Nimue Brown posted: " Story Compass offers the reader an interesting and original set of tools for self discovery. You could use it as a workbook, or as the basis of a set of retreats, read it flat out and take what suits you, or dip into it. I think there are several "
Story Compass offers the reader an interesting and original set of tools for self discovery. You could use it as a workbook, or as the basis of a set of retreats, read it flat out and take what suits you, or dip into it.
I think there are several kinds of people who would particularly benefit from this book. It's very much aimed at the reader who wants to explore themselves in a contemplative way, and who needs tools and maps for this. It assumes that you've not done a deep dive into your ancestry, or the water you swim in, and that you have yet to figure out how your culture, background and life experiences have informed you.
It's designed for people who are not squaring up to massive trauma legacies. If that's you, then this probably isn't the ideal book and you'll need to find something more trauma informed.
I think this book also has ideas to offer to new bards. If you're starting out on a creative path and figuring yourself out in relation to the work you want to do, there's a lot here that's usable. The relationship between self and creation, history and inspiration, how we draw on experience and work with the material of our own lives is all highly relevant.
Taking control of your own story, and being the teller of your own life can be an incredibly powerful and empowering process. The stories we tell define us, and if that is something you have no idea how to engage with, this is a book, and a process, to consider.
The writing style is easy going and enthusiastic. If you like the idea of taking your inner child on an adventure, then you're going to love this. There's a playful, open hearted tone to the whole thing - which isn't for everyone. If you suspect you might find that patronising rather than engaging, you might well not get along with this book.
The work outlined in Story Compass can be approached in a number of ways. You could be fairly pragmatic about it and go for imaginative journaling and creative thinking. You could use it as a guide for visualisations and journey work and really go for that - depending on your needs and preferences. One of the things I liked is how unprescriptive the author is when it comes to these kinds of inner journeys. You're given the gist of where to go and what to do, but how that plays out is very much down to you. It made me realise how normal it is to see this kind of practice described in a lot more detail, where you are told what spirits or ancestors are going to say to you. I found it refreshing to see such open ended explorations.
I came to this title as a book reviewer interested in working with story. It's not come to me at a time when I could personally make much use of the contents - although twenty years ago it would have been a divine gift to encounter something like this. It means that a lot of what's here is not material I've felt moved to test - I've already done this sort of work, in my own ways so there's not much for me to delve into and unravel. However, I think the whole approach is useful and fertile, and likely to be worth exploring for anyone who is setting out on a journey of self discovery.
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