Join Kristina Dryža and Asher Packman as they re-animate a six-part series hosted in the late 1990’s by poet Robert Bly and Jungian psychologist Marion Woodman, based on the ancient Russian folktale The Maiden King.

Together with a live audience, Bly and Woodman explored the relationship between the masculine and feminine with a common desire to rediscover a vision of a truly powerful feminine — an energy they felt contemporary society had not been able to either receive or sustain.

To embody the kind of realignment that this story demanded, Bly and Woodman said it would require “leaps of imagination beyond the limits of rationality and common sense”. Their intention was, as they put it, “to throw ourselves into the ocean of the story, and we would then all have to swim for our lives.”

They would go on to co-author a book in 1999 called The Maiden King: The Reunion of Masculine and Feminine.

At its essence, The Maiden King is a tale about the return of powerful feminine energy into the world. It is woven of an absent father, a possessive stepmother, a false tutor and a boy overwhelmed by a beautiful maiden. When the young man's response has her retreating in rage, he must go on a quest of self-discovery.

It is far from a hero’s journey, but rather one of failure and repair. We could say that it represents a map of the grief that many men and women feel today in relation to each other. The story provides a guide for reunion.

Bly called The Maiden King “perhaps the most magnificent story of all time.”

This series reprise follows the same six-step path as Bly and Woodman first offered, with each of the sessions beginning with a screening of the original before a conversation with Kristina and Asher that deepens into the timeless wisdom while offering fresh perspectives. In addition, there is an introductory session where Asher tells the story of The Maiden King in full.

SCHEDULE:

Introduction and Story
Session #1: The Pin
Session #2: The Betrayal
Session #3 :The Descent
Session #4: Baba Yaga
Session #5: The Firebird Part 1
Session #5: The Firebird Part 2
Session #6: The Sacred Marriage

BONUS:

In conversation with poet Thomas R. Smith (a participant at the original event)
An evening with Marion Woodman and Robert Bly (The Maiden King)
Robert Bly tells The Maiden Tsar at the Minnesota Men's Conference

About Kristina and Asher:

Kristina Dryža is an author, dancer, TEDx speaker, archetypal consultant and member of the Joseph Campbell Foundation’s Editorial Advisory Group.

Asher Packman is a former president of Meditation Australia. He is a depth mentor, storyteller and Kundalini Yoga teacher. He has previously lectured on this series to the Jung Society of Melbourne.

Both have their ancestry firmly rooted in Slavic mythology with Kristina also currently based Vilnius, Lithuania.

You can rent or buy all of Haydn’s films at vimeo.com/showcase/onpoetry.

The Fifth Direction is a welcome community for everyone. This includes people of all genders, faiths, backgrounds, orientations, ages and abilities.

This series is free to members of The Fifth Direction. For more information, visit here.

NOTE:

Upon purchase, a website link and password will be sent to your email inbox.