The Hero’s Journey

The Hero’s JourneyWhat is it? Why is it important to

understand?https://

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hhk4N9A0oCA

Hero’s Journey and OdysseyCall to Adventure

Odysseus and the Greek leaders are called to battle Troy.

Refusal of the CallOdysseus acts insane, until he must stop to

protect his son.Supernatural/Mentor’s Assistance

Athena aids both Odysseus and Telemachus. And Telemachus is literally aided by Mentor!

Crossing the Threshold/DepartureOdysseus leaves Ithaca to head to Troy.Odysseus leaves Calypso’s island.

The Call to AdventureThe Hero learns that he must leave the

known world behind and venture to unknown regions. How the Hero reacts to the call to adventure varies.

The Herald is a person, message, or crystallizing incident that sets the Hero/Protagonist on the path of adventure.

"Nothing interesting happened in The Protagonist's life... until, one day, X stumbled into her world and changed it forever."

Refusal of the CallEvents then conspire to force

them to accept the call, and in a good number of cases, the events in question hit home in a very tragic fashion.

“Alderaan? I'm not going to Alderaan. I've got to go home. It's late, I'm in for it as it is!”“There's nothing here for me now.”

Supernatural/Mentor’s AidThe Hero receives gifts and/or knowledge

from a powerful being, such as a respectful, wise figure or a supernatural one.

The gift in question will be special, powerful, magical, and in most cases is vital.

Crossing the ThresholdAKA: “Down the Rabbit Hole”The conscious, willing decision to embark on

the adventure and leave the known world behind.

The Hero takes that first step into the unknown, crossing into the “new world,” their first encounter with the unfamiliar.

The Matrix: All Four in One Scene“You take the blue pill, the story ends. You

wake up in your bed and believe whatever you want to believe. You take the red pill, you stay in wonderland, and I show you how deep the rabbit hole goes.”

Road of TrialsA series of tests, tasks, or

ordeals that the person must undergo to begin the transformation

Often the person fails one or more of these tests, which often occur in threes.

External and InternalTrials

Temptationthe hero faces those temptations,

often of a physical or pleasurable nature, that may lead him or her to abandon or stray from his or her quest

Original title of “Woman as Temptation” is because the Woman is a metaphor for the physical or material temptations of life

Ultimate BoonThe goal of the journey is achieved. It is what

the person went on the journey to get. All the previous steps serve to prepare and purify the person for this step.

The boon can be an event/victory, an item, a concept (love, freedom, etc), and more.

Freedom to LiveMastery leads to freedom from the

fear of death, which in turn is the freedom to live. This is sometimes referred to as living in the moment, neither anticipating the future nor regretting the past.

freedom from negative emotions. Negative emotions such frustration, sadness, shame, fear, depression, doubt and despair are banished and instead they are able to celebrate the victory.