An Introduction to the Mythopoetic Men’s Movement

The mythopoetic men's movement was created by a group largely made up of psychologists, poets, musicians, storytellers and authors from the early 1980s through the 1990s. The term mythopoetic was coined by professor Shepherd Bliss, one of the early founders of the work.

Mythopoets adopt a general style inspired by the work of poet Robert Bly, Robert A. Johnson and , among other psychologists and mythologists such as and Michael Meade. They are influenced by ideas derived from Jungian psychology, e.g. archetypes, from which the use of myths and stories from many cultures serve as ways to interpret challenges facing men in contemporary society.

The mythopoetic typically avoids political advocacy in favour of workshops and wilderness retreats, often performing rituals such as drumming and chanting with an intended purpose of connecting with their inner self and a deeper masculine. The most well-known text is ‘Iron John: A Book About Men’ by Bly, who suggested that masculine energy had been diluted through modern social institutions, industrialisation, and the resulting separation of fathers from family life. Bly urged men to recover a pre- industrial conception of through brotherhood with other men in circles and gatherings. The purpose is to foster a greater understanding of the forces influencing the roles of men in modern society and how these changes affect behaviour, self-awareness and identity.

Iron John (1990) spent 62 weeks on Best Seller list, being an interpretation of the tale of ‘Iron Hans’ curated by the Brothers Grimm. It continues to this day to be an essential read for men wishing to engage in any form of self-development. In later years, the work by Australian writer Stephen Biddulph, including Manhood (published in 2004), has also become very popular, drawing much from Bly’s work.

Mythopoets like Bly suggest that in order to get in touch with their feelings – and the mature masculine – men need to understand that it is not about ‘up and out’ spiritual ascension, but ‘inward and down’ to the depths of their souls, where they can learn to express both grief and joy. Grief itself, he would assert, is the gateway – and this door can be opened through poetry, song, myth and the sharing of stories in brotherhood.

“In general, in the west, we ask the male not to go down, and they promise him that if he appears at every meeting at 9am and he’s cheerful and vibrant, then wonderful things will happen to him. And, of course, we know what happens, your children become distant, your sons don’t like you, your daughters don’t remember who you are, your wife leaves. So, the grief comes anyway” – Robert Bly

In the mythopoetic, the desire to be spiritual yet manly – a combination of the primal and the divine – is also a factor in the way the group understands the nature of gender, thus distinguishing what they regard as genuine or mature masculinity from the problematic ‘toxic masculinity’ of psychologically immature men.

As most men no longer perform masculine rituals, mythopoets also believe that many, as a result, lean toward the destructive and hypermasculine, or, in the opposite direction, become overly feminine. Mythopoetic rituals include initiating participants into their natural manhood, an essential process which many men miss as boys. They emphasise the importance of including multiple generations of men in their gatherings to learn about masculinity from elders.

Mythopoets seek to understand their inner lives and how they relate to culture and the world around them through an archetypal framework, in order to reveal the full potential of their own ‘animus’. For instance, Bly described the concept of ‘Zeus energy’ as ‘masculine authority accepted for the good of the community’ embodying the idea of ‘power within’ as opposed to ‘power over’. They primarily analyse the of King, Warrior, Magician, Lover – as well as Bly’s Wild . The book ‘King, Warrior, Magician, Lover’ written in 1991 by Jungian psychologist Robert Moore and mythologist Douglas Gillette – two early participants in the mythopoetic – has become essential reading.

The retelling of myths and folktales, with references to these archetypes, serve as a tool for personal and cultural insight. With an emphasis on physical wellbeing, as well as the emotional, mental and spiritual, the mythopoetic also employs movement, meditation and breathwork, often also combining their storytelling with music and dance. These activities can be seen as an extension to a form of reimagined shamanism (or neo-shamanism) popularised by Michael Harner, whose book ‘The Way of the Shaman’ appeared in the same year as ‘Iron John’.

Academic work has also arisen from the mythopoetic men’s movement, as well as the creation of continuing annual conferences based on Robert Bly's vision for creative communities such as the Men's Conference and the Great Mother and New Father Conference, and non-profit organisations like Micheal Meade's Mosaic Multicultural Foundation.

Warrior Within, founded in 2017 by Meditation Australia president Asher Packman, believes in the revitalisation of the mythopoetic man. Through the extensive use of mythology, poetry, archetypal and ancient wisdom – as well as providing a community platform for the ongoing discussion of modern manhood – Warrior Within is helping men turn inward to their grief and joy and learn to embody their highest expression. We also offer a Warrior’s Den to practice the disciplines we teach – such as movement, meditation and breathwork – and deep immersions into mythopoetic and neo-shamanic wisdom through our Warrior’s Way courses.

In paying respect to our elders and the roots of our wisdom, the men of Warrior Within acknowledge our direct mythopoetic lineage by way of a recognised affiliation with the Minnesota Men’s Conference and its founder, Robert Bly.

Related article: Men’s Movement Stalks the Wild Side