THE HERO/INE’S JOURNEY # 5

(Again apologies for how Google reformats the text.)

“Be willing to give up who you are - the old familiar

- for who you might become to reach that which is beyond you.” Rev Nachman 

THRESHOLD

“Forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair.” Kahlil Gibran

The Hero/ine now enters the Sacred Space of the Threshold.

Nature offers many open doors and windows to spirit.

 

“The meeting of oneself is, at first, the meeting of one's Shadow.” C.J. Jung

 

In Threshold we usually will encounter the dark night of the soul where we have to confront our inner fears.

The 'grail' is given by grace or less dramatically one comes back with an

enlightened idea or an aha as how to better proceed with one’s life.

For this reason, there are many hero’s journeys, some profound and some more subtle

as we slowly fine tune our paths.

Find your own means of access, the sacred space that will work for you. 

Set an inner intention but let go of specific goals - allow what comes to arise on its own.

 Do it all for its own sake, not for reason of outcome other than to allow change to happen. 

Keep it simple; do not let “stuff” like a camera, books or paraphernalia

get in the way of the experience. Keep a journal to record even the most subtle of events.

Attend to needs not wants. Provide the basic necessities only.

Allow for alone time or even go alone. 

Avoid Hard Skills. Tune in to the “Soft Fascinations;” the sun and moonsets and their risings, the scenes, the scents and aromas, the sounds or mantra of the bush, the daily

and even the monthly cycles. Connect with the Magic of the Ordinary with nature that is all around us and with the Magic of the Extraordinary if you are in wilderness.

Use any form of inner practice to support and balance you.

Inner techniques can include drumming, journaling any peak event or

dream so as to retain the details of any 'aha.' 

Avoid performance behavior and time restraints (if possible.) Five days is ideal. Stay inward not outward.

Avoid the “Need to Know” the cognitive things in order to allow the inner experience

to emerge.

REENTRY

 

"We do not go into the desert to escape people but to learn how to find them:

we do not leave them in order to have nothing more to do with them

but to find out the way to do them the most good.” Thomas Merton

The breath that created us is the same breath that created the worm and the stone

and thus we share a oneness.

Human interdependence is absolute - now more than ever.

"We are all in the same boat in a stormy sea

and we owe each other a terrible and tragic loyalty." Chesterton

The return can be jarring.

“We return to our places these kingdoms, no longer at ease here in

the same dispensation, with an alien people clutching their gods.” Journey of the Magi

As one emerges out of sacred space one may have a reentry depression

which can last a few weeks. This state is a testament to the power of the journey

as well as the insights both profound and subtle that have occurred.

It may be aggravated by the fact that one now has to return to the frustrations

of ordinary life and a place which is not ideal for reentry. Often the harder the home and work circumstances, the greater the depression. Paradoxically this depression occurs in the face of a demonstrable restorative effect. The re-entry depression seems to be a result of having been in an altered state of consciousness and upon the return there is a dramatic shift as one is propelled back into a normal state of awareness.

The alfa relaxed vibration one has been in on the journey often gives way to

sensory overload on return.  Intensifying one's spiritual practice will help

manage these fluxes. The depression is temporary and 'normal,' lasting

about three weeks.

Inner Effects

Being or feeling more like one’s true Self. An appreciation of awe, oneness, wonder, transcendence - peak or oneness experience (unity consciousness.) 

Humility and a realization that any control one thinks one has over nature or life is an illusion. 

You cannot control results only your actions. You cannot predict outcomes only your choices.

Becoming more pleasant and affable with others. 

Feelings of connection and comfort in nature even if nature was not the catalyst. 

A sense of renewal, and aliveness, feeling less cluttered, more mindful and focused. 

An appreciation of alone time.

Experiencing major life style changes on returning. Release from unskillful habits and addictions of the past from minor to major. 

Previously there may have been a greater sense of duality and on the return this duality is lessened especially if spiritual practice is maintained.

"The fundamental delusion of humanity is to pretend that I am here and you are out there." Y. Roshi

THE HERO/INE’S JOURNEY #4

“When you are inspired by some great purpose, some extraordinary project,

all your thoughts break their bonds; your mind transcends limitations,

your consciousness expands in every direction and you find yourself in a new, great and wonderful world. Dormant forces, faculties and talents become alive and you discover yourself to be a greater person by far than you ever dreamed yourself to be.” Patanjali

SEPARATION

A YEARNING FOR THE EXTRAORDINARY

“S/He who mounts a wild elephant goes where the wild elephant goes.”

R. Bournes

"A possibility is a hint from God - one must follow it."  Kierkegaard

  

S/He who would be what he ought to be must stop being what s/he is.” Meister Eckhart

“In order to possess what you do not possess you must go by the way of

dispossession. In order to arrive at what you are not you must go

through the way in which you are not.” T.S. Elliot

“…put out to sea! Save your boat’s journeying soul and your own pilgrim soul,

cost what it may.” Dom Helder Camara

To do this we need to leave our 'Safe Harbors' and take our fragile boat out into an unknown ocean of our fears - physical, emotional, psychological and spiritual. 

“The cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek.” Joseph Campbell

The Hero's journey can arise from a yearning for the extraordinary but resistances need

to be overcome. Inner resistances arise as do outer pressures from love ones' or peers

that are concerned for you or maybe envious that they 

do not have the courage to undertake what you are about to do. 

"And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom." Anais Nin

Usually one is given an object of power. In days of old it might have been a sword to

kill the dragon or wolf that was marauding the village - today - a soldier willing to die for a cause.

Now it is more likely to be an inspirational lecture, workshop, book or person who has induced you to embark on your own journey.

Classically one would enter sacred space (the Threshold) in order to separate.

Nature, wild places and wilderness are preferred environments since they offer

the possibility of being more numinous and luminous.

“The sun shines not on us but in us. The river flows not past but through us.” J Muir

Whatever the space chosen it is good to go into nature in one way or another for more

or less time to experience the metaphors, signs, messages and power animals that may

assist. In South Africa game viewers talk about

the "Big Five" (lion, leopard, elephant, rhino, buffalo)

but the metaphors usually come out of observing the smaller Beings

of Nature including the rocks, plants, trees and tiny animals.

“Believe one who knows; you will find something greater in the woods than in books. Trees and stones will teach you that which you can never learn from the masters.” St. Bernard de Clairvaux

 

“Ask of the wild animals and they shall teach you and the birds of the sky

shall tell it to you or speak to the earth for she shall guide you

and the fishes of the sea will declare it to you.” Job

 

If we immerse in nature we may experience the magic of the ordinary or even

"Wilderness Rapture" (equivalent to Maslow's Peak Experience) which can assist in the Threshold phase.

It is best to go on your own or be alone for the experience.

“You enter the forest at the darkest point, where there is no path.
Where there is a way or path, it is someone else's path.
You are not on your own path. If you follow someone else's way,
you are not going to realize your potential.”
Joseph Campbell

God wants you to be truly you!

Above is the classical hero's journey but we may just as well be forced on the path by some calamity. When this is the case its important to formulate the challenge into a these more formal three phases to better actualize and realize the power of the archetype.

If so, we are more likely to recognize the 'Grail' or 'Aha' that may come out of it.

For instance, a woman who embarks on a heroine's journey because of breast cancer and then, in Threshold, makes a promise that when she prevails she will assist other women going through the same.

 

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.