Women + Mythology:
A Four Week Group Seminar
with Kwame Scruggs, Ph.D.
Saturdays, Aug 21 and 28 + Sep 4 and 11
10am - 11:30 am PDT / 1pm-2:30pm EDT
Sessions will be hosted online + Recordings will be provided for two-week access.
Certificate for Continued Education Credits available, issued by The Salome Institute
This is an opportunity for women and non-binary individuals from all backgrounds and ages to explore life experiences together through myth. In this group, spanning four Saturdays in August & September, mythologist Kwame Scruggs, Ph.D. will guide participants in self-inquiry, listening, and sharing within a group environment through storytelling and drumming.
In each 90min session, Kwame will share a portion of a myth, working through it piece by piece from start to finish. Throughout each gathering, participants will be invited to bring their understanding of the story to life. Whether vocalizing their reactions in the group or silently in a notebook, participants are encouraged to reflect on their own life through the mythic tale, exploring the meaning of symbols and trials that can take our whole being to overcome.
This unique, proven, and timeless process of psychological inquiry through myth is designed to increase awareness of one's "life behind the life" and promote a sense of connection and empathy.
Kwame is adept at using mythic stories to guide participants into a greater understanding of their place in the world, activating the knowledge that provides the impetus for living with meaning and purpose.
A few important notes on the structure for this four-part seminar:
Registrants will have access to a community page. In order to provide space for group engagement between sessions, we’ve created a password-protected community page for discussion and sharing off live zoom gatherings.
Portions of myth will be shared following gatherings. Kwame shares a portion of a myth each week with the group and invites responses. After those Saturday sessions, we will post each week’s portion of the myth on the password-protected group page to allow for study and contemplation between sessions.
Recordings will last for two weeks. For maximum accessibility as well as confidentiality, we record all sessions but set the videos to expire after two weeks. Recordings can never be downloaded.
Please note this group is for female and female identified persons; for men who are interested in participating, The Salome Institute will be hosting a group for men with Kwame Scruggs in October of 2021.
About Kwame Scruggs, Ph.D.
Kwame Scruggs has over 20 years of experience using myth in the development of youth and adults. He holds a Ph.D. and MA in Mythological Studies with an emphasis in Depth Psychology from Pacifica Graduate Institute. Kwame also holds an MS degree in Technical Education with an emphasis in Guidance and Counseling from the University of Akron. In 1993, he was formally initiated into the Akan System of Life Cycle Development (African-based rites of passage).
Kwame is the founder of Alchemy Inc., a non-profit organization in Akron, Ohio that has used myths to engage adolescents since 2004. In 2012, Alchemy was one of 12 programs to receive the National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award by President Obama’s Committee on the Arts & Humanities. Alchemy was also the backdrop for a feature-length documentary, “Finding the Gold Within.”
He has taught and lectured widely, including various Jung Institutes nationwide. In 2020, Kwame received the Association of Teaching Artists (with Lincoln Center Education) Innovation in Teaching Artistry award. Kwame is a board member of the Joseph Campbell Foundation.
Register:
Online Attendance: Links for Zoom sessions will be made available to all registrants in advance of class via a password-protected portal.
Recordings: Sessions will be recorded for those registrants unable to attend live. In order to protect confidentiality, recordings will expire two weeks after each gathering.
CEU: Participants can earn 6 CEs — Continued Education Credit hours — for this seminar.
Scholarships & Discounts: It is important to us that this material be accessible. If finances would prevent you from joining us, please send an email with a short note. We would love for you to be able to join.