Course modules
Myco Eco Mytho: An Ecology of Stories
with David Abram & Alnoor Ladha From where does a story sprout? What specific land and soil did it grow from? What ecology is it seeking to tend to, respond to, root into? How do my stories “tell” me into greater intimacy with the kin outside my door? We can reclaim the ecological nature of myths coopted ...
Spore Gods, Storm Gods, and Cycles
with Josh Schrei & Tom Hirons Ecosystems are constituted by constant cycles of decay and regrowth. We can replant myth in ecology by understanding that storytelling, too, remains healthy when it goes through cycles, decaying, regrowing, and adapting to suit shifting climatological and social pressures. We...
Worldmaking in the Dark
This session explores the speculations and theorizing of Octavia E. Butler and her histouturist ways of "composting" the rubble left behind by misogynoir, patriarchy, colonialism, and ecocide. Butler understood the underlying archetypes of foundational stories as well as new guises, uses, and ways of exper...
Moon Kings, Minotaurs & Mothers: Hidden Wisdom Behind Monster Myths
with Michael Bauer, Minna Salami Picture a classical hero. Chances are, you may have envisioned a knight or warrior slaying a dragon or a gorgon. The hero proves his valour by defeating the adversary. But who is the adversary? Is it really a monster? Or is it a culture that opposes hierarchy? What if there...
Liberation, Libation, and Leaven
with David Zilber, Chiara Baldini & Guiliana Furci For too long patriarchy has been conflated with the masculine. But before the sword-wielding heroes of legend readily cut down forests, slaughtered the old deities, and vanquished their enemies, there were thousands of years of vegetal gods associated with...
Rewilding Romance with Symbiosis
with Sam Lee & Brontë Velez Human narratives have held centre stage for thousands of years. But there was a time when legendary bards knew it was their job to channel the stories of animals and plants and stones. We resurrect a long line of magician harpists that span all the way from Palestine to Greece t...
Rewilding Romance With Symbiosis
with Andreas Weber & Patricia Kaishian Using a lens of Queer Ecology, we can follow a line of love goddesses back to our symbiotic multicellular origins. Aphrodite, born of foam, reminds us of our oceanic ancestors. Inanna teaches us how to tie our roots together in the underworld, recalling the symbiotic ...
Arthurian Legends, Fairytales, and Animism
with Toko-Pa Turner and Jessica Dore Our bodies are composed of more bacterial cells than human cells. There are miles of mycelial fungi in a teaspoon of dirt. Resilient ecosystems are resilient in that they are home to many different species. While monomyths like the hero’s journey have long been popular,...
Rerooting Yeshua as a Magician Storyteller
with Manchán Magan & Bayo Akomolafe Uprooted from the Galilean ecology from which he drew his nature metaphors and translated into the language of his oppressors, the teachings of Jesus have easily lapsed into dogma. How does a storytelling magician get coopted by imperialism and patriarchy? Let us replant...
with Manda Scott
Session details coming soon...
