The Hero's Journey
by Jean Houston

Since our earliest ancestors wandered out of Africa, we have been on a journey. With it has come all manner of daring and adventure, growth and pain, discovery and learning. We seem always drawn toward the horizon of the possible, led by the fire of our creative passion and the expansive yearning of our hearts. Something, it seems, is constantly luring us toward the next challenge—and the next, and the next after that. This strange enticer has the power to draw us from the familiar comfort of home and routine into the dangers of the unknown. Some call it God, others age-old human instinct, and some name it the Universe itself, seeking, through us, the expression of its highest attainment. In this game we call the force the Wild Divine.

As you take this journey through the Wild Divine you will be discovering something of that evolutionary consciousness by learning new capacities of body, mind and spirit. You may even find yourself moving beyond old habits and ways of being, and growing new ones in their place. You will gradually come to understand your extended body and your amplified mind, and grow a more compassionate heart. You will become a citizen in a universe that matches your highest aspirations, one as complex as your truest dreams. In the bargain you also become a member of that great band of heroes and heroines who embark on an epic journey of transformation and discovery.

In his great work The Hero with a Thousand Faces, Joseph Campbell examines the vast archive of the world's stories that chronicle the journey of the hero. A general pattern emerges from these stories, a similarity in theme and sequence among the sacred myths of countless times and cultures. It begins with a mysterious call to action—something that beckons the hero to leave her familiar, and limiting, surroundings in search of a new and more promising place or way of life. But the hero first rejects the call because she is not ready—she doesn't feel herself worthy, or she is loath to leave her family and way of life. When she finally spurs herself to action, the hero then tries to cross a magical threshold into an unknown realm of amplified power. In the traditional journeys, this stage involves leaving the world of ordinary reality and entering the inner, visionary realms.

However, at this point the hero's way is blocked by a malevolent being that guards the new realm. This being—or beast—seeks to deflect the hero from her journey by either vanquishing her or bringing her to his side, which entails brainwashing her with his negativity, pessimism, tyranny, and fear of anything new. Often the hero discovers that the real beast lies within herself, showing its wickedness through adherence to old and restrictive habits, and a refusal to acknowledge her innate power to effect change. In order to finally cross the threshold into a higher form of existence one must dissolve these habits. This takes a change of consciousness—the most important aspect of the hero's journey.

Changing one's consciousness is a daunting task, at least from the outside. But every hero knows in her heart that it can, and must, be done. When she has steeled herself to the task, she begins to learn new skills involving heretofore hidden potentials of mind and body. She also works to free herself from fear and judgment, two things that can defeat her no matter how much she has changed. Once these things are accomplished, the hero crosses the threshold, but, alas, is here swallowed whole by the unknown—be it another beast, a sarcophagus, a cave, or simply the collective fear of the masses around her.

Here the hero must dissolve her old identity, remaking herself into a stronger, smarter, more enlightened form in order to escape her prison. Her transformation involves an integration of all the lessons she has learned so far in the journey. Once she has done this she emerges unwittingly into a hotbed of trials. This is the time when the hero is tested. More evil creatures, sorcerers practicing black magic, packs of wild animals, tempests and chasms—all or some of these obstacles can be expected to put the hero through her paces. Of course she is doubtful she can prevail over such adversaries, but with the help of her new powers and a few important allies—sorcerers practicing white magic, great friendly creatures—she does, eventually, succeed.

Finally, the hero is recognized by the Creator, God/Goddess, or Higher Consciousness. This recognition opens the door for the hero to achieve union with the higher self within…what we call the Wild Divine. When the hero returns intact from her journey, stronger, wiser, filled with unbounded benevolence, she is considered a Master of Two Worlds, a peace warrior able to bring the healing power of the mythic world into the graying world of ordinary space and time.