The Empty Cup: Tea, Mythos, and Initiation through Emergent Ritual

Author

Katherine C. West, University of MontanaFollow

Year of Award

2018

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Type

Master of Arts (MA)

Degree Name

Fine Arts (Integrated Arts and Education)

Department or School/College

Creative Pulse Program

Committee Chair

Karen Kaufmann

Commitee Members

Randy Bolton, School of Theater and Dance H. Rafael Chacón, School of Art

Keywords

Rites of Passage, Tea Ceremony, Ritual, Emergent Theory, Myth, Hero's Journey

Subject Categories

Art Practice | Arts and Humanities | Buddhist Studies | Curriculum and Social Inquiry | Educational Psychology | Interactive Arts | Social and Philosophical Foundations of Education | Transpersonal Psychology

Abstract

West, Katherine Church, M.A., Summer 2018

Master of Arts in Fine Arts, Integrated Arts and Education

Abstract

In our increasingly fast paced and busy world, the cultural value placed in ritual and ceremony has been lost. Yet, cultures for centuries have known the importance of such initiations to both usher us into and through important passages that mark a new time in our lives by deepening our awareness of our own lives and an understanding of the collective human experience.

This paper documents a two part project, one is the creation of a Gypsy Caravan, explored through the process of Beginner’s Mind and Creating Emergently. In the first part of the project, the author as an artist explores being a participant in the emergent creative process as it unfolds. The second part is the design of a modern Tea Ceremony which in its complete form the author named Emergent Ritual in which she becomes the guide of the process for others.

Best described, Emergent Ritual is a way to re-envision the age old components of rites of passages, rituals, mythos and ceremony to best fit with our modern way of life and thinking. Emergent Ritual asks of us a change of mindset through the exploration of Emergent theory and the beginner’s mind so as to re-invigorate our appreciation of ritual and to see its immense benefit in our daily lives. The author draws and weaves together elements from Vision quests and wilderness rites of passages, Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey, Nature Based Psyche work, Jungian studies, the Japanese Tea Ceremony and her own heritage to create a new ceremony which acknowledges the demands of our modern age and the ancient need for rites of passages for our individual and collective evolution.

Recommended Citation

West, Katherine C., "The Empty Cup: Tea, Mythos, and Initiation through Emergent Ritual" (2018). Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers. 11261.
https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd/11261