Icons of the Mythic Self: Journey into the realm of Personal Symbols

Written and Designed by
Kristi Cowles and Patrick Price

Icons of the Mythic Self encourages a dynamic and rewarding hero(ine)'s journey into the land of self-exploration, self-discovery, self-healing, and self-integration. The universal concepts explored in this book live within the sacred context of the American Indian medicine wheel as well as spiritual beliefs of many other cultures. From reading this book and engaging in the mythic experiences described therein, we learn to create our own deck of sixty-nine personal icon cards.

On every page of this remarkable circle artbook, creativity, intuition, and spirituality joyously dance with dreams.

Buddha's foot Icon Who are we?
What is our original vision?
What is our purpose?
What do we want?
What universal concepts appear in the circle artbook?
What about the music?
How do we interconnect with others?

Who are we?

Icons of the Mythic Self emerged out of an ever-expanding and deepening spiritual relationship between Kristi Cowles and Patrick Price. Throughout the last six years, we have taught many workshops and classes together and separately, gradually realizing our original medicine as teaching and writing partners. Long before this book was born, we were deeply concerned with the spiritual, physical, emotional, and mental health of other people, with a primary focus on helping them bring back the gifts of their mythic journeys to their daily lives — in other words, a focus of the realm of commitment. In retrospect, having taught the entire contents of this book to many people, we are convinced that the making of personal icon cards greatly assists people in knowing who they are, manifesting what they want, and, above all, serving their communities.

Kristi Cowles is a lively and passionate woman who founded Singing Wolf Center and Pederson Victorian Bed & Breakfast six years ago in the rural Lake Geneva area of her home state, Wisconsin. Since that time, she has welcomed hundreds of travelers into her home and sponsored many inspiring leading-edge-of-change workshops, some of which she facilitates. Kristi has a masters degree in East/West Psychology from the California Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco, California. She is co-author of the circle artbook, Icons of the Mythic Self: Journey into the Realm of Personal Symbols, with Patrick Price. With Nancy Hill, founder of Daremore Seminars, Kristi co-facilitates "Journey into the Creative Soul of Women". She is an ardent environmentalist, professional singer/songwriter, and grandmother of three.

Patrick Price is a gifted teacher and storyteller, who shares his Native American ancestry with the Anishinabe (Ojibwe) People. He has been a spiritual counselor for the past decade in the Milwaukee area, teaching Native American spirituality, meditation, and healing techniques involving the Medicine Wheel and other sacred tools of ritual. He teaches through the Continuing Education Department at Cardinal Stritch College, the Telesis Institute of Alverno College (both in Milwaukee), the Singing Wolf Center in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, and the Whole Life Center in Champaign, Illinois. Patrick is a facilitator for the Native American Wisdom Program sponsored by the Milwaukee Aids Project. He has also created the Via Mystica™ Game and Meditation Card Set, a mythological game that depicts spiritual teachings, practices, and tales from diverse global traditions.

This is a photo of Kristi and Patrick.

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What is our original vision?

Fish Icon Our original vision involves an ever-emerging heartfelt connection with our ancestral roots, both physical and spiritual. These ancient energies have gifted us with remembering through dreams and symbolic images our dynamic links to the Web of Life. Hence, we welcome you to the realm of symbols, which speaks to us in our own tongue, a language that reminds us of our original vision and the blessings of its medicine. Sometimes these symbols have been hiding since childhood in dark recesses of our bodies, hearts, and spirits. However, they are never really lost, and as we choose to rekindle them, we once again experience the freedom that is the cornerstone of self-healing.

There are specific reasons why we've chosen the name, circle artbook. We do believe that creativity is indeed a circle — a home for our creative muses, and an exciting, colorful place where we nudge ourselves out of the linear path that our culture has over-emphasized for so many millennia. When we learn to think and feel in circles, we free ourselves from the burden of perfectionism and from the addictions to compulsive orderliness and control. This freedom permits us to embrace the beauty and chaos of mystery and to recognize that everything is always changing.

What is our purpose?

Our purpose is to encourage you to live your own story rather than someone else's! Therefore, we heartily encourage you to ask yourselves continually the following questions:

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Deep within the mythic self lie the answers to these four cardinal questions. To contemplate them in meditation as well as during your daily routine will surely create an awareness that you already have your own answers, that you are enough, and that you do not need to be anyone other than you are. The personal icon cards created during the "Journey into the Realm of Personal Symbols" become tools of meditation that assist with the process of self-awareness and self-integration. This journey is worth taking. Join us and the many others who have already embarked on this soul-full adventure.

What do we want?

Easter Island Icon We want you to become inspired through this circle artbook to remember and honor your uniqueness, creativity, authenticity, personal mythology, and profound connection to the Web of Life. We want to act as guides for you during the journey toward manifestation of your spiritual vision. We want you to accept the challenge of honoring the beauty of your original medicine. And within this sacred process, we want you to create your own deck of personal icon cards.

