reMyth, Cosmology and the Sacred

What are we doing?

Angela Voss, Louise Livingstone and Mary Attwood are seeking to raise £2,000 to enable technical set-up, content management, editing and design for a new web platform to continue the work of Myth, Cosmology and the Sacred which has been established as MA and PhD programmes in Canterbury since 2006 and is coming to an end in 2021.

Our vision is to create a new independent centre to continue the work of this unique and ground-breaking initiative in transformative learning which combines creative expression, personal reflection and critical edge in the study of the sacred. Our areas of interest include myth, divination, Renaissance art and music, esoteric philosophy and symbolic cosmology, ancient mysteries, paranormal and spiritual experience, transpersonal psychology, consciousness studies and holistic science. Our new online platform will offer a wealth of material, including an archive of academic material (sample lectures and seminars, student research and creativity, papers and dissertations), new online courses (as yet unaccredited), podcasts, videos, interviews, artwork, discussion forums, webinars, publications and much more, including events and meetings in 'real spaces' when permitted. We want to create an opportunity for community ventures and individual offerings, blogs, journals, poetry and newsletters, as well as research projects and funding initiatives. In short, we are establishing a 'mystery school' for our challenging times, to engage all levels of body, mind and spirit, from dance, pilgrimage, body-work and ritual to scholarship, critical debate and public engagement.

Why are we doing this?

We believe that as we move into the future, it is becoming ever more vital to preserve an integrative, soul-based approach to learning about our deep selves, our relationship to nature, the cosmos and the 'bigger picture' of our spiritual identity. In our view, sustainability is not just about creating a new vision for environmental concerns and the health of our planet, but must include a new vision for cognitive health through revisioning educational principles to include the full spectrum of human ways of knowing. This includes the intuitive, the enchanted, the magical, the mysterious and the ineffable as well as the empirical—insights evoked by dream, by myth, by symbol, by altered states of consciousness, by creative imagination and spiritual vision. Most importantly, we promote a conscious reflexivity, and what Jeffrey Kripal calls "the prophetic function of the humanities" - to dare to move into uncharted territories of questioning and exploration of our own personal and cultural assumptions about the nature of reality and knowledge, and create new paradigms. As Kripal observes,

Who are we?

ANGELA VOSS: I have been involved in devising and teaching Masters programmes in Myth, Cosmology and the Sacred in Canterbury UK for the last fifteen years, along with some wonderful colleagues. My passion for Renaissance music and culture led me to delve into the magical world of the fifteenth century magus Marsilio Ficino, and from there to the Western esoteric traditions and the power of the symbolic to awaken the human soul. I have written extensively on Ficino’s astrological music, on astrology and divination, Neoplatonism and magic, and more recently, on transformative learning. I have always felt a need to be a bridge builder, bringing imagination, creativity and reflexive writing into academic research, treading the narrow path between outsider and insider. I suppose I would call myself a ‘gnostic researcher’ in Jeff Kripal’s terms, in that I see no contradiction between spiritual insight and scholarly rigour, for both inform each other. Our programmes have inspired over 100 students, allowing them to bring inner experience and practices of imaginal, spiritual and sacred work into an academic context. I also practice as an astrologer and tarot reader.

LOUISE LIVINGSTONE: I taught on the MA Myth, Cosmology and the Sacred, and recently completed a PhD at Canterbury Christ Church University on 'How can the thought of the heart engage effective ways for engaging with conflict?', drawing on the discourses of transformational learning, depth psychology, holistic science, esoteric wisdom and religious philosophy. I am the founder of the Heart Sense Research Institute and I am working to bring the voice of the heart and heart knowledge into conversation at the socio-political level.

MARY ATTWOOD: I hold an MA with distinction in Myth, Cosmology and the Sacred, and my thesis, 'Rebirthing a Lost Vision of Renaissance Art', researched quattrocento Florentine Renaissance art from a broad context of ancient Greek philosophy, the neuroscientific approach of Dr Iain McGilchrist’s groundbreaking research on the different modes of attention of left and right hemispheres of the brain, archetypal psychology and Renaissance artistic approaches. I was the founding Chairman of the Victoria branch of The Arts Society, London (a membership charity dedicated to enriching lives through the arts), and I am a qualified teacher in lifelong learning, yoga, meditation and mindfulness. I re-vision art from a broad inclusive perspective of metaphor and meaning, myth and imagination, intellect and history.

(image courtesy of www.waterhorseartistry.co.uk)

The possibilities for our new venture are endless, but we do need funds to get going. Please support us so that we may continue to inspire others, at a time when spiritual impoverishment and lack of imagination undermine the wellbeing and nourishment of the soul of both humans and the world. No amount is too small (or too large!!)

When we have reached our £2,000 target, there will be a prize draw for all donors with the following prizes for three lucky winners:

1. An astrological and/or tarot reading from Angela. In these times of social and financial uncertainty, it is more important than ever to seek guidance about our own unique path of good fortune and how to follow it. Astrology and tarot are methods of divination which open doors to hidden parts of ourselves, allowing us to explore our life in a way which frees us from false judgments or negativity, allowing new approaches to difficult situations and insights about their meaning. Divination unlocks your creative potential and may transform your life!

2. An introduction to Louise's pioneering 'heart sense process'; a proven method that enables anyone to access the wisdom latent in their own heart. This process helps develop the ability to listen to, and trust, the heart's voice - a skill which is particularly useful for engaging wisely with everyday life.

3. A London gallery or museum tour with Mary. Mary's tours bridge historical fact, personal perceptions and responses along with understanding art from a broader context of consciousness, myth and experiencing.