Dancing in the Flames | Chapter 3
On Men: their wounds in patriarchy and their healing | "Telling it Like it is"
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Our first live gathering to discuss this material is tomorrow, Sunday, April 27th, 10-11:30 am PTD / 1-2:30 pm EDT | Register here if you haven’t already!
Coming up on Sunday, May 4th is a Men’s Discussion group facilitated by , MD | 10-11:30 am PTD / 1-2:30 pm EDT | Register here
Welcome to the third week of our slow read of Dancing in the Flames by Marion Woodman and Elinor Dickson!
Over these six weeks (April 12-May 23), we will:
Read one chapter a week
Dive deeper into the material through weekly posts and “amplifications” (delivered to your inbox or the Substack app)
Share thoughts, favorite quotes, and questions in the comments
Explore the reading together in two live sessions, plus a bonus men’s discussion group!
✨ Meet co-author Elinor Dickson in an exclusive author chat! ✨
A note about the reading: This material is psychoactive by design. In other words, it’s meant to work on you on many levels, not just intellectually. You may notice yourself having memories or recalling dreams that you haven’t thought about in years as you read. You may also find the material too dense at times to fully make sense of. Keep reading!
In addition to being psychoactive, it’s a community reading. Take notice of what arises in your mind, and write down whatever questions you can form about what’s not making sense. Drop questions and thoughts below in the comments.
Join in the conversation: What images, thoughts, dreams, and reactions are stirred by this week’s reading?
Some Themes of Chapter 3:
In this incredible chapter, Woodman and Dickson display a highly attuned understanding of archetypal symbolism to explore what it means for men to engage with the feminine. In three detailed, individual case studies, they explore issues of addiction, embodiment, and intimacy in personal life, and the dangers to the world at large of underdeveloped/injured male psyches.
Through an encounter with the wild masculine, the Dionysian, Horned God, we encounter what the reintegration of natural, vulnerable male sexuality and intimacy could mean for the transformation of relationships and culture.
“The Horned God, the wild man, symbolizes everything that the patriarchal persona disdains, because he plunges people into change, uncertainty, freedom from conformity.” (108)
We begin….
This week’s reading starts off with a bang. We are entering new territory, venturing into the world of men as related to the feminine, and as related to patriarchy.
Men have not escaped patriarchy’s bludgeonings. While women are presently more articulate in expressing their demands for equal rights, increasing numbers of men are becoming conscious of their wounding. (88)