Well, I woke up again today at an ungodly hour and decided to give it a read. Haven't gotten that far into it because I've been a little preoccupied lately but something I read this morning struck my fancy.

So I'd thought I'd share. Since who else can I really talk about this stuff with anyway?

So the book is aptly called "The Power of Myth" and is about (surprise) ... the power of myths.

In it, Mr. Campbell elucidates the necessity of myth in a culture. I remember someone left a note for me awhile back (sorry, I can't remember who ... I'm so horrible with names) ... but they said that they were reading either this book or a book of Joseph Campbell's and all he did was talk about religion. He brought everything back to religion.

At the time, I didn't understand why he did that ... but now I think I do.

What he explains in this book is that he believe that myths are metaphors for how we should live our lives. Think about it. It's true. Greek myths, fables, parables ... even mythical figures ... all represent something we need to aspire too. The tale of Icarus who was told not to fly too close to the sun lest his wings melt ... did so anyway and fell to his death. There's a lesson in there. 1) don't make wings held together by beeswax but, more importantly; 2) listen to what your parents tell you. Otherwise it could prove disastrous.

All our fairytales: Snow White, Little Red Riding Hood, Three Little Pigs ... they all have a message in them. Good always wins. Do the right thing and eventually you'll prevail.

And religion ... well, that's our biggest myth. I don't mean "myth" in a derogatory way - to mean that it's fanciful but not true - I mean "myth" as far as stories about the wisdom of life. It gives us ritual and order. It provides our moral backbone.

Now, I want to be clear, when I say "religion" I mean all kinds of religion ... everything from tribal totem poles in Africa to catholic cathedrals in New Jersey. I'm speaking about religion in the broadest sense - as in the myths that we live our lives by.

So now I understand why he brought everything back to religion. Being an expert in myth, he is an expert in gods. God - whether you call it that or Yawheh or Buddha or Allah or Gaia or Ra etc - all represent the same thing. They are all filled with rituals and rites. Ceremonies and initiations. Religion is something to build your life upon. More than that, it teaches you about your own life.

I think he explains it better than me when he says: " ...My notion of the real horror of today is what you see in Beirut. There you have three great Western religions, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam - and because the three of them have three different names for the same biblical god, they can't get on together. They are stuck with their metaphor but don't realize it's reference. They haven't allowed the circle that surronds them to open. It is a closed circle. Each group says, 'We are the chosen group, and we have God.' "

So, I think that's why he talks about religion alot. One really can't avoid it if your expertise is mythology. However, he states that mythology is everywhere .. not just in religion. For instance, marriage represents a mythological rite. Going from an unmarried state to a married one ... it's a spiritual exercise wherein two become one.

But, he says, the problem with today - why we have so much turmoil - is because we've lost our mythology. I don't mean religion ... I mean mythology as a whole. That which binds us together. We're a society without rituals. We don't feel like we're members of the tribe, of the community. For example, you can stand up in front of judge in America and in ten minutes get married. What's the ritual in that? Where's the spirituality in that?

"In India, the marriage ceremony takes three days. That couple is glued."

So, he says, without myth ...we make it up. Create our own mythology. Children, in the absence of rituals to make them part of a group, created their own rituals. Create their own groups. Graffiti, gangs ... kids create their own societies that have their own initiations and their own morality because they have not been initiated into ours.

I'm not saying I necessarily agree with him ... and I'm not too far in the book so I can't get his complete picture ... but he makes some interesting points.

And I'm always up for an interesting point or two.

But I like the way he thinks. And that he makes me think too.

I don't think I've explained Campbell well. For some reason today, I can't find the words, you know. My braincells decided to sleep in, I guess.

While writing this entry, I've been eating a jar of peanut butter mixed with strawberry jelly.

We seriously need to go grocery shopping.

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