Looking at today’s culture through the lens of mythology, James Bennett sees a split between heaven and earth, and believes that to restore global health we must turn our attention downwards, to the Underworld. He proposes that:

• Heaven and hell represent the intellect and body if they become polarized. The darkness of the underworld symbolizes its obscurity to intellect.

• Intellect’s repudiation of the physical realm brings about unconscious worship of the Great Mother in her dark aspect.

• The mythological stories of journeys through hades can in modern times be used as guides to those who are “going through hell” with recovery from life events, trauma or addiction.

• The meanings of the myths will only come to us through intuition: “Allow the stories, pictures and images to sit with you and speak to you, to spark your own connections and open doors for you in unexpected meaningful ways.”

Author James Bennett, MLitt, PGDip, is a practicing psychotherapist.