Order of Paladins Lesson : 18 The Hero’s Journey copyright 2013 Kerr Cuhulain

Order of PaladinsOrder of Paladins

Lesson : 18

The Hero’s Journey

copyright 2013 Kerr Cuhulaincopyright 2013 Kerr Cuhulain

Warrior’s AdmonitionWarrior’s Admonition

Your body is your temple: Care for it!Your body is your temple: Care for it!Do not engage in useless activity.Do not engage in useless activity.Listen to the Goddess.Listen to the Goddess.Help thyself.Help thyself.You create your own reality.You create your own reality.The Warrior’s path is creativity.The Warrior’s path is creativity.A serene path to enlightenment.A serene path to enlightenment.Know thyself.Know thyself.Master thyself.Master thyself.Create your own reality.Create your own reality.Nurture the ability to perceive the truth in all matters.Nurture the ability to perceive the truth in all matters.Perceive that which cannot be seen with the eye.Perceive that which cannot be seen with the eye.Learn from your mistakes.Learn from your mistakes.Teach thyself.Teach thyself.Create your own reality.Create your own reality.Do not be negligent, even in trifling mattersDo not be negligent, even in trifling mattersGrace and guilt do not exist: Grace and guilt do not exist: Strive for responsibility.Strive for responsibility.Honor thyself.Honor thyself.Create your own reality.Create your own reality.


13 Precepts:13 Precepts:

1.1. Know thyself.Know thyself.2.2. Nurture the ability to perceive the truth in all matters.Nurture the ability to perceive the truth in all matters.3.3. You create your own reality.You create your own reality.4.4. Develop a sense of Right Action.Develop a sense of Right Action.5.5. Do not be negligent, even in trifling matters.Do not be negligent, even in trifling matters.6.6. Your body is your temple: Care for it!Your body is your temple: Care for it!7.7. Minimal appearance, maximum content.Minimal appearance, maximum content.8.8. Perceive that which cannot be seen with the eye.Perceive that which cannot be seen with the eye.9.9. Power with.Power with.10.10. Who dares wins.Who dares wins.11.11. The Gods cannot help those who will not help themselves.The Gods cannot help those who will not help themselves.12.12. Be creative!Be creative!13.13. Do not engage in useless activity.Do not engage in useless activity.


Code of Chivalry:Code of Chivalry:

All members of the Order of Paladins must live according to the principles of chivalry, All members of the Order of Paladins must live according to the principles of chivalry, which include: which include:

SinceritySincerity.. CourtesyCourtesy.. CompassionCompassion.. PerseverancePerseverance.. IndustriousnessIndustriousness.. JusticeJustice.. LoyaltyLoyalty. . Courage.Courage. Self-Discipline.Self-Discipline. Humility.Humility. LargesseLargesse. . Truth.Truth. HonorHonor


Hint:Hint: Refer to the notes pages in this Power Refer to the notes pages in this Power

Point presentation for more in-depth Point presentation for more in-depth information on the subject of each slide.information on the subject of each slide.


The Hero’s JourneyThe Hero’s Journey

From the Vedas:

“Truth is one. The sages call it by many names.”


Hero QuestHero Quest

The modern The modern Warrior/Hero’s Warrior/Hero’s quest is to find quest is to find himselfhimself. To find . To find his soul. his soul.

Cuchullain


Hero Quest Purpose: Hero Quest Purpose: MasteryMastery

As I told you in the Squire level of training: As I told you in the Squire level of training: Master yourself and everything else will take Master yourself and everything else will take care of itself. care of itself.

As Campbell puts it: “Man himself is now the As Campbell puts it: “Man himself is now the crucial mystery... A transmutation of the entire crucial mystery... A transmutation of the entire social order is necessary, so that through every social order is necessary, so that through every detail and act of secular life the vitalizing image detail and act of secular life the vitalizing image of the universal god-man who is actually of the universal god-man who is actually immanent and effective in all of us may be immanent and effective in all of us may be somehow made known to the consciousness.”somehow made known to the consciousness.”


