"Go on, live your life, it's a good life - you don't need mythology. I don't believe in being interested in a subject just because it's said to be important. I believe in being caught by it somehow or other. But you may find that, with a proper introduction, mythology will catch you. And, so what can it do for you if it does catch you?"

Joseph Campbell, Power of Myth

Myth serves three main functions. The first is to reconcile the world the "way it is." Second, mythology reflects the nature of man's imperfections. Shakespeare described it as "to hold, as 'twere, the mirror up to nature." The third function of myth is the enforcement of a moral order. It guides and constrains the individual to the culture of their geography and historical conditioning.

Myths are not intended to be interpreted literally. Jonah was never "really" swallowed by the whale. Myths are metaphors: stories told to be templates for us to use to lead our lives. Asopes Fables, the American Western, Star Wars, and many more are stories that illustrate the dilemmas of everyday life. For example, Hugin and Munin, Odin's Ravens (the blank Rune is Odin's Rune), represent thought and memory.

"Hugin and Munin fly every day
over the wide world.
I fear for Hugin that he will not come back,
yet I tremble more for Munin."
The Poetic Edda, Grimnir's Sayings

Hugin (Thought) and Munin (Memory) are Odin's aides. From the above passage we can interpret that our lives can be dangerous, but our memory can be more dangerous. To frequently we remember what we want or expect to remember. Memory is a function of meaning. If the meaning challenges the ego, it's easy to rewrite the scene. Hugin is always looking out, Munin looking in.

We can associate a similar theme, such as the "Helping Psychology." This psychological principal describes a person who goes to great lengths to help others and goes to equal great lengths to avoid helping themself. Looking outward is dangerous, challenging and often satisfying. However, not looking inward or looking inward improperly can be much more treacherous. The Runes are aids for looking inward.

Liberal arts studies deepen our understanding of mythological themes in the learning domains of Ethics, Philosophy, Epistemology, Metaphysics, Theology and Religion.