Cosmic Creativity, 2012, acrylic on linen, 30 x 40 in.
"Creative
artists are mankind's wakeners to recollection: summoners of our
outward mind to conscious contact with our inner selves, not as
participants in this or that morsel of history, but as spirit, in the
consciousness of being. Their task, therefore, is to communicate
directly from one inward world to another, in such a way that an actual
shock of experience will have been rendered: not a mere statement for
the information or persuasion of a brain, but an effective communication
across the void of space and time from one center of consciousness to
another. ...
The mythogenetic zone today is the individual in contact
with his or her own interior life communicating through their art with
those 'out there.' " -- Joseph Campbell,
Creative Mythology
Any artist in touch with the imaginal realms has stepped into what Campbell calls the mythogenetic zone. So,
it's a legitimate question to ask, "What mythology are our artworks
communicating?" The mythology that CoSM is promoting is that we are on
the cusp of the emergence of a planetary civilization and that
world-wide there is a Love Tribe who recognizes that the human
relationship with nature is sacred and needs healing. Art can evolve our
consciousness through the contemplative reception of a new map of
awareness. Through art, we can upgrade our mythic psychic program. It's
crucial -- if we think the earth is crashing and that there is no hope,
that is a mythology of doom. If we believe that humanity is entering a
consciousness phase shift toward recognition of our common unity, this
is a mythology of transformation. Here's another myth: God is the divine
artist and the cosmos is the evolving masterwork of creation. We are
here to appreciate and co-manifest the holy unfolding aesthetic
spectacle.
Join us on Saturday
for the pre-Full Moon Experiential Workshop on the Mythic Imagination
with two of our dearest friends, Stephen and Robin Larsen, PhDs, experts
on archetypal and transpersonal psychology and it's relationship to our
own personal journey. Bring journaling and sketching materials. This is
what will happen:
Using a
thousand-year-old Welsh story, Taliesin, the tale of the wizard and
bard, the Larsen's will lead us through an archetypal story of
initiation and transformation. Ultimately, we'll be invited to find the
seeds of our own hero's journey in the bard’s tale of becoming. The
Larsen's propose that we will all leave with a magical tidbit
of inspiration for some life choice or creative project of our own.
Stephen Larsen, PhD and
Robin Larsen, PhD were
biographers and long-time friends of the renowned mythologist, Joseph
Campbell. From Campbell they learned to discern the profundity of myth,
and how deeply it permeates our lives and culture. Stephen is a
respected psychotherapist, professor and author of
The Shaman’s Doorway,
The Mythic Imagination, and
about forty other volumes. Stephen directs a clinical center dedicated
to helping people with neurological dysfunction and brain injury (
stonemountaincenter.com). Stephen contributed an essay to Alex's book
Transfigurations.
Robin earned a doctorate degree in art history, has exhibited her
brilliant visionary art for decades and co-authored six books with her
partner Stephen, one with Joseph Campbell. Together the Larsen's
authored numerous books on the art of relationships including
The Fashioning of Angels, in
which one chapter focuses on the relationship of Alex & Allyson.
Stephen and Robin are co-founders of The Center for Symbolic Studies (
symbolicstudies.org) in Rosendale, New York.
After the experiential
workshop, participants are invited to join Alex, Allyson, Steve and
Robin in the CoSM Dining Hall for a delicious, healthy dinner created by
staff and volunteers.
Dinner guests adjourn to the library where all are welcome to convene for the Full Moon Ceremony beginning at 7:30pm.
For those of you who
may still be wondering what happens at a CoSM Full Moon ceremony, we
lovingly call it a spiritual variety show. Talented members of the
community offer inspiring music, poetry, dance, wisdom and
"experientials." Look forward to Dr. John Dubberstein, master sitarist,
Evan Pritchard, scholar and native of the Hudson Valley, the Bridge
brothers, inspiration from Alex and Allyson and more.
Following the ceremony
will be tribal ecstatic trance rhythms provided by Kidimandi an
amorphous group of musicians who have been playing together for over
fifteen years.
Featured are: Donovan Arthen, Carl Bridge, Martin
Bridge, Mark Girard, Jeanette Ladores, Gabriel Mesutti, Aidan Talbot
Giovanna Vechitto and friends.
Come for the entire journey or join us for the Full Moon ceremony.
So many artists and
musicians and Love Tribers extraordinaire are meeting in Costa Rica for
the Envision Festival, it blows our mind. We'll live paint, lead the
Body & Soul Drawing Ritual, meet and greet. If it's possible to be
there, we say, "Go. Do."
Paradise Resort Artists
Retreat is coming up. Now, there's an opportunity to be with some
awesome artists. We're taking private meetings with individual artists
there to discuss their work and their creative life. What fun!
For the third year, Alex Grey appeared on the Watkins
Review list of 100 Most Spiritually Influential Living People, moving
from #20 in 2012 to #12 in 2013. Check out the amazing list:
Love,
Alex and Allyson
Our friend Roland Griffiths from the Johns Hopkins University Psilocybin Research Team has a question for you:
Have you had a Challenging Magic Mushroom Journey?
The Psilocybin Research Team at Johns Hopkins needs your help.
We’re conducting an anonymous, web-based study to
characterize difficult or challenging experiences that people sometimes
have on psilocybin mushrooms (i.e. "bad trips," whether the person later
regards them negatively or positively).
If you’ve ever had such an experience, we’d greatly
appreciate it if you would take our survey. Importantly, if you know of
others who’ve ever had a 'bad' psilocybin experience, please send them
the link and encourage them to participate. This includes people who had
a difficult experience long ago.
As you may know, our team has conducted survey and
laboratory studies characterizing positive experiences with psilocybin.
You can see our body of work here: csp.org/psilocybin. This new survey is an important extension of our research with this fascinating substance. Here it is. Please share. www.shroomsurvey.com
We deeply appreciate your help. Thank you.
Roland Griffiths, Ph.D.
Principal Investigator
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
IRB approved application NA00080653
Alex & Allyson creating art at the monthly Art Church drawing meditation.