MasteryMastery

I summarize mastery of the elements like I summarize mastery of the elements like this:this: Wind and waterWind and water Flow aroundFlow around Fire and StoneFire and Stone Hold your groundHold your ground Mind and spiritMind and spirit Holds them bound.Holds them bound.


Hero’s QuestHero’s Quest

““The modern hero,” Campbell tells us, “the The modern hero,” Campbell tells us, “the modern individual, who dares to heed the call modern individual, who dares to heed the call and seek the mansion of that presence with and seek the mansion of that presence with whom it is our whole destiny to be atoned, whom it is our whole destiny to be atoned, cannot, indeed must not, wait for his cannot, indeed must not, wait for his community to cast off its slough of pride, fear, community to cast off its slough of pride, fear, rationalized avarice, and sanctified rationalized avarice, and sanctified misunderstanding. ‘Live,’ Nietzsche says, ‘as misunderstanding. ‘Live,’ Nietzsche says, ‘as though the day were here.’ It is not society that though the day were here.’ It is not society that is to guide and save the creative here, but is to guide and save the creative here, but precisely the reverse.” precisely the reverse.”


Hero Quest: StagesHero Quest: Stages

The mythical quest of the hero, as The mythical quest of the hero, as reflected in our Order’s three levels of reflected in our Order’s three levels of training, has three stages: training, has three stages: Separation, Separation, Initiation, and Initiation, and Return. Return.


Hero Quest: 1Hero Quest: 1

The first, separation, is the Squire The first, separation, is the Squire making a decision to leave the world making a decision to leave the world they’ve known up to know and follow they’ve known up to know and follow a new path, the Warrior path, and a new path, the Warrior path, and forge their own reality. Their first forge their own reality. Their first task is, as Campbell puts it, “to task is, as Campbell puts it, “to retreat from the world scene of retreat from the world scene of secondary effects to those causal secondary effects to those causal zones of the psyche where the zones of the psyche where the difficulties really reside and there to difficulties really reside and there to clarify these difficulties and eradicate clarify these difficulties and eradicate them.” them.”



The second task, initiation, is about The second task, initiation, is about discovering one’s power and becoming a discovering one’s power and becoming a Knight. Knight.



And the third, return, is And the third, return, is about mastering that about mastering that knowledge and bringing knowledge and bringing it back to share with their it back to share with their peers and the greater peers and the greater community. For today’s community. For today’s community is no longer community is no longer the nation, tribe, etc. the nation, tribe, etc. Today’s community is Today’s community is the the planetplanet..


MythMyth

You can’t suppress myth. Like water, it You can’t suppress myth. Like water, it will find its way out. It is within us, and if will find its way out. It is within us, and if we let it out it can transform us. We we let it out it can transform us. We encourage our Knights to experience encourage our Knights to experience myth, to see how it works through them, myth, to see how it works through them, inspiring, informing and empowering inspiring, informing and empowering them to become greater than they were.them to become greater than they were.


““Old Time Religion”Old Time Religion”

This isn’t about going back to “old time religion”. Many This isn’t about going back to “old time religion”. Many people, faced with the terrors and frustrations of people, faced with the terrors and frustrations of modern life, try to turn back to established religions modern life, try to turn back to established religions seeking comfort and reassurance. They try to cling to seeking comfort and reassurance. They try to cling to what worked in the past, not realizing that what worked what worked in the past, not realizing that what worked 2000 years ago no longer works in todays’ world. The 2000 years ago no longer works in todays’ world. The world’s great religions can no longer meet people’s world’s great religions can no longer meet people’s needs. As Joseph Campbell told us in his book needs. As Joseph Campbell told us in his book The The Hero With A Thousand FacesHero With A Thousand Faces: “[The world’s great : “[The world’s great religions] have become associated with the causes of religions] have become associated with the causes of the factions as instruments of propaganda and self the factions as instruments of propaganda and self congratulation.”congratulation.”


