PUSHING THE BOUNDARY OF THE GOD-IMAGE:
using Myth, Dream and SoulCollage®
Facilitated by: Rev. Dr. Sushmita Mukherjee and Rev. Darby Christopher
Available by: Watch Online Recordings
Price: General Public: $ 200.00 | One Spirit Graduates and Students: $ 180.00
Elective Credits: 2
Who or what is “God” for you? A male or female personality, an animal, a tree, a constellation, an unnamable animating force, cosmic intelligence, great mystery, or your own essential nature? Toward the end of his life, Carl Jung said, “To this day God is the name by which I designate all things which cross my willful path violently and recklessly...” Can “God” be something that feels scary, intrusive, or even repulsive?
When we allow a wide array of images present in myth, dreams, poetry, art, and imagination to represent the divine, we find that the full range of our experience is also welcomed. In addition, the poetic, multi-layered nature of an image, coming from a deep, archaic layer of our psyche, opens us up to curiosity and wonder.
Inspired by world mythology, our night-time dreams, and the creative modality of SoulCollage®*, this workshop will provide a space for images to come forward. We will hold them with deep reverence as we listen to their wisdom, both individually, and as a community. Of note, this kind of connection in the imaginal realm provides a glue that can link us together even over a medium such as zoom.
During this weekend, participants will:
Experience the power of world myths, dreams, and creativity to connect us to the divine
Learn to trust the wisdom of the image that spontaneously presents itself
Learn methods to engage with images, such as mythology, dreamwork, and SoulCollage®
Appreciate the energy constellated within a community when images are encountered as living entities
Lean into our own edge of what feels familiar and what feels “other” when we think of the word “God”
Learn from others’ experiences of the divine as we share in community
*A materials list for the SoulCollage® experience will be provided before the workshop.
FACULTY:
Rev. Dr. Sushmita Mukherjee
Rev. Dr. Sushmita Mukherjee’s life and career straddles cutting edge biomedical research technology, and a spirituality that cannot be easily categorized. Both in scientific and spiritual realms, her work lives at the interface of image, imagination and creativity. As a scientist, Sushmita works as an Associate Professor of Research, and a Co-Director of the Microscopy and Image Analysis Core Facility, at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City. Her spiritual home is at the One Spirit Learning Alliance, where she is an Academic Dean at the Interfaith/Interspiritual Seminary Program. Sushmita is an ordained interspiritual minister and a trained spiritual companion/counselor. Sushmita’s spiritual work is deeply influenced by the teachings of Carl Jung and James Hillman, and the creative perspectives of poets and writers, too many to name. Some of her specific interests include myths, dreams, poetry, and art, with a special focus on Fractal art, altar-building, guided visualizations, and the practice of SoulCollage®. In terms of world traditions, Sushmita’s work draws on Hindu and Greek myths, Earth-based traditions, Taoism, Sufism, and Perennial Philosophy. Sushmita’s spirituality is squarely oriented toward holding a paradox – finding that “yes, and” place that encompasses apparent polarities of light and dark, masculine and feminine, spiritual striving, and community engagement. Sushmita has a keen eye for inclusivity, especially inviting in anyone who feels “otherized” by mainstream traditions.
Rev. Darby Christopher
Rev. Darby Christopher is an interfaith minister and holds a Master of Social Work degree. She is a graduate of the Haden Institute’s Dream Group Leadership Training program. Author of the recently published book From Anxiety to Connection: A Path to Authentic Relating, Darby enjoys speaking, writing, presenting workshops, leading dream groups, and companioning people on their life’s journey.