You are invited to join writing(with)Marsh reed and Michael Marder on March 8th

Yes, that’s a lot of M’s in the title.

What if we didn’t rewrite dark myths into prettier stories, but learned how to walk through them together? 

On Sunday, March 8th, 15-17.00 (Brussels time), join us for a free online workshop that moves through shadow, muddy marshes, story, and ephemeral ponds with Prof. Michael Marder and Dr. Wendy Wuyts.

Michael Marder, Research Professor of Philosophy at the University of the Basque Country, is known for his work in phenomenology, environmental philosophy, and political thought. 

Wendy Wuyts is an ecofeminist scholar, writer, facilitator, forest therapy guide, geographer, and one of the initiators of writing(with)plants). 

Their meeting point? Ancient myths, plant philosophy, the importance of place, and the difficult stories we are often tempted to avoid.

This session grows out of Wendy’s reading of Michael’s recent book Metamorphoses Reimagined.

Having studied Ancient Greek science and mythology, Wendy knows how many classical stories are steeped in violence, especially toward women, who often transform into plants to escape gods like Apollo, Zeus, Poseidon, or Pan. She wondered: would these myths be softened by Michael’s version?

They weren’t.

When Wendy shared her discomfort with Michael, his response was clear and honest: we cannot shelve these dark stories. We have to go through the dark forest, not around it.

That question what do we do with these stories? opened a new path. How can philosophy and reimagined myths become living tools? How might educators, therapists, psychologists, and facilitators work with them in practice? 

This led to an experiment in bibliotherapy, in collaboration with the writing(with)plants network.

March 8th felt right. Yes, it’s International Women’s Day, but also a moment for shadow work, metamorphosis, and tending what is still dormant, as winter slowly loosens its grip in the Northern Hemisphere.

In this session, we will also slow down and zoom in on place: how landscape, soil, water, and historical period shape a plant, and a story. Drawing on a selected chapter from Metamorphoses Reimagined, we enter the marshes: the mud, the discomfort, the in-between spaces where transformation happens. It is here that our guest plant appears: a marsh reed.

Plus: another enchanting book reveal! Will you join us?

Will you join us?

The session is for free, but you have to register beforehand to receive a zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/J6gJiAHfRhKW2Kzbgl5jAw#/registration

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