Making MythsMaking Myths

That isn’t what we’re doing here. You That isn’t what we’re doing here. You cannot make the required changes by cannot make the required changes by turning your back on the future or turning turning your back on the future or turning away from progress. You can’t walk away from progress. You can’t walk backwards into the future. backwards into the future.

Neither do you want to ignore the past. Neither do you want to ignore the past. We’re using ancient myths here to inspire We’re using ancient myths here to inspire us to make modern myth come alive.us to make modern myth come alive.


Perilous GlenPerilous Glen

In the myth of In the myth of Cuchullain’s journey Cuchullain’s journey to Scáthach’s island, to Scáthach’s island, one of the last one of the last obstacles that he obstacles that he encounters is the encounters is the Perilous Glen. This Perilous Glen. This glen is full of glen is full of whatever things one whatever things one fears the most. fears the most.


GuardiansGuardians

When you journeyed to When you journeyed to Caer Paladin Caer Paladin (Lesson 3) (Lesson 3) oror Eilean a' Cheo (Lesson Eilean a' Cheo (Lesson 11, pictured in this map) 11, pictured in this map) you may have you may have encountered beings in the encountered beings in the form of animals or form of animals or “guardians” that stood “guardians” that stood between you and your between you and your objectiveobjective


GuardiansGuardians

Myth is full of Myth is full of monsters and monsters and guardians that come guardians that come between the hero between the hero and her quest and her quest


GuardiansGuardians

Such frightening guardian Such frightening guardian figures are commonly figures are commonly found around Buddhist found around Buddhist templestemples


Celtic GuardiansCeltic Guardians

The ancient Celts The ancient Celts used to take the used to take the heads of their heads of their enemies and enemies and display them display them around their sacred around their sacred sites. This is yet sites. This is yet another form of the another form of the same thing.same thing.


OurOur Perilous Glen Perilous Glen

So right now, we’re So right now, we’re going to create our going to create our own version of this own version of this myth of the myth of the Perilous Glen, right Perilous Glen, right outside of Caer outside of Caer PaladinPaladin


Our Perilous GlenOur Perilous Glen

Right here


GuardiansGuardians

I want you to I want you to think of the think of the fearful things fearful things that you had to that you had to overcome to overcome to achieve your achieve your Knighthood … Knighthood …


GuardiansGuardians

I want you to I want you to come up with come up with a symbol of a symbol of those fearful those fearful things…things…


GuardiansGuardians

… … and then put and then put that symbol that symbol outside the east outside the east entrance gate of entrance gate of Caer Paladin as Caer Paladin as a “guardian”.a “guardian”.


GuardiansGuardians

By placing symbols/avatars of your fears By placing symbols/avatars of your fears outside the gates you are doing several outside the gates you are doing several

things:things:copyright 2013 Kerr Cuhulaincopyright 2013 Kerr Cuhulain

GuardiansGuardians

You’re leaving a You’re leaving a symbol of your symbol of your achievement for all achievement for all to seeto see


GuardiansGuardians

You’re “populating” our “Perilous Glen” with You’re “populating” our “Perilous Glen” with fearful guardians that newcomers will fearful guardians that newcomers will encounter. No doubt many of them will encounter. No doubt many of them will recognize these guardians as they’ll have recognize these guardians as they’ll have identical or similar fears to face in identical or similar fears to face in theirtheir quest. quest. Hopefully this will show them that they’re not Hopefully this will show them that they’re not alone in facing such things.alone in facing such things.


GuardiansGuardians You’re also You’re also

reminding reminding yourself of what yourself of what you’ve achieved you’ve achieved and what you’ve and what you’ve got to watch out got to watch out forfor


GuardiansGuardians

At the same time At the same time these guardians these guardians will discourage any will discourage any “wannabes”“wannabes”


Lesson 18 AssignmentLesson 18 Assignment

Create Guardians to place outside of Create Guardians to place outside of Caer PaladinCaer Paladin


Order of PaladinsOrder of Paladins

Be Glorious!


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Order of Paladins Lesson : 18 The Hero’s Journey copyright 2013 Kerr Cuhulain