The Hero

In modern culture is is difficult to explore the the story of transformation without crossing the path of Joseph Campbell and Bill Moyers and the "Power of Myth." Joseph Campbell stated that all Spirituality is the basic search for the unknown force in everything. Myth stories and archetypes are metaphors that should not be taken literally but, examined for their transcendent truths. George Lucas stated the his "Star Wars" epics were base on Joseph Campbell's idea from the "The Hero With A thousand Faces." It is truly the modern example of myth, and Hero's journey to resolve his conflict between the light and dark forces of the universe.

The road to transformation is a journey though fire. The Hero is first called to the journey by by the the winds of fate. It is the departure from the road that the protagonists has been traveling. This change is sometimes is initiated by an accident or an injury where the Hero has the indication of a higher calling. The hero tries to continue down his road of life, but the fates sever him from his current circumstances. He is forced to leave home and comfort on the quest for the Holy Grail. He is forced to leave the womb and journey into the unknown. As the journey begins the Hero meets with a oracle or magical helper.

The second part of the journey presents the Hero with trials. He must undergo tests and challenges he must undertake. On this point of the journey he is meet with the supernatural. He joins with the Great Mother in a union of unconditional love. He is presented with a person or concept with which he must merge. This may be the situation that forces the "marriages of the opposites" within the self. The tasks include a metaphor for the material challenges in life: Love. Lust and Luca. On this part of the journey he Great Father Figure who has the power over life and death. He is challenged to kill this figure or be killed. There is a period of grief as the individual realizes forced death of the old idea of self. As the Hero dies to the past, he encounters his spiritual being and and a period apart from he world where he finds bliss. When he finds this part of himself he is granted with immortality.

The third part of the saga is the return to home. There is a new set of challenges as the Hero must integrate the new knowledge. This person must strike a balance between living the spiritual and the physical world.

Lastly, the Hero must share the wisdom he gathered on his journey. By giving his gift to others he has the freedom to really live in the moment. He is able to live with out regrets of the past or fear of the future.

The Hero myth is is often dipicted as close but conflicted relationship with the gods. Though the myth is often represent as masculine, the Hero is an archetype the exist with in all human consciousness. It is the journey that only the brave undertake to find the true self.