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hero's journey

8.        THE ORDEAL.  Near the middle of the story, the hero enters a central space in the Special World and confronts death or faces his or her greatest fear.  Out of the moment of death comes a new life. 

8:14 PM Jun 21 2012

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ifindkarmalisaw1JaredSperliliveink

yay, love joseph campbell

8:22 PM Jun 21 2012

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ifindkarmalisaw1wolf

Jared, which stage of the hero's journey is your favorite?

9:38 PM Jun 21 2012

Part 11, BTW, makes me think of dark knight rises...

9:45 PM Jun 21 2012

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ifindkarma

Step 5. All the way! The story of humanity is nothing but man being swallowed by the unknown. Survival of this step allows for the story/our creativity and our knowledge to grow.

10:16 AM Jun 22 2012

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ifindkarmalisaw1jen.oneal

The Crossing of the First Threshold

This is the point where the person actually crosses into the field of adventure, leaving the known limits of his or her world and venturing into an unknown and dangerous realm where the rules and limits are not known.

Campbell: "With the personifications of his destiny to guide and aid him, the hero goes forward in his adventure until he comes to the 'threshold guardian' at the entrance to the zone of magnified power. Such custodians bound the world in four directions—also up and down—standing for the limits of the hero's present sphere, or life horizon. Beyond them is darkness, the unknown and danger; just as beyond the parental watch is danger to the infant and beyond the protection of his society danger to the members of the tribe. The usual person is more than content, he is even proud, to remain within the indicated bounds, and popular belief gives him every reason to fear so much as the first step into the unexplored. The adventure is always and everywhere a passage beyond the veil of the known into the unknown; the powers that watch at the boundary are dangerous; to deal with them is risky; yet for anyone with competence and courage the danger fades."

Belly of The Whale

The belly of the whale represents the final separation from the hero's known world and self. By entering this stage, the person shows willingness to undergo a metamorphosis.

Campbell: "The idea that the passage of the magical threshold is a transit

into a sphere of rebirth is symbolized in the worldwide womb image of the belly of the whale. The hero, instead of conquering or conciliating the power of the threshold, is swallowed into the unknown and would appear to have died. This popular motif gives emphasis to the lesson that the passage of the threshold is a form of self-annihilation. Instead of passing outward, beyond the confines of the visible world, the hero goes inward, to be born again. The disappearance corresponds to the passing of a worshipper into a temple—where he is to be quickened by the recollection of who and what he is, namely dust and ashes unless immortal. The temple interior, the belly of the whale, and the heavenly land beyond, above, and below the confines of the world, are one and the same. That is why the approaches and entrances to temples are flanked and defended by colossal gargoyles: dragons, lions, devil-slayers with drawn swords, resentful dwarfs, winged bulls. The devotee at the moment of entry into a temple undergoes a metamorphosis. Once inside he may be said to have died to time and returned to the World Womb, the World Navel, the Earthly Paradise. Allegorically, then, the passage into a temple and the hero-dive through the jaws of the whale are identical adventures, both denoting in picture language, the life-centering, life-renewing act."

Classical example: In the story of Dionysus, Hera sends hungry titans to devour the infant Dionysus. The Titans tore apart the child and consumed his flesh. However Dionysus's heart is saved by Hestia, goddess of the hearth, allowing Dionysus to be reborn as a god.

10:20 AM Jun 22 2012

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ifindkarmawolf

The Matrix (first one) was a great representation of this.

10:54 AM Jun 22 2012

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ifindkarmalisaw1wolf

As were the first Star Wars, the entirety of Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings, and certain characters in Game of Thrones.

7:35 PM Jun 22 2012

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lisaw1wolf

7:32 PM Jul 26 2012

LOVE THIS.

Do any of you feel as though you're on a hero's journey right now? If so, at which stage are you?

4:32 PM Jun 23 2012

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ifindkarmalisaw1wolf

8. :)

4:39 PM Jun 23 2012

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jen.oneal

3-4

4:56 PM Jun 23 2012

3-4 is a good stage, where everything starts becoming real. Congrats on finding a mentor and good luck with your journey :)

5:01 PM Jun 23 2012

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ifindkarmaJaredSperli

Is it possible I've done all 12 and had to start over?

Feels like I'm between 2 and 3. How about you, Jen?

8:16 PM Jun 23 2012

The call to adventure is way too hard to resist sometimes, so I'm sure it's possible.

I think I'm between 7 and 8 at the moment. Fun stage :)

8:22 PM Jun 23 2012

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ifindkarma

Between 7 and 8 isn't fun -- it's the hardest part, plus death and rebirth are by definition painful.

2:10 PM Jun 24 2012

Ha, I know 7/8 can be brutal. Just figured I'd stay optimistic and think about how great it'll feel to hit #9...

3:30 PM Jun 24 2012

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ifindkarma

I love your optimism!

Meanwhile, I'm reading 8 reasons why the hero's journey sucks: http://io9.com/345313/eight-reasons-why-the-heros-journey-sucks

9:13 PM Jun 25 2012

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lisaw1

Disagree! It's all about the talent of the storyteller and then also about any unique compelling details within the story to make it more memorable to its audience. You will get subpar product out of subpar talent and/or effort.

11:03 PM Jun 25 2012

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ifindkarma

Jared, I think you're right.

A great storyteller makes all the difference.

10:38 AM Jun 26 2012

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JaredSperli

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