THE HERO/INE’S JOURNEY # 3

"This above all, to thine own Self be true and it must follow, as the night

follows the day, thou canst not then be false to any man." Shakespeare

"Be what you is, coz if you be what you aint, you aint what you is."

 Tombstone in Arizona

 Nature or wilderness is a preferred environment

for the Hero's journey. Whether preferred or not,

the 'Magic of the Ordinary' in Nature can always be used as a catalyst or metaphor for change (a bird, an animal,

a spider's web.)

A. Van Gennep studied rites of passage, any recognized these three phases.

Separation - Threshold - Incorporation 

       A. Van Gennep 

Joseph Campbell eloquently confirmed them.

 

"The Hero ventures forth from the world of common day; into a region

of supernatural wonder. 

(Separation). 

Fabulous forces are there encountered and a decisive victory is won. 

(Threshold).

The Hero comes back from this mysterious adventure with the power to bestow boons

on his fellow humans. " 

(Incorporation). 

The ultimate Hero's journey is aligned with a search for the Self which is also linked

to our true destiny or at least, at first, our core strength. Our destiny may come later.

This process can help us connect with the Four Basic Archetypes each one of which,

can carry many faces and expressions.

Healer

Teacher

Warrior

Visionary

The Teacher may teach through any medium...

The Warrior may be a CEO. or a visionary...

The Visionary, an artist, musician, shaman...

The Healer a wilderness guide or body worker...

Before the initiator process we may be doing the same work as after the journey but doing it in a different way, in helping others.

"Before enlightenment, cut wood, carry water. 

After enlightenment, chop wood carry water." Zen teaching

The Four Yogas

"May the hero awaken from forgetfulness and transcend all anxiety and sorrow.”
Upanishads

The yogi (or anyone) may also embrace the Hero's journey on the path to Self Realization or Enlightenment.

There are four basic yogas just as there are four basic destiny archetypes.

Karma yoga is the yoga of service with mindfulness (the Mother Theresa archetype.) 

Bhakti yoga is devotional yoga – love of the Creator (David, the psalmist or the Sufi poet archetype.) 

Jnana yoga is the intellectual pursuit of knowledge of the scriptures (or the teacher archetype.) 

Raja yoga is the path of the Buddha and that of control of the mind with meditation 

- the most challenging of the paths.

Self-realization and Hero can be achieved through any one of these four yogas.

The search for one's destiny is the search of one's life. Stay on the scent, stick to the spoor.

Its important to realize that many of us have more than one core or signature strength but only one true destiny given by the Creator that no one else can fulfill. However, those so gifted may get confused because they have strengths in all four archetypes -

Healer, Teacher, Warrior, Visionary

(or any of the four yogas.) 

The strengths that we have in the other archetypes are there to support the one.

The power is in the one! This is the challenge of being a jack of all trades

and true master of none. We will be accountable to fulfilling our single unique talent.

 

“When you find you place where you are, (your true purpose) practice begins.“ Dogen

It is important to distinguish between the Warrior archetype

and the Hero archetype.

The Hero brings back the "grail" to the community by fulfilling all three stages.

"We make a living by what we get (Warrior,)

we make a life by what we give (Hero.)" W. Churchill 

The Warrior completes Separation and Threshold but not the Incorporation phase.

S/he rather keeps the grail for him/herself, the family, the corporation or institution...

We have all have had many Warrior journeys, fewer Hero ones.

It is never to late to actualize a prior Warrior’s journey into

a Hero’s journey. It is worthwhile revisiting those that may have had

that potential. and see what 'Aha' we may have ignored on the path. However, it probably will require another Hero’s journey to fine tune the prior experience.

There is usually more more than one Hero's journey. The way is not an easy.

 

THE HEO/INES JOURNEY

SACRED SPACE #2

Only to the white man was nature a 'wilderness'

and only to him was it 'infested' with 'wild' animals and 'savage' people.

To us it was tame. Earth was bountiful and we were surrounded with

the blessings of the Great Mystery."  

Luther Standing Bear

The Vision Quest of the Native Americans is a hero's journey

that always occurs in wilderness.

Other indigenous peoples have had their own initiations

and classically the Hero's journey was taken in wilderness

which is the preferred environment.

Many great spiritual, scriptural figures immersed in it for

40 days and 40 nights.

However, Nature can always be called upon no matter

who the hero/ine or their process may be.

 It its important to realize that the path is like a cybernetic

negative feedback mechanism. We are always going a bit wrong in order

to go right. We turn left, make a mistake and then go 'right.'

Sometimes we initially land up in the wrong place but

we learn the lesson and move forward as in;

I'm not lost, I'm just searching!

Alternatively we can look at the journey as a treasure hunt where

we listen and look for clues in a relaxed, meditative

space. The first clue my lead us to the next clue. The next

clue may seemingly lead us in the wrong direction

but if we ignore it we might not find the following crucial clue.

The process is convoluted and confusing.

"Anyone who isn't confused here

really does not understand what is going on." Unknown

 SACRED SPACE AND THE HERO

The journey requires that we undertake the task in sacred space.

This space can be found purely within our inner being or outside of us

in nature.

Sacred space can be created anywhere by going

'inward' into handling a crisis situation - taking the crap

with the motive of making it into manure. Rather than be a quest

for the extraordinary it may be prompted by a kick in the rear

such as loss of a loved one, one's job or one's health.

For instance someone who is threatened with life threatening disease

can catalyze the process using the three phases of the hero/ine's journey.

Separation - Threshold - Incorporation

by catalyzing the misfortune into a positive outcome.

