A Chicken Hawk Goes Home
One Man’s Journey Through Archetypal Dreamwork
Book Review by Ann Perkins

Bob’s Murray’s life reads like that of a modern-day Siddhartha—he was a semi-pro hockey player, businessman, desert hermit, poet, and high school teacher, as well as husband and father. In his finely crafted spiritual memoir, A Chicken Hawk Goes Home: One Man’s Journey Through Archetypal Dreamwork, Murray shares his journey towards wholeness—his learning to let go of trying to “be a man” in the world and instead embarking on an intense and committed descent into his dreams. He writes:

This book is the tale of my falsity dropping, the process of becoming naked. It is about vulnerability, my relationship to it, my struggle with it. The struggle to find myself by way of the truth of my dreams. It is about fear and pain and love and the power of healing, a seemingly non-traditional approach to an age-old goal—spiritual growth, individuation.

Murray stepped into the rich landscape of his dreams with the help of Marc Bregman, the founder of Archetypal Dreamwork. What his dreams revealed was the life he could have . . . but only by facing into the hard truth of the life he was living.

What I love about this engaging story is Murray’s refreshing honesty about his failed relationships, attachments to false beliefs, and missed opportunities. He “owns up” in a way that is not typical in today’s world—no embellishment, no drama—just a clear, insightful recounting of his inward journey.

He tells the story of his father-in-law, Ernie, who offered him his first great job, treated him like a beloved son for years, and always had his back. Even after Murray was divorced from Ernie’s daughter, Ernie never rejected him. Murray, closed off from his ability to receive love, and with too much pride to even acknowledge the support he was given, brushed Ernie aside to the point of not even attending his funeral. When Ernie comes in a dream, his arm around Murray’s shoulder, it breaks him open to the love that had always been available to him but that he had never been willing to feel—a love both human and divine.

Murray’s path was as unique as each dream he had, bringing him to an intimate exploration of all of his relationships—with himself, with others, and with God. In one of his later dreams, the divine archetype comes in the form of the Boss (Bruce Springsteen), who invites Murray up on stage to play music with him. In response, Murray wrote “O Boss Man,” a kind of anthem to Archetypal Dreamwork; shortly thereafter he was asked to perform at a North of Eden Archetypal Dreamwork retreat. He has been writing and performing his music ever since. The life he had formerly only dreamed of had become the life he was living.

In reclaiming his soul through his dreams, Murray invited many new gifts into his life: an intimate and tender relationship with his young daughter; a healed relationship with his father; a passionate exploration of his calling towards music through singing, songwriting, and teaching; and finally, a spiritual community in which to grow and sustain the arc of his new life. All because he decided to listen—really listen—to what his soul was telling him through his dreams.

Bob Murray is an author and musician with two solo CDs (Alligator Tears and Lifelines) and a collaborative CD with Jeremiah McLane called O Boss Man. He holds an undergraduate degree from Cornell University and an MFA in Creative Writing—Poetry from Vermont College. He teaches Musicality (vulnerability through music) at the Center for Archetypal Dreamwork in Montpelier, Vermont.

Annie Perkins, a former museum and gallery director and curator, is currently a student of Archetypal Dreamwork. She is passionate about the transformative power of dreams and our creative expression.

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Melina Costello’s debut memoir about her journey of individuation has been selected as a finalist for the DaVinci Eye Award, presented by the Eric Hoffer Awards for books. Seeking the God of Ecstasy: A Spiritual Journey of Sexual Awakening is an account of Costello’s dreamscape encounters with the half-mortal, half-god Dionysus, a mythological archetype who is her guide and trickster companion on her inner journey of integration and individuation. The book’s forward is written by esteemed Jungian analyst Robert A. Johnson, who wrote, “I am honored to have my name associated with this marvelous book.” Published by O Books, Seeking the God of Ecstasy is available through Amazon.

Costello’s poetry and essays are also gaining recognition. Chosen from over 250 poetry submissions, her poem entitled “Gardenia” will be published in the Creative Literary section of the journal Psychoanalytic Perspectives in Fall 2011. Additionally, Costello’s essay titled “Monica” will be featured in Bruce Ballenger’s The Curious Writer in its upcoming 4th edition scheduled for publication in spring 2012.

Melina Costello has devoted twenty-five years to the practice of meditative disciplines, exploring psychologically sensitive ways to integrate diverse modes of spiritual experience. A poet, children’s book author and teacher in early childhood education, she is currently pursuing studies in Counseling Psychology at Marylhurst University and lives with her husband in Oregon.

More information can be found online at http://www.eleanorvannatta.com

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