The Re-Emergence of the Goddesses
in Homer’s Odyssey

Course Description

This series focuses on the progressive integration of the anima in Homer’s Odyssey and the re-emergence of the archetypal imagery of the divine feminine in the poem’s portrayal of the immortal nymphs during the Sea Wanderings. The course will:

• Interpret the archetypal symbolism of the feminine in the Sea Wanderings of Odysseus.

• Explore Joseph Campbell’s approaches to the mythologies of the Goddess in the 8th c. BCE.

• Explore the integration of the Anima in the individuation process as exemplified in the poem’s portrayal of Odysseus.

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The Re-Emergence of the Goddesses
in Homer’s Odyssey

LIVE-VIDEO SEMINAR SERIES

with dr. evans lansing smith

SIX MONDAYS

April - May 2027

4-6pm Pacific / 7-9pm Eastern
Live via Zoom
+ Video Recording will be available

*

Course schedule

This course consists of six sessions focusing on the detailed iconography of the Goddesses and the progressive integration of the anima, leading to the reunion with Penelope.

Dr. Evans Lansing Smith

Dr. Evans Lansing Smith is Professor of Mythological Studies at the Pacifica Graduate Institute, where he has taught for 20 years, serving as Chair for 10.
He is the recipient of awards for distinguished teaching from Midwestern State University in Texas, and the Pacifica Graduate Institute. His Ph.D. is from The Claremont Graduate School, and his M.A. in Creative Writing from Antioch International, and his B.A. from Williams College. He is the author of three books of poems, two novels, and ten books and numerous articles on comparative literature and mythology. His edited volume of Joseph Campbell’s writings and lectures on the Grail Romances was published in 2015, and his edition of the Selected Correspondence of Joseph Campbell in 2019.

Recommended ReadinG

• Joseph Campbell, The Masks of God Occidental Mythology, Vol.3, New World Library, 2002

• “Joseph Campbell on the Great Goddess.” Parabola: Myth and the Quest for Meaning.” 5.4. November 1980.