The Depth Charge: Recent Episodes
Julian D. Michels, Depth Psychologist
Welcome to the thought laboratory of Julian D. Michels, PhD.
Here we weave through stories, myths, dreams, rituals, magic, and imagination.
Today's episode is all about the ancient (I'm talking pre-Olympian) Greek Goddesses of the flowering earth. There tends to be a lot of energy around the question of young men's initiations - but this particular story is all about a young woman's initiation. This also happens to be Part 1 of what is looking like a 3-episode miniseries retelling the ancient Myth of Zagreus, which was considered the holiest of stories by the Orphic mystics, who were a kind of yogi-practitioner-shaman community of Ancient Greece. The Orphics believed that this Tale of Zagreus, taken in full, held the keys to understanding both humanity's ugliness and the seeds of awakening and liberation found in each of us.
In this 2-part inaugural episode, JDM tackles the subject of the Winter Holidays and how they have evolved in a changing world. Through the lens of these ancient traditions, tune in for a journey into the relationship between imagination and reality. This is Side B of “Is Santa Claus Real: A Psychohistory of Christmas.”