What universal concepts appear in the circle artbook?

In writing Icons of the Mythic Self, we incorporated the perennial wisdom from such spiritual traditions as the American Indian medicine wheel, the Tarot, the I Ching, and the Nordic runes. The universal cncepts presented in the circle artbook include:

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At this point we would like to emphasize that absolutely no artistic ability is necessary to create personal icon cards. In addition, at the end of section section of the circle artbook, there are example of cards from past "iconers" that clearly exhibit the diversity involved in this simple, yet beautiful process. Here are a few examples from some of those past iconers.

What about the music?

Music and its lyrical voice have a mystical and, sometimes, mischievous way of transporting us into other dimensions. We hope that the songs introducing each section of the circle artbook will serve you in this way. They were written and composed by Kristi Cowles. At this point, we thought it might be fun to whet your musical appetite with some lyrical morsels. . . . Please be aware that these are only bits and pieces of some of the songs.
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"Song of Great Mysterious"
Prelude
Some call it Tao; others say Brahman,
Goddess, Great Spirit, or God.
Some call it Allah; others, Great Wonder,
Great Mysterious.

Verse 1
It's erotic and pristine; it's exotic and serene;
No one can define it for another.
It turns darkness into light; it's an eagle in full flight;
It's inclusive, yet a very private matter.
Chorus
It's not the name, it's the feeling;
It's the rain falling gently on my skin.
It's not the name, it's the feeling
When the tree tells her story to the wind. 		 
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"Song of Yin and Yang"

Prelude
Dark moon, dark moon, blacken the night.
Winter snows bring shades of white,
While Yang stokes a fire for his yin
As she soothes and quiets him.

 Verse 1
She holds him in her arms, primal woman.
She nurtures him with wild flower tea.
Steaming spice from her cup as she rises to return
To here home beneath the river of the sea.
Chorus
With her whisper still suspended in the Yang,
And his movement still remembered by the Yin,
Then the colors of our psyches will be unified
And we'll journey till we meet again.

 Verse 2
How he rouses his power primal man.
How his heart must have the courage to be free.
With his shield in his hand and his hair all ablaze,
Hear him moan as he energizes me.

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"I'm Asking"
Verse 1
I'm asking, do you sing?
I'm asking, do you dance?
I'm asking, do you sit in silence?
I'm asking about stories:
Do you tell them, can you listen to a tale about a heal named
achilles. 		Verse 2
I'm asking, do you chant?
Can you move that body,
Or stay present when you hear these magic words,
"Once upon a time, long ago, just last week, in a land of misty elves
and faeries."
Chorus
For the song and the dance and the stories and the stillness
Are as old as the people of the Earth.
They are right under our noses
A sea of wild roses
Living free and forever giving birth. 		 
Musician Icon
"Ten Wheels of Life"
Chorus
There are ten of them, ten wheels of life.
Go tell your teachers, but don't bother
To tell the creatures,
Or the rocks or the wingeds or the trees.
For they already know.

Someone, somewhere, once said, "If you can walk, you can dance; if you can talk, you can sing." Thus, we encourage you to "sing and dance your mythological story" as you embark on this rewarding, insightful icon journey. May you return with many gifts.

How do we interconnect with others?

Have Circle Artbook Will Travel
The authors are also skilled workshop facilitators who have taught Icons of the Mythic Self over the last four years. With appropriate lead time, they are available for travel. Recommended group size is from ten to sixteen people. The ideal structure for an Icons workshop will depend on the distance of travel for the authors. Cost will vary, depending on travel distance, number of participants, amount of time spent, etc. For more detailed information about this, please contact Kristi Cowles or Patrick Price via email, telephone, or fax, using the information below.

Circle Artbook Has Been Marveled
Icons of the Mythic Self has already been taught in a series of weekly classes at Cardinal Stritch College and Singing Wolf Center. This "weekly track" generally takes about a year to complete. It has also been taught in a series of five weekends (Friday evening - Sunday afternoon). The other possibility is to have it taught as a ten-day intensive workshop, a teaching form we are very excited about employing.

Have Circle Artbook Will Unravel
Individuals can purchase the circle artbook and simply read it, perform the experiential activities, and create their cards by themselves. (Some experientials are split into two categories: one for group interaction and the other for solo work.) The purchase of the book can be divided into four sections, acquiring new sections as desired.
Contact Information
Contact: Kristi Cowles Patrick Price
Address: Singing Wolf Center
1782 Highway 12 North
Lake Geneva WI 53714		 Dancing Crow Designs
2246A South 29th Street
Milwaukee WI 53215
Email: hanahawk@genevaonline.com milwleathr@aol.com
Telephone: (414) 248-9110 (414) 643-5946
Fax: (414) 249-9830 (414) 643-9007 




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