The Hero s Journey August 17, 2014 Rev. Diana Hughes All Souls Unitarian Universalist Church

Transcription

1 The Hero s Journey August 17, 2014 Rev. Diana Hughes All Souls Unitarian Universalist Church

2 The Hero s Journey (Note: there are references in this talk to slides in the accompanying power point and the children s story told earlier in the service: The Ugly Duckling by Hans Christian Andersen) When my husband, Joel and I lived in Los Angeles, we took a meeting with Colonel Buzz Aldrin. Colonel Aldrin was a true hero, the 2 nd man to walk on the moon and who served our country well. He was looking to create a project in television to use his expertise and experience. After going to the moon, any subsequent project pales in comparison; it is no secret that Aldrin battled depression and alcoholism in trying to find meaning in the rest of his life. Joseph Campbell, the world s authority on the Power of Myth, who has fully described the dangers and exultation of the hero s journey wrote, People say that what we re all seeking is a meaning for life. I think that what we re seeking is an experience of being alive, so that our life experiences on the purely physical plane will have resonances within our own innermost being and reality, so that we actually feel the rapture of being alive. Isn t that we re seeking? An experience of reality that resonates with the inner sense of who really are We seek the resources we need to live out our personal sense of mission We need to nourish our imaginations so that our vision of what is possible bears fruit We want to parent our children so that they can know themselves early on and live from that center of being. Some of us are putting our lives back together again after devastation.

3 We need a framework and understanding that helps us behold the hero in everyone, no matter how bedraggled they may appear. And we need the strength, compassion and wisdom to address injustice, the valor to make the trek to heal our wounds and the insight to see the larger picture and the possibilities so that our fight is not just shouting in anger, but redeems the inherent worth in all children of every age. Is everyone a hero? Everyone has the potential to live the life of the hero s journey. But I believe there are 2 markers that distinguish this path. 1. The hero s journey requires conscious attention to the journey. There are many twists that can become detours, many potions that can put us to sleep and push the awareness down into oblivion. There are some who are born into cultures and economic realities that prevent looking in, then out and up to see what is possible. Like the ugly duckling, there are some who are told early on, I just wish you d leave. You have no reason to be. 2. The second marker is that as heroes we must dedicate our lives to something bigger than ourselves. This weekend, there is a BIGG conference (Bold Ideas for the Greater Good) happening in North Carolina. Chris Donati, who is living with ALS has invited children and teenagers to a gathering to encourage them to participate in big ideas that make the world a better place. To be a hero requires leaving what we know, daring to move beyond self preservation to serve the greater good and then being willing to be seen and heard. I believe that people who have lost their dreams, but who are going to one job, maybe two and bringing home the bacon to provide for their family, are heroes. Those who

4 struggle to walk up or down the stairs on aching knees are on the journey as well. Perhaps an understanding of the 3 stages of the hero s journey will help you in the life you re creating: the leaving home, the journey and the return. We are all born with so much promise. I ve often wondered why we are born so vulnerable to the whims of the gods that are our parents. We come in the world with everything we need for the journey, but our welfare is dependent upon the big people who are stronger than us. Some parents are up to the task and some just don t know how to honor our uniqueness. Clarissa Pinkola Estes in Women Who Run with the Wolves, reminds us that Hans Christian Andersen wrote dozens of stories about the orphan archetype. He was a premier advocate of the lost and neglected child and he strongly supported searching for and finding one s own kind. Yes, it would be so much more convenient and comfortable to be recognized from day one for the kind of hero we are. And even if we have wonderful parenting, it is impossible to escape the messages we receive while we re young that we just are lacking. It takes courage to grow up and become who we really are. What is important is not to identify with what we lacked in our preparation for the journey, and as Estes says to spend less time on what they didn t give you, and more time on finding the people you belong to. The hero is a natural part of us. The wild child, the one who hears the music of the spheres, the little professor within keeps the map for the journey. Give thanks for whatever situation stirs up the urging to go beyond, to serve a higher purpose, to begin the

