The Hero’s Journey: A Path to Personal Growth and Spiritual Awakening

The Hero's Journey is an archetypal story structure found in stories throughout history, from monomyths to Hollywood blockbusters. Joseph Campbell coined the term "The Hero's Journey" based on his study of stories through time and the phases he discovered all stories go through. Every story that has stood the test of time can be broken down into the structure of the hero’s journey, the reason being, it follows a pattern that mirrors the process of personal growth and spiritual evolution we all continually go through.

The hero's journey resonates with our human experience, it is the journey we go through in life on macro and micro levels, repeatedly - a call to adventure, a guide, challenges, triumph, integration and a return home anew - whether it's a physical, psychological or spiritual journey, this is our process. By understanding and embracing the 12 steps of the Hero's Journey, we can be intentional in embarking on a profound exploration in our own lives as the hero, seeking self-discovery, overcoming obstacles, and ultimately returning home, or back to self, transformed.

12 Stages of the Hero’s Journey

Step 1: The Ordinary World Every hero's journey begins in the ordinary world, where the hero experiences a sense of stagnation and yearning for something more. They feel a deep desire for change, growth, and connection with the soul. The hero may feel comfortable in their routine or be compelled to challenge societal norms that hinder their evolution.

Step 2: The Call The call to adventure is the knock on the door, the message that initiates the hero's journey. It can be an opportunity eagerly awaited or a daunting challenge. The hero must consciously choose to embark on this transformative quest, even if they initially feel ill-equipped or face resistance from within or external forces.

Step 3: Refusal of the Call Before fully committing to the journey, the hero often faces fear, uncertainty, and self-doubt. They may wrestle with the decision to leave the known and step into the unknown. However, avoiding or delaying the call only allows problems to grow larger, both internally and externally.

Step 4: Meeting the Mentor/Guide Guidance from a mentor or guide becomes essential in navigating the transformative journey. The mentor provides inspiration, courage, and wisdom, helping the hero overcome their fears and limitations. Through training and discipline, the hero develops the necessary skills to delve deeper into their subconscious and embrace their shadow self.

Step 5: Crossing the Threshold Crossing the threshold signifies the hero's transition from the ordinary world into the special world of self-discovery and growth. It represents a point of no return, where the hero's perspective shifts, and they have to face the internal and external challenges and tests that await them. This courageous act requires the hero to confront the unknown, face their inner demons, and venture into unexplored territories. On this path that will forever change them, their ordinary life fades into the background, and they enter a realm where the boundaries of possibility expand.

Step 6: Tests, Allies, and Enemies Within the special world, or the subconscious realm, the hero encounters tests, allies, and enemies that reflect the duality within themselves. These challenges may be both internal and external, testing the hero's resolve, character, and most importantly beliefs. As I think, so I feel, so I act. Forming alliances and communities becomes crucial for support and collective growth.

Step 7: The Approach The hero reaches the innermost cave, facing the heart of their inner conflict. This stage is defined by their most difficult task, involving travelling and some kind of approach, where they face their final acceptance that there is no going back from the challenge in front of them. It requires making difficult choices and distinguishing between what is right and what is easy, demanding deep introspection and a resolute commitment to the transformative journey.

Step 8: The Ordeal - Death and Rebirth The hero faces a profound event that leads to their symbolic death and rebirth. This ordeal represents hitting rock bottom or facing a seemingly insurmountable challenge. Through this experience, the hero undergoes a transformative process, emerging stronger and wiser, equipped with newfound tools and skills.

Step 9: The Reward/ The Elixir/ Revelation/ Seizing the Sword As a result of overcoming the ordeal, the hero receives a reward or elixir. This reward may be tangible or symbolic, representing internal growth, self-discovery, and elevated consciousness. The hero moves away from victimhood, aligning with their inner power and claiming their own resources.

Step 10: The Road Back Having obtained the reward, the hero embarks on the road back to their ordinary world. They utilize their newfound wisdom, skills, and insights to face similar challenges and obstacles encountered on their return. The hero's purpose now includes raising the collective consciousness and sharing the rewards of their journey with their community.

Step 11: Resurrection The hero goes through a period of introspection, reflecting upon their experiences and integrating the lessons, mastering their two worlds. Through the merging of their old and new self, they learn how to share the lessons and wisdom gained during their journey. This resurrection allows the hero to inspire others, serving as a testament to the possibilities of personal growth and transformation.

Step 12: Return Back Home The hero returns to the ordinary world, forever changed by their journey. They bring their transformed self and newfound wisdom into their everyday life, integrating their experiences into their existence. Although physically back home, the hero remains connected to the profound insights and expanded consciousness gained throughout their heroic journey.

UNDERSTANDING YOUR HERO'S JOURNEY

The 12 stages of the Hero's journey is a cycle, returning to the place we started changed and evolved; levelled up. This cycle is a natural flow of universal energy, either we embrace change or we resist it, but by resisting the call you cut yourself off from that universal energy, source, creation. As spiritual beings, we are here to evolve and transform, we do so that on a greater scale, the universe can evolve and transform. When we deny ourselves the pursuit of our call, our evolution, we stop ourselves from living in integrity with our truest selves. Our hero's journey is sacred, woven into our existential energy, chosen by our spiritual being before we entered this life. Our ability to embrace the journey and find our flow sets the tone for our energetic resonance - to remain balanced and attuned through the chaos of life.

Recognizing the patterns in the stages and how they manifest in your life allows you to see your own experience and to respond to the universe's call-to-action and triumph. Beyond that, it helps you understand your role in other people's journeys. Guide, ally, test, we play these roles in other people's stories all the time. Recognizing your role in other people's journeys allows you to become an active positive participant, and help raise the consciousness of others and the collective. Everyone has their own journey, we can guide, but we can not control others. Understand your impact in their story so you can be accountable for how you influence their journey.

The Hero's Journey serves as a powerful framework for understanding and mapping our personal life journeys and spiritual growth. By consciously embracing the 12 steps, we embark on a transformative quest that leads us to self-discovery, overcoming obstacles, and integrating growth so we can ultimately return home transformed. As we navigate our own hero's journey and others' as well, let us remember that the challenges we face are opportunities for growth, and the rewards we obtain are not only personal but contribute to elevating our collective consciousness.

Always Love

-S

Photo by Clemens van Lay on Unsplash