Jennifer’s talk is called “Mythic Places of Greece Speak of our Ecological Ills”
The ancient Greeks recognized the deep connection between myth and place. The sacred places of myth were often the locations of rituals to honor the gods and goddesses. Perhaps there is something about these places that, even in modern times, holds the archetypal energies of the deities who were worshipped there.
Engaging the mythic places that hold archetypal energies around ecological consciousness through a terrapsychological lens (Chalquist, 2007) may provide insight into modern-day ecological and psychological ills. Terrapsychology explores how our outer landscapes reflect our inner landscapes, and vice-versa. We can access a place’s wisdom by listening empathetically to it through its symbols and images.
Engaging with mythic places may reveal the “health” of the archetypal energies of the gods and goddesses who were once worshipped there. For instance, Eleusis, once the place of the sacred mysteries of Demeter, the goddess of the harvest, is now a major industrial area with severe environmental issues. The River Ilissos in Athens, once the river of the gods, has been cemented over. These sacred places may provide wisdom about our ecological crisis and consciousness if we pay attention.
Work Cited
Chalquist, C. (2007). Terrapsychology: Reengaging the soul of place. New Orleans, LA: Spring Journal Books.
About Jennifer
Jen Degnan Smith has a Ph.D. in Jungian and Archetypal Psychology. She explores sociocultural issues, particularly healing and empowering the feminine within individuals and the collective. Her 20-year career in organizational consulting and university teaching spans the United States and Europe. She spent eight years traveling extensively to Greece exploring ancient myth and the modern economic crisis.
To hear Jennifer’s talk and many others, join us at the Mythologium!
The Mythologium is a conference and retreat for mythologists and friends of myth, held July 29 – 31 via Zoom in the Pacific time zone.