Originally posted on 10-18-08
Why use archetypal stories as a resource for defining your legacy? The Hero's Journey is a template for transformation. It is the distillation into essential elements of mythic stories, archetypal adventures, and world religions. The first part of the journey describes how the hero is personally transformed. The second part of the journey is about how the hero returns and transforms the community.
The journey has three main phases: separation-initiation-return. In a nutshell, the hero is called to a deeper life, leaves what is familiar, goes through many trials and tribulations, finds sacred helpers along the way, wins a decisive victory, and is forever transformed. She returns to the community and has powers, strengths, or gifts that she uses to then transform the culture. Her job becomes to teach from the wisdom she has gained, in whatever way is hers to teach these lessons.
Campbell describes a concept called the "world navel" as the "umbilical point through which the energies of eternity break into time (p. 41)." The hero becomes the conduit for this flow of energy. She is transformed by the journey and returns to the community with gifts that allow energy to again flow in the world. The hero feeds the people, literally or spiritually, so that the community lives and thrives. This may be represented as food for the masses, the re-greening of nature, streaming energy, or the flow of grace. This very last part of the hero's journey, the unlocking of energy, the sharing of gifts, blessings, and wisdom from the journey of transformation is what I mean by true legacy.
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