Mark Mansfield

Mark Mansfield is a lifelong trickster and walks proudly with his coyote on his sleeve. He has had his Masters in Counseling since 2000 and has been in the mental health field since 1993, during which time he has seen firsthand the need for a good sense of humor. He currently trains staff at the Arizona State Hospital (yes, the mental kind) where subjective reality is the rule. He considers Discordianism to be one of the cores of his belief system, and has studied the trickster archetype in all of its aspects longer than he has been alive. He has also studied multiple forms of energy healing and spirituality over the course of several decades. He has taught Starwood workshops on the Pineal Gland, Sun Gods, and Channeling Earth Energy.

Coyote, Eris, and the Trickster Archetype

Whether named Coyote, Eris, or the Fool, the trickster archetype is acknowledged in cultures throughout history. The trickster is a rebel who refuses to conform to societal expectations, thereby showing society the absurdities of its norms. The trickster operates from a hearty sense of humor and, ultimately, a desire to set people free from the prisons of their perceptions. Groups and movements such as The Church of the Subgenius, Discordianism, and Dada, as well as individual tricksters throughout the world keep this archetype alive. In today's society, the trickster is more important than ever in helping people maintain their sanity through insane times, paradoxically through insane means.

We will spend the first part of the workshop exploring some of these tricksters and movements throughout history as well as why they are of vital importance to our world today both culturally and psychologically. The second half of the workshop will be spent devising (in either small groups or individually) and executing a variety of "harm none" trickster scenarios throughout the camp to bring joy, humor, and confusion to those that experience them. We will then gather back at a predetermined time to share and process everyone's experiences.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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