David Newell: What Is a Myth and Why Does It Matter?

I’m pleased to welcome my dear friend David Newell to the show. David wears many hats—writer, philosopher, consigliere, and more. He knows more about myths, the collective unconscious, and Carl Jung’s works than anyone I know.

And, as he put it: "The meaning and morality of One’s life comes from within oneself. Healthy, strong individuals seek self expansion by experimenting and by living dangerously."

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💬 David Newell Quotes From the Episode

“The redemption of the soul is not through the hero but through the savior, through Christ, through love, and through being of service.”
– David Newell on true transformation comes not from achievement but from letting go of ego, embracing love, and serving others.

“The opposite of love is not hate, it’s power.”
– David Newell on love as openness and growth, while power is about control and restriction.

“All life is a stage. We’re almost all walking around in a Shakespearean comedy or tragedy, whichever mood you’re in that day.”
– David Newell on life as theater, each role we play reflecting our inner conflicts and narratives.

🔗 Additional Resources

David Newell’s website
David Newell on Linkedin
David Newell on Spotify
Trauma and the Soul by Donald Kalsched
The Red Book by Carl Jung
Answer to Job by Carl Jung
The Middle Passage by James Hollis

📝 Show Notes

00:00:43 – David Newell on Myths, Jung, and the Collective Unconscious
00:01:13 – Why Myths Matter: Consciousness, Learning, and Meaning-Making
00:03:53 – Inanna, Cinderella, and the Archetype of Death and Rebirth
00:06:00 – Modern Relevance: How Myths Guide Adults in Self-Understanding
00:09:39 – Chaos vs. Order: Uranus, Saturn, and Life’s Defining Crises
00:13:35 – Myths as Moral Maps: Projection and the Power of Story Archetypes
00:16:23 – Synchronicity Explained: Jung’s Symbolic Coincidences
00:20:08 – Into the Unconscious: Jung’s Dreams, Madness, and the Inner Child
00:34:18 – Trauma and the Fragmented Soul: Developmental Wounds in Adulthood
00:40:50 – A Flower and a Lifetime of Shame: The Hidden Cost of Childhood Trauma
00:49:52 – Power vs. Love: Why Control, Not Hate, Is Love’s True Opposite
00:56:59 – Conscious Crucifixion: Pain, Healing, and the Christ Archetype
01:01:13 – Christianity and the Shadow: Jung’s Critique of Suffering and Integration
01:10:14 – Jordan Peterson’s Archetypes: Masculinity, Shadow, and the Jungian Legacy
01:16:25 – Parenting and Myth: Letting Children Choose Their Stories

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