voices and issues - BIPOC voices and issues - Climate change - Social justice - Technology - Feminism - Gender - Politics - Media