Tag Archives: Christ

My New Mythology Article Just Published

The Westar Institute just published my newest article in the November-December issue of its journal, The Fourth R, pp. 3-7, 24 (se link to it below). It is entitled “Christmas, Easter, Myth, and Depth Psychology.” Based on the Easter and … Continue reading

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My Video Interview on the Mythology of Wine Just Posted

Recently Wes Hagen, a prominent Santa Barbara County winemaker and wine raconteur, interviewed me on his weekly video broadcast, The Punchdown. We discussed the mythology of wine, the subject of my new book, The Mythology of Wine, while sipping each … Continue reading

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The Mythology of Wine – A First Sip

Now that I’m living in California wine country, farming my own grapevines, and making my own wine, I’ve taken a special interest in the mythology associated with vineyards, wine, and wine deities. It is fascinating material that deserves to become … Continue reading

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Gnosticism and Modern Spirituality: A Mythological and Depth Psychological Approach

Gnosticism has enjoyed a certain romantic vogue in our culture as a road to spirituality ever since the publication of the Nag Hammadi codices, and even more so since the publication of Carl Jung’s Red Book, which includes his “Seven … Continue reading

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May Day Myth and Ritual: The Virgin Mary as the May Queen

Since May 1 lies about halfway between the vernal equinox and the summer solstice, our ancestors considered it a good time to mark the transition into summer. Indeed, in most of medieval northern Europe, which observed the Celtic calendar, May … Continue reading

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Christ’s Resurrection and our Redemption: A Mytho-Psychological View of Easter

In the last of my Easter posts from last year about the mythological aspects of the holiday, I focused on the meaning of Christ’s resurrection in mytho-psychological terms and what this means for our own spirituality, concluding that our resurrection … Continue reading

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Christmas Mythology V: Luke’s Christmas Story

Yesterday’s post covered the mythological elements of the Christmas story unique to Matthew, so today I’m doing the same for Luke. The Story of the Shepherds and Jesus in the Manger In Luke’s story the adoration scene features shepherds rather … Continue reading

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Christmas Mythology IV: Matthew’s Christmas Story

Matthew 2’s Christmas story, no part of which is found elsewhere in the New Testament, contains some of our most dramatic and enduring Christmas images: the magi following a moving star to visit and venerate the young child and future king … Continue reading

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Christmas Mythology III: Jesus and the “Birth of the Hero” Mythological Motif

Myths and legends feature countless hero figures, and even real history features many people whose lives have been mythologized, being elevated into larger-than-life figures. Scholars have long recognized that Jesus as portrayed in the New Testament and its apocrypha is … Continue reading

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Christmas Mythology II: What is History and What is Myth in the Nativity Stories?

This post is the first of several leading up to this Christmas dealing with the mythology lurking behind our Christmas stories, rituals, and holiday celebrations, starting with the stories of Jesus’s birth and leading up to our modern day. It … Continue reading

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