Humans have long been captivated by the forest and its creatures – both living and mythic. What is it about forests that captures our imagination and what can forests teach us about our own nature and place in the world? Where does the wild truly exist? In this presentation, we journey deep into the archetypal forest and explore themes of descent, darkness, and renewal. Our inquiry brings us into contact with the witch and Pan – two elusive creatures who reside beyond the reaches of ordinary life and civilization. Through engaging these chthonic figures, we deepen our understanding of our inner wilderness, our relationship to the natural world, and the primeval need for enchantment as a resource for individuation and collective survival.
Ryan Maher is a licensed psychotherapist in private practice near Seattle, where he works with individuals and couples navigating personal and relational conflicts, experiences of loss, and feelings of meaninglessness. Ryan practices from a depth psychology and relational perspective and his clinical focus includes complex trauma, depression, and anxiety. He is a graduate of The Chicago School of Professional Psychology and the Jungian Psychotherapy Program at the C.G. Jung Institute of Chicago. As a certified yoga teacher and hypnotherapist, Ryan has over 20 years of experience working with the mind-body/psyche-soma relationship. Ryan is a member of the American Counseling Association, the National Board of Certified Counselors, and The Breathe Network. He is also an affiliate member of the C.G. Jung Institute of Chicago and regularly presents at the C.G. Jung Center in Evanston, IL. For more information about Ryan, please visit: www.theinnerworldtherapy.com.
PANELIST
Dennis Patrick Slattery, Ph.D. is a Distinguished Emeritus Professor in the Mythological Studies Program At Pacifica Graduate Institute. He has authored, coauthored, edited or coedited 33 volumes of poetry, non fiction and fiction. His most recent titles include The Way of Myth: Stories' Subtle Wisdom and The Fiction in Our Convictions. His web site, dennispatrickslattery.com contains a series of blogs, paintings, adventure invitations and online courses.
HOST
Dana White, Ph.D. a contributing faculty member to Pacifica's myth degrees and author of numerous volumes on mythology. Over the course of his career, Dana has worked in radio and industrial television, as a vice president of marketing for Merrill Lynch, and as an academic department chair at an art college. He edits and designs books, produces films and motion media for universities, corporations and non-profits, and is a professional photographer with more than 40 books to his credit.He currently produces and hosts the Myth Salon, a venture he co-founded in 2016 with Dr. Will Linn,
MODERATOR
Will Linn, PhD, Will is a Creative Mythologist. For three seasons and thirty episodes, he anchored the Sky, ZDF and History Channel TV show, Myths: The Greatest Mysteries of Humanity as one of the two recurring “meta experts.” He is the founder of mythouse.org and Head Mythologist for Fascinated by Everything—a visionary experience company that creates narrative art in next-generation mediums. Will served as a leader for the Joseph Campbell Foundation over an eight year period and was the founding chair of an innovative film and performing arts college called Relativity School in Los Angeles Center Studios. From 2015-2023, he taught myth, anthropology, writing, story and philosophy at the college while leading high school, graduate and professional coursework in the United States and Europe. His media and conference appearances, publications and roundtables have been focused on the poesis of nature and technology, meta-narratives of transformation, historical arcs in the mythic imagination and the archetypal revolution of meteor-steel.
MYTH SALON
The Myth Salon is all about cultivating community – bringing people and ideas into a delicious convergence every month to explore ideas of substance. Dr. Will Linn and Dr. Dana C White, the indefatigable moderators of our Myth Salon, congregate the mythological community to explore upon this rich and fertile path, and increase the amperage of myth and substance wherever we are. When we nurture and sustain our community relations and involvement, we all benefit! The full playlist of Myth Salons since the Spring of 2020 can be found Here.
MYTHOUSE INVITATIONS
Mythouse.org - Mythic Calendar: The Mythic Calendar integrates the world’s major holidays into a single calendar of media and information rich portals that explore the mythic dimensions of each holiday, sign of the zodiac, flower of the month, birth stone and celestial event. Check in with the mythic calendar each month and with every holiday to stay engaged with mythic time.
Mythology Channel: Explore ten years of mythic radio series, round tables, myth salons and special events in the Mythology Channel’s content library.