The Separation Initiation and Transformation The Return

ORDINARY WORLD At the beginning of the Epic, Odysseus’ ordinary world is living on the island of Ogygia with Calypso.

Odysseus’ call takes place while he is with Calypso. He now has the choice to stay or go.

When called to adventure, we must cross the Threshold. The Threshold is the “jumping off point” – the gateway to the unknown. Odysseus reacts pessimistically and has to make sure it is not a trick, but he answers the call!

At the threshold, we will encounter helpers. Often they bring a talisman to help us through the ordeal. The most important of these helpers is the mentor. Helpers and guides appear throughout the journey Athena is the single most significant factor of the Odyssey… Why?

People, beings or situations that block passage They have two functions : Protect us from journeys we are unready for…and…Pointing the way! Odysseus’ first threshold is agreeing to leave the island of Calypso…the period of beginning to sail for home comprise Odysseus’ crossing the 1 st threshold of his heroic journey.

Once past the Threshold, he begins his journey into the unknown. The journey can be outward into a physical unknown. The journey can be inward to a psychological unknown.

The Challenges: He must overcome, first, the anger of Poseidon and get to the Phaecians. Then he must face Nausicaa; then his homeland. The Abyss – He Approaches his Inmost Cave when he returns to his homeland, is disguised as an old man, and is reunited with Eumaeus, and his son. He is finally back on his own land – the homecoming he has longed for! He must practice great Self-Control and plan a trap for Revenge!

Tempters try to pull us away from our path. They may pretend to be a friend or helper. They use fear, doubt or distraction.

The Abyss represents the greatest challenge in the journey. In the Abyss the hero faces his greatest fear, and must face it alone.

Here the hero must “slay the dragon,” which often takes the shape of something he dreads, or has repressed, or needs to resolve. Odysseus’ supreme ordeal is facing the suitors and all those who have wronged him. He kills all the suitors and disloyal maids!

 His reward is winning back his place of power and being able to be with his wife again, and his son and his surviving father.

 The journey to see his father, Laertes, to bring him back…  Facing his final enemy: the dead suitors’ angry fathers…

As the hero conquers the Abyss, his transformation is complete. Like the Phoenix, a part of the hero must die so that a new part can be reborn. Fear must die to make way for courage, ignorance for enlightenment, dependency for independence. He is resurrected when he defeats this last enemy and can take a reprieve from the constant threat of fighting and danger that has plagued him for 2 decades.

As some put it, The return with the Elixir is when Odysseus and his loyal friends defeat his last threat to their survival, and peace is wrought over the entire palace and over Ithaca by Athena and the rest of the immortal gods.

Part of the Transformation or Resurrection is a Revelation, a sudden, dramatic change in the way the hero thinks or views life. This change makes him truly a different person.

After the Transformation the hero achieves Atonement, that is he is “at one” with his new self. The hero has incorporated the changes caused by the journey and is “reborn”… Peace is wrought over the Ithaca by Athena and the gods

After Transformation and Atonement, the hero faces the final stage of his journey: The Return to everyday life. Upon the return, the hero discovers his gift – Become richer and stronger Become a great leader Become spiritually enlightened.

THE SEPARATION Ordinary World The Call to Adventure Refusal of the Call Mentor The First Threshold

TESTS, ALLIES, ENEMIES APPROACH TO INMOST CAVE SUPREME ORDEAL

THE ROAD BLOCK RESURRECTION THE RETURN!