Taking the Hero's Journey by Ramona Leiter

Kudos to Mona Leiter on her November 12, 2019 Owl & Ibis - A Confluence of Minds presentation, "Taking the Hero's Journey."

Mona's take on myths and myth-making based on Joseph Campbell's work, as templates for molding persons and as entertainment, was truly exceptional.

For those who missed it please find a PDF copy of her slideshow here, and a PDF resource file of the videos she showed at the meeting and other references here.

Again, great job!

}:> ~:)

End of Owl & Ibis Meetings

retreat: a period of time when somebody stops their usual activities and goes to a quiet place for meditation and thought.

Friends,

Beginning December 1, 2019, Owl & Ibis - A Confluence of Mind will stop holding in-person meetings. 

I need a break along the lines of the definition of a ‘retreat’ given above.

I have been allowed my full say at O&I, at other local freethinker meetings, and on my websites on a wide range of matters. I have also learned a lot from each of you. For all this I am grateful. 

The matters on which I’ve expressed my views include many of what I think are the most important issues in anthropology, the other social sciences, the natural sciences, the humanities, religion, and in current US and world affairs. Regrettably, many of these issues give me grave concern about the future of Humankind and Earth. 

It is time for me to critically examine my views on these matters and others, and change my thinking and behavior as needed.

Natural and Theological Virtues

“Hope as a Natural Virtue”

Peter J. Leithart

First Things

November 22, 2019

“Dante’s Commedia draws on the tradition of the seven virtues, four ‘natural’ (justice, prudence, temperance, fortitude) and three ‘theological’ (faith, hope, and love). ... Exceptional pagans can achieve natural virtue, but, with very few exceptions, the habits of faith, hope, and love are beyond their capacity.”

Above is a link to a short essay you might find as interesting as I do.

It addresses an existential dilemma others with far greater minds than mine were in, yet found a way out. See for example, Kierkegaard and C.S. Lewis. I am currently in a similar if not the same dilemma.

The four ‘natural virtues’ given in this essay are also those of Stoicism - courage, justice, temperance, and wisdom. I certainly cannot claim mastery of any or all of them. Besides, to do so would make me a saint and a sage. Either is a very rare achievement.

I do not sniff at or take sagacity or beatification and canonization lightly. However, either might well be an undesirable achievement, for would it not make one boring, predictable, and lazy from having no inner personal challenges left to face? Then again, sages and saints by definition must know how to deal with such pedestrian problems. Besides, sagacity and canonization should be honors conferred upon one by others, rather than pursued as personal achievements. All that said, I have made some progress in my pursuit of the natural virtues over the past few years through Stoic study and practice. Progress, not sage- or sainthood, is all I have sought and seek.

Still, I have not found the happiness or contentment I wrongly hoped the study and practice of Stoicism would bring me. I say ‘wrongly’ because Stoicism does not promise happiness or contentment. It simply suggests a method to respond personally, and optimally, to the vagaries of life as they arise. Stoicism does not offer, say, the relief and contentment Kierkegaard and Lewis found in the three ‘theological’ virtues of faith, hope, and love.