Story Telling

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THE ART OF TELLING OUR STORY
Facilitator : Meath Conlan, PhD

A. TELLING STORIES INTER-CULTURALLY

Narratives are an essential component of any culture. Narratives are either an oral tradition, or represented through visual forms, such as mandalas, or stained glass windows, cave paintings, etc. In a child’s first creative expressions, image and narrative are closely intertwined. Images give rise to stories, and narrative texts are “illuminated” by images. Stories are not only written down, but are also in the constant process of being re-told. The re-telling of a narrative is part of the effort to contextualize it—to make it ‘present’, and ‘relevant’ in a given lived situation. Then are stories become meaningful, if they can shed light on life. In the workshop with this theme, participants will have the opportunity to tell stories that are meaningful for them personally, and then the group will reflect on how these stories are important for an understanding of our present lived reality. We not only tell stories, but we listen to them, and stories have something to tell us, about what is important in our lives.

B. STORY GATHERING: Myth, Symbols and their Spiritual Significance

Myths and symbols are doorways into a subconscious world. They connect us to what Carl Jung termed the “Collective Unconscious”. Myths and symbols are part of our (and others’) cultural tradition—they comprise a cultural language. Myths and symbols cannot be explained in a logical or discursive, rational way. But still they provide a body of visible forms that are profoundly meaningful. In the workshop with this theme participants will be exploring the spiritual significance of myths and symbols, and what has been called the “mytho-poetic world” of religious metaphor. We will be looking at the way these myths and symbols underlie the ritual or liturgical life of a community. We will look at their connection to festivals, and the cycle of the seasons.

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C. CRAFTING STORIES

What is the story teller’s secret in drawing his listeners into a tale?  What is this enchantment and how does it happen?

Sacred storytelling is like this.  But what is the exact nature of this craft? It is to engage in artistic tinkering, to create a harmonious whole out of seemingly random bits and pieces.

We seem to prefer presenting our messages in highly structured, systematic ways.  When thinking about belief, worship, and morality in systematic ways it is hard to communicate these abstractions to a wide audience.  This is where the craft of storytelling brings a sense of correction and balance.

It is the sacred storyteller who weaves a narrative that ties together ideas and abstractions through a web of images and emotions that have to do with the everyday life experiences of men and women who are their listeners.

In a weekend or longer ‘course’ of sacred story-telling, attendees will typically expect to follow a creative path that may include the following aspects:

Session 1

Introduction and storytelling with a “Creation Story”

Session 2

The depth dimension of storytelling and myth-making. Tales of Crossing the Threshold and Making a Journey.

Session 3

The telling and listening process. Myths and stories of Conflict, Acceptance, and Reconciliation.

Session 4

The disguises and masks of storytelling. Tales of discovery of the true self.

Session 5

The myths of life and death. Mythic tales of the Journey to the Underworld and the return to the World of the Living

Session 6

Light and Darkness in myth-making. Stories of the heavenly light and the inner light

Session 7

Story-telling and story-listening as artistic technique and spiritual discipline. Tales of the master storytellers themselves.

Session 8

Female and Male characters in the realm of myth. Tales of the quest for self and other in masculine and feminine archetypes.

Session 9

“Deep” folk-spirituality of storytelling and its relationship to the “high” philosophic spirituality of the world’s great religions

Session 10

Living with stories in daily life, and nurturing the teller and the listener within yourself

Format

Each session is an integrated process of storytelling, reflection, discussion, and integration for the participants. There is time between sessions for enjoying the venue environment. Meals are shared together.

To discuss organising a workshop or retreat in your area or at your venue, please contact: meath@diversejourneys.com