The Hero’s Journey

Home/Birth The hero’s home environment is uncomfortable (as if the hero knows something is not quite right…) The nature of the hero’s birth is questionable (as if one or both parents aren’t present)

The Stages SeparationSeparation InitiationInitiation ReturnReturn

Separation

The Call to Adventure First notice that everything is going to change, whether they understand it or not

Refusal to the Call Hero refuses the call to adventure. –This may be from a sense of duty or obligation at home, fear, insecurity, a sense of inadequacy. Hero wants his life to stay as it is currently.

Answering the Call Ultimately, the hero finds motivation to answer the call.

Supernatural Aid Once the hero has committed to the quest, consciously or unconsciously, his guide and magical helper appears or becomes known.

Meeting the Mentor Often a character who helps the hero to understand their situation. Provides the hero with special training.

Talisman Item with special significance that is presented to our hero.

Companions The hero is aided on this quest by an assortment of individuals whose personalities are often at odds with each other.

Crossing of the First Threshold Adventure begins. Leaving the known limits of his world and venturing into an unknown and dangerous realm where the rules and limits are not known. Physical transportation happens too.

Threshold Guardians People, beings or situations that block passage across the threshold of adventure They have two functions: Protect the hero from journeys he is unprepared for Point the way for the hero to begin his journey

The Belly of the Whale Final separation from the hero’s known world and new world. This is the point when the person is between or transitioning between the worlds and selves. By entering this stage, the hero shows their willingness to undergo a metamorphosis or to die.

Initiation

The Road of Trials A series of tests or ordeals that the hero must undergo to begin the transformation. –Often the person fails at first. Sometimes failure causes the hero to have to restart the quest from the beginning.

Brother Battle The hero battles, physically or emotionally, with someone who is a relative or close friend. –Could be an argument or an actual battle/fight.

Abduction Our hero is kidnapped or someone close to the hero is taken away.

Night/Sea Journey The hero’s travels take him to far-away and unknown lands across some vast and treacherous space.

Dragon Battle The hero is forced to battle some kind of monster. Sometimes, this struggle is with the hero’s inner- demons.

Ritual Death or Dismemberment The hero is injured and thought to be dead or someone close to him dies. OR hero suffers an injury in which he loses a limb or the use of another body part.

The Meeting with the Goddess Point in the adventure when the hero experiences an all- powerful, all-encompassing, unconditional love – motherly type of love.

The Sacred Marriage The Hero creates a special emotional bond with another character This union may take place entirely within the hero. –Eg. Scared former self and new, stronger self become one courageous hero.

Temptation Away from the True Path At one level, this step is about those temptations that may lead the hero to abandon or stray from his quest.

Atonement with the Father In this step the hero must confront and be initiated by whatever holds the ultimate power in his life. In many myths and stories this is the father, or a father figure who can cause life and/or death.

Atonement with the Father Although this step is most frequently symbolized as an encounter with a male entity, it does not have to be a male; just someone or something with incredible power. For the transformation to take place, the hero (as he previously was) must be “killed” so that the new self can come into being. Sometimes this killing is literal, and the earthly journey for that character is either over or moves into a different realm.

Apotheosis The apotheosize is to deify.The apotheosize is to deify. (or to make into a god)

Apotheosis When the hero suffers a physical death, he moves into a state of divine knowledge, love, compassion and bliss. If no literal death, then the hero is held up as an ideal or worshiped as if they were a god.

The Ultimate Boon The ultimate boon is the achievement of the goal of the quest. It is what the hero went on the journey to get. –Now prepared to return home.

The Ultimate Boon In many myths the boon is something like the magic elixir of life itself, or a plant that supplies immortality, the dragon’s fire or treasure, the damsel in distress, or the holy grail.

The Return

Refusal of the Return So why, when all has been achieved, the ambrosia has been drunk, and we have conversed with the gods, why come back to normal life with all its cares and woes?

Refusal of the Return This is much like the refusal to start the journey, but now the hero wonders if “roots” and “home” are necessary or is concerned how he will now fit in his previous surroundings.

Magic Flight Sometimes the hero must escape with the boon, it if is something that the gods have been jealously guarding. It can be just as adventurous and dangerous returning from the journey as it was to go on it.

Rescue From Without Just as the hero may need guides and assistants to set out on the quest, often times he or she must have powerful guides and rescuers to bring them back to everyday life, especially if the person has been wounded or weakened by the experience.

Rescue From Without Or perhaps the person doesn’t realize that it is time to return, that they can return, or that others need their boon.

The Crossing of the Return Threshold The trick in returning is to retain the wisdom gained on the quest, to integrate that wisdom into a human life, and then maybe figure out how to share the wisdom with the rest of the world. This is usually extremely difficult, especially when others find this new wisdom dangerous to their current lives.

Master of Two Worlds This step is usually represented by a transcendental hero like Jesus or Buddha.

Master of Two Worlds For a human hero, it may mean achieving a balance between the material and spiritual. The person has become comfortable and competent in both the inner and outer worlds.

Freedom to Live Mastery leads to freedom from the fear of death, which in turn is the freedom to live. This sometimes referred to as living in the moment, neither anticipating the future nor regretting the past.

Questions?