If they are cured or healed they can utilize the 'grail' in being

able to help those going through similar calamities or ...

for something else where they help the planet.

Nature is a room with many doors and windows to spirit

that can help us find the middle way of the Buddha.

HARD SKILLS VS.  SOFT FASCINATIONS

By silencing speech we may hear the spirit voices of the rocks, plants 

and trees and listen to the song in the winds and rivers.

God's voice is heard with the heart in response to its yearnings.

Nature can provide all the needed polarities for change:

clear/confused, up/down, exhausted/rested, terrified/tranquil, hungry/satiated,

thirsty/quenched, dark/light, sun/moon, day/night and much more.

Most folks these days use nature as a playground for going 'Outward' rather 

than 'Inward' and practicing their

hard skills or working out. However it is within Nature's Soft Fascinations

 that we can listen to our inner voice

 or those of our guides and depending on our purity and inclination;

the 'soft, silent, still voice' of the Divine or Jesus.

The 'Soft' include; the scenes, sunsets, sunrises, moon sets and moon rises.

The mantra of the bush - a creek running by, the wind in the trees and bird songs.

The aromas and scents. The daily and seasonal changes. The longer we are out

the more profound the effect and the ability to enter a relaxed, alfa state

of consciousness where we receive insights and or instructional dreams.

The less we have between ourselves and nature the more powerful 

the wilderness effect and the possibility of deep insights.

Nature can offer all the challenges as well as

the remedies that we require. She also inspires the senses

which can assist us on the path.

"Nature is not only all that is visible to the eye...

It also includes the inner pictures of the soul." Edward Munch

The search for one's destiny is also part of the soul's quest for meaning.

The Hero/ine's journey is about finding meaning by giving back to the planet -

not only to the Talking Beings, but also according to one's preference

the Still, Growing or Wild Beings.

This differs from the Warrior's journey which fulfills the first two stages only.

The Warrior keeps the 'Grail' for his or herself - the hero gives it away. There are

countless Warriors, fewer Heros.

 

THE HERO/INE'S JOURNEY, DESTINY AND KARMA #1

(Again apologies for Google's muddling with the spacing.)

The recent blogs had to do with finding joy and happiness in life which also

is a karmic requirement.

"Joy is not incidental to one's spiritual path but vital." Rev Nachman

Karma requires not only that we have happiness in our lives but also that we

fulfill our God given destiny, purpose or mission that we have been given

by the Creator.

The other demands of Karma are to do no harm

to any of the Four Beings of Nature, subordinate ego,

and love and be able to honor the divinity in all Beings.

THE HERO/INES JOURNEY CAN HELP US FIND OUR DESTINY

Our destiny is preordained but not predestined. Free will allows choice

and so it may take us many life times to find it.

We have to manage the cards we are given

by our respective fates and the opportunities that we make of them.

Finding our true destiny is a karmic requirement but once realized

we are also required to carry it out within the laws of spirit.

There is a direct link with destiny, the search for the Self

and the Hero/ine’s quest for his/her archetype, mission or purpose.    

The Hero/ine's journey can help us find who

we really are or at least assist us in discovering our core strength/s.

There may be more than just one Hero's journey.

The first one or ones that we take

may be the most impactful and lead the way. We can also look

at our prior warriors' journeys

to see if there was an 'Aha' that was ignored or forgotten.

We still have the potentialto turn this or these into a hero's journey.

We are all totally unique and each of us has a special role in helping the planet.

The Creator want to co-create with us. There are things that

S/He requires us to manifest which the Supreme Being cannot.

Kabbalah looks to the metaphor

of the creation of bread. God gives us the potential ingredients

but we then have to make the bread. Yeast - another representation

of divine power makes the bread 'Rise'

as we do when we rise into our destiny and help the planet. 

Our calamities and crises can also be opportunities for growth depending on

how we look at them and what we do with them.

We have to find our own way and merely following a path

fashioned by others will mitigate against our karma.

“It must be a poor life that achieves freedom from fear.” Aldo Leopold

Fear implies a threat that can cause distress or a flight or fight reaction -

or even eustress - good stress. In the latter the stress actually is enjoyable.

Some folks strive on stress.

Those who have further to go will gain more as long as the fear is not overwhelming

and debilitating.

The mission of the armed forces is one on cultivating efficient warriors

who can and may become heroes. The military manipulate stress and fear in their training 

by; increasing the complexity of risk, decreasing the time to complete the task

and not informing of what to expect. 

The causes of fear can be described as; loss to life or limb,

organ or function, the deep, the dark, the steep, superstitious and religious,

and the unknown.

The most critical of all is social fear from threats to the ego. 

Shame can be totally debilitating.

Those on a Hero's journey, however, will face meaningful fear

- not fear just for the sake of fear itself. 

There is no manipulation it arises of its own accord.

There can be no growth without conflict.

Fear is always part of all three phases of the journey.

Courage is to have fear but do it anyway.

“Accept surprises that upset your plans, shatter your dreams,

give a completely different turn to your day

and who knows, your life.

Leave the Father free to weave the pattern of your days.”

Dom Helder Camara

 

“If we are willing to open up to it then it is just the unknown,

the unplanned, the unexpected, the unfamiliar which can best teach us.

In the tiny prefix “un” which so often spells trouble,

lies the potential for change, for the new, for the hitherto

unconsidered, unimagined, unrealized.”  R. Hinshaw

It's not easy to find one's destiny - very few of us are congruent

with who we truly are.

There are so many temptations and enticements to distract us.