I remember the first time I learned about selkies was through the film The Secret of Roan Inish. Watching a seal woman slide out of her skin was so puzzlingly familiar. It wasn’t until years later that I realized how often I’d dreamed of swimming under the sea; the image of the selkie was familiar because I’d been a selkie in the dream worlds many times.
Over the years, selkie stories presented themselves to me whenever I was in danger of losing parts of myself and needed to be reminded of my true nature.
Becoming a mother was one of the most transformative experiences of my life. It’s not surprising that this journey into motherhood coincided with many dreams of losing something precious. The beginning of parenthood is also the end of an old way of being. This was when I first recognized that the story of the selkie woman whose sealskin is stolen is a significant part of my personal mythology.
Finding a story that helped me make sense of my life was both comforting and empowering.
Recognizing my main personal mythology prompted me to create a course that would enable others to discover their personal mythology threads as well. This course, Unearthing Your Story, grew out of my graduate school work.
Below, I share several ways in which you can begin to find your personal mythology too.
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