The Eight Stages of the Epic Hero’s Journey A.K.A. Your Journey

Why study The Hero’s Journey? It is the pattern of human experience Every challenge we face in life is a journey It is a process of self discovery Understanding the Journey pattern can help us understand the stories we read, the movies and shows we see, and the experiences that shape our lives.

The Journey Begins

The Journey is divided into three stages and eight steps: 1. Separation (from the known) The Call The Threshold (with guardians, helpers, and mentor)

2. Initiation (and transformation) The Challenges The Abyss The Transformation The Revelation The Atonement

3. The Return (to the known world) The Return (with a gift)

The Call

The Call: The Invitation Into The Adventure offers us the opportunity to face the unknown and gain something of physical or spiritual value may come boldly as a sudden, traumatic change or in can sneak up on us gradually

Within this range, the Call takes many forms: We have had something taken away from us, our family, or our society; our quest is to reclaim it We sense that there is something lacking in our life, and we must find what is missing

We want to save or restore honor for ourselves, our family, or our country We realize that something is not permitted to members of our society, and we must win these rights for our people

The Threshold

The Threshold: The Jumping Off Point The Threshold is the interface between the known and the unknown world In the known world we feel secure because we know the rules and the landscape Once into the unknown world, we enter a land filled with challenges and dangers.

Threshold Guardians

Threshold Guardians Often at the Threshold, we encounter people, beings, or situations which block our passage. Threshold guardians have two functions:

They protect us by keeping us from taking journeys we are unready or unprepared.

Once we are ready to meet the challenge, they step aside and point the way. To pass the guardian is to make a commitment, to say: “I’m ready. I can do this.”

Your Guardians Early in our lives, our parents function as our threshold guardians. As we get older, our parents’ job becomes more difficult, protecting and pushing.

Your Guardians As adults, our Threshold guardians are more insidious. They are our fears, doubts, and threatening behaviors.

Helpers

Helpers Helpers provide assistance or direction Often the bring us a divine gift which helps us through the ordeal.

Mentor The most important helper on the journey, the mentor keeps us focused on our goal and gives us stability.

The Challenges

The Challenges: journey into the unknown Once past the Threshold, we begin the journey into the unknown. The voyage can be outward into the physical unknown or inward to a psychological unknown.

Challenges and Temptations The early challenges are simple By meeting them successfully, we build maturity, skill, and confidence As the journey progresses, the challenges become more difficult, testing us, forcing us to change and grow

Tempters

Tempters Try to pull us away from the path They use fear, doubt, or distraction They may pretend to be a friend or counselor They always strike our greatest weakness

The Abyss

The Abyss: the greatest challenge When we reach the Abyss, we face the greatest challenge on the journey We must surrender ourselves completely to the adventure We must face our fear alone

Transformation

Transformation: death and rebirth As we conquer the Abyss and overcome our fears, our transformation becomes complete It is a moment of death and rebirth: a part of us dies so that a new part can be born

Revelation

Revelation: changes A sudden, dramatic change in the way we view life. This change in thinking is crucial because it makes us a different person. It usually occurs during or after the Abyss, but sometimes it may lead us into the Abyss

The Atonement

The Atonement: “oneness” After we have been transformed, we achieve Atonement, that is we are “at-one” with our new self We have incorporated the changes caused by the journey and are “reborn” We have harmony with life and the world

The Return

The Return: Welcome Home! Return to everyday life Upon our return, we discover our gift (based on our new skill or awareness) Essence of the return is to contribute to our society It may not go smoothly

What You Have Learned

What have we learned? Journey gives you means for understanding Journey is a pattern that we follow in our own lives Our adventure opens the doors to knowledge and understanding Can help us achieve wisdom, growth, and independence