What Cupid & Psyche Tells Us About Love, Women, and Marriage with Sonja Ryst

Facilitated by Sonja Ryst, founder of Writingmythology.com

The longest and most central story set within the overarching narrative of The Golden Ass, "Cupid and Psyche" tells how a woman achieves immortality through her sexual relationship, completion of tests, and ultimate marriage with a god. Over the nearly two millennia since Lucius Apuleius included the story in his novel, it has been retold, reinterpreted, and revised countless times by authors ranging from William Blake to C.S. Lewis. Carl Jung's student Erich Neumann described the myth as portraying "the psychic development of the feminine" -- a journey from the "dark, sensual paradise" with a man to the attainment of individuation effected through love. But was Neumann right? What does this story tell us about our cultural assumptions of love, women and marriage? Does it represent an archetype of the relations between men and women, as Neumann claims -- and if so, where does homosexual love fit into this picture? How can "Cupid and Psyche" help us to better navigate our own relationships in modern society?

Our interactive discussion will include prompts to free associate about your own relationships and personal growth.

Sonja Ryst recently founded the humor and events website Writingmythology.com. She has published myth-driven satire in Points in Case and Little Old Lady Comedy, and she recently sold a fantasy story to the Fifth Dimension for its June 2021 issue. A former staff reporter at BusinessWeek.com (now Bloomberg Businessweek), her nonfiction has appeared in numerous media including The Washington Post, The Philadelphia Inquirer, and The Wall Street Journal. She teaches an online course about how to use creative techniques in nonfiction for the M.S. in Professional Writing program at New York University’s School of Professional Studies.

ZOOM INVITE:

Emily Paul (she/her) is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: Cupid and Psyche with Sonja Ryst
Time: Feb 11, 2021 07:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84466951054

Meeting ID: 844 6695 1054
One tap mobile
+19292056099,,84466951054# US (New York)
+13017158592,,84466951054# US (Washington D.C)

Dial by your location
+1 929 205 6099 US (New York)
+1 301 715 8592 US (Washington D.C)
+1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
+1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose)
+1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)
+1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)
Meeting ID: 844 6695 1054
Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kcXpS6NOJL