Psyche Unbound: An erotic retelling of the myth of Cupid and Psyche

Zenobia Neil

The celebrated beauty of Roman princess Psyche has enraged Venus, the Goddess of Love and Beauty. As punishment, Psyche is left naked on the beach to be sacrificed to a monster. When Cupid, the God of Love, swoops her up and flies her to the monster’s palace, Psyche mistakenly wraps her legs around his waist, looks into his eyes, and falls in love.

Blindfolded and tied to a bed, Psyche awaits the monster, vowing to be brave as she faces death. Yet when the monster arrives, he marries her on the condition she never see his face. As she grows to love her shadow husband, she can’t stop thinking about the God of Love. Consumed by curiosity, Psyche breaks her promise by lighting a lamp. Awaking in a rage, and furious with her betrayal, her husband banishes her from the palace.

Psyche begs Venus for another chance at love. Unmoved, Venus demands Psyche perform three impossible tasks. If Psyche succeeds, her husband will return. If she fails, she will be condemned to death.

Can Psyche satisfy Venus and win back her true love?

(Goodreads.com)

Banyen Book Jul 7, 2022 @BanyenBooksSoundVancouver hosts legendary clinical psychiatrists & researcher Stanislav Grof, PhD, in conversation with renowned psychologists and authors Brigitte Grof, PhD, Richard Tarnas, PhD, and Sean Kelly, PhD, for an in-depth discussion of the book, Psyche Unbound: https://www.banyen.com/products/psych… Psyche Unbound is an extraordinary compilation of 22 essays that honour the path-breaking lifework of Stanislav Grof, founder and chief theoretician of transpersonal psychology and the world’s leading researcher in psychedelic-assisted therapy, breathwork, and the exploration of non-ordinary states of consciousness. Banyen Books is Canada’s most comprehensive bookstore specializing in spirituality and healing. Located in Vancouver, Canada, since 1970, Banyen is open for in-person browsing as well as web & mail orders. Visit https://www.banyen.com/ for books, products, and upcoming events. Stanislav Grof, MD, PhD, is a clinical psychiatrist with over 60 years experience in research of non-ordinary states of consciousness induced by psychedelic substances and by experiential psychotherapy. He is one of the founders and chief theoreticians of transpersonal psychology, and the founding president of the International Transpersonal Association. Stan Grof teaches at the Department of Philosophy, Cosmology and Consciousness at the California Institute of Integral Studies. He was formerly Principal Investigator in a psychedelic research program at the Psychiatric Research Institute in Prague, Chief of Psychiatric Research at the Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and Scholar-In-Residence at the Esalen Institute. He is the author of over 150 scholarly articles and many influential books, including Holotropic Breathwork (with Christina Grof), When the Impossible Happens, and The Cosmic Game. Richard Tarnas, PhD, is a professor of psychology and cultural history at the California Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco, where he founded the graduate program in Philosophy, Cosmology, and Consciousness. Formerly the director of programs and education at Esalen Institute in Big Sur, he is a graduate of Harvard University and Saybrook Institute. He is the author of The Passion of the Western Mind and Cosmos and Psyche. He is a past president of the International Transpersonal Association and served on the Board of Governors for the C.G. Jung Institute of San Francisco. Brigitte Grof, MA, is a psychologist, licensed psychotherapist, and artist with 35 years of experience in holotropic breathwork. She has led breathwork workshops and taught training modules in the US and in Germany. Currently she works in her private practice in Wiesbaden, Germany, and leads workshops and retreats. Since 2016, Stan and Brigitte Grof are happily married and conduct seminars, trainings and holotropic breathwork workshops worldwide. In May 2020, they launched their new training in working with Holotropic States of Consciousness, the international Grof® Legacy Training. Sean Kelly, PhD, is a Professor in the Philosophy, Cosmology, and Consciousness Department at California Institute of Integral Studies. He is the author of Coming Home and Individuation and the Absolute: Hegel, Jung, and the Path toward Wholeness. His current research areas include the evolution of consciousness, integral ecologies, and transpersonal and integral theory. Interview Host: Ross McKeachie Event & Podcast Producer: Jacob Steele Video Editor: Abdo Habbani