A Heroine’s Journey
My understanding of the structure of a storyline came into focus a year or two ago when I read about the Hero’s Journey. Every story ever told contains the hero(ine)’s journey because every life contains one – or has the possibility of one. We arrive on earth with the purpose of completing our story through the heroine’s journey. It sits before us like an invitation to an awesome event, but not everyone will RSVP yes.
By definition the Heroine’s Journey is the supreme challenge. It contains many trials and tribulations that test our resilience, our creativity and our courage in facing our fears. Ultimately we return with the “Golden Chalice” and claim our reward – that of deeper understanding of existence and greater acceptance of our place in it. Or we live life in the cubicle, too afraid to enter the innermost cave. It’s dark in there. There might be monsters.
And like all Heroine Journeys, if you return from the ordeal without having learned from the experience, you are doomed to repeat the adventure.
So I’ve been quiet recently and focusing to understand the nature of the journey. Why me? Not even because of he journey itself, but the utter ludicrous events that propelled it. No one had ever been through quite that set of circumstances. Once again, I was in complete solitude without the support of even my peers around me. No one knew what I was going through.
The journey is always made in solitude. You never see mythical characters setting out with cohorts, or when they do, the companions all die or abandon the protagonist so she is left to her own resources.
Even after the return from the ordeal, the journey may not be over. What to do with the learning and knowledge. The drive is to share and to guide others to their own mythical journey but first the fear and shame must be negotiated. Which is actually the work of the curious traveler. Awareness ca =n never be found when hidden beneath self-denigration. [contact-form]
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