5 adventure of creating your life and serving to uplift the forward movement of humanity s consciousness. Here s one such traveler: Toddler choreographer: What-Was-REALLY-Happening-Here-I-Got-The-Biggest-Smile-On-My- Face html?utm_source=Today%27s%20Trending%20Video%20- %20GodVine.com&utm_medium= &utm_campaign=06/02/2014 One of Joseph Campbell s favorite stories: He was at an international conference on religion in Japan, when he observed an American delegate, a social philosopher from New York, say to a Shinto priest, We ve been now to a good many ceremonies and have seen quite a few of your shrines. But I don t get your ideology. I don t get your theology. The priest paused as though in deep thought and then slowly shook his head. I think we don t have idealogy. We don t have theology. We dance. This little one (just seen on the video) is being taught to trust the dance in him; to trust that the way he moves is perfection. The video ends when he returns to the parent with the camera. He s checking in to get validation for his experience, to show his parent how wet his finger is now that it has spent time in his mouth. For those we know who are just beginning the journey, honoring the innate dancer in them is the best gift we can give them. And so we begin the journey. I chose this slide because it looks like the duckling is leaving a shadowed place, perhaps a cave? It reminded me of when Luke Skywalker faces his nemesis in the cave. Do you remember whom he found under the mask of the slain enemy? He found himself. The journey is the transformation of consciousness that we all have to undertake finding the truth about ourselves, recovering what has been lost or as Campbell

6 says, discovering the life giving elixir. As we find our bliss, we bring vitality to all those around us. The 7 th UU principle: we are a part of the interdependent web of existence and as we are true to our own selves, as we get out on the dance floor, our life force permeates and spreads outward and the entire web is filled with music. It s tremendous when you are in the flow of inexhaustible life congruence, on purpose, function with ease, people and things come your way to help. But sometimes, along the way, we experience the loss of the dream, which doesn t mean you re a failure. See if you can recognize the hero in these travelers: The woman who gave up her children so they wouldn t be homeless is a bold idea for the greater good. It s important for us to see the heroes in our friends at restart. Unlikely heroes call out the highest in ourselves. Ferguson, MO is calling the nation to heal its racial injustice. Children coming from South America are calling us out to acknowledge the resources we have to help others. But when the storms roll in, the pond begins to ice over and we can freeze up and experience compassion fatigue. Where once there was this driving, inspiring force, we can feel this immense void. It s important not to stuff this space with substances that numb the pain or with preoccupations that misdirect us or boredom that puts us to sleep. Estes says it s time to tell the truth and call the soul back home. It s important not to sacrifice the wild self in order to fit in with hens who negate who we are, while telling us it s for our own sake and that they re really being our friends. (reference to The Ugly Duckling)

7 Here is what I ve found that can help feed the soul while we are braving the hazards and detours on the journey: Remember. The ugly duckling had a sense he knew the swans; he belonged with them. Recall that urge to discover the source of your life. Pay attention to what resonates with your inner longing. Quit obsessing about self-preservation and remember the calling to serve the higher order of life. Vanquish the dragon that says, No. Choose your next thought to be yes. Choose to inspire yourself rather than scare yourself. Embrace the mystery of your life, without having to figure it all out. Get the creative juices going and engage in activities that open your intuition. For me, being around animals, music and having fun with friends are activities that unfreeze me. Campbell says the formula for the soul s high adventure is to follow your bliss. It s not the destination but who you become on the journey that matters. And now we ve found the hidden treasure we ve redeemed our lost self we ve fought through the mirage of addiction and found freedom in an inner truth. When you ve had a sense that you have met and vanquished your dragon, that you have found the message to bring back to your community, that your journey has been accomplished, it s time for rejoicing. Can we expect tributes, awards and high praise? Life is just a bowl of cherries from now on? So many stories end here. I m just now beginning to understand the return. And I find the hero s return home requires as much stamina and faith as the hero s quest to faraway lands. There s not always a parade when you return. Often there s grief about what you ve seen along the way. People can t talk about the war when they return home. Many times the gift, the message we bring back upon our return is not appreciated. But the return is just as important as any other step in the hero s journey. This is what Colonel Aldrin had to find after he

8 returned home from the moon. He had to find his next quest. It will be up to you to hold dear your courage, your dedication to the cause and not expect others to applaud you. We must not let any internalized dragons that whisper hate steal the gifts we ve found. Perhaps it s time for us to set out again on our next journey. As we have given ourselves to a higher calling, for the sake of the rest of the web of existence, it is our task to find ways to serve the calling in others. To risk being seen and heard. And when people don t want to hear from us because we are battle weary, old or maimed, it s important to remember that little toddler who is the choreographer of the dance in us. Honor the power of the transformation that can happen again. Find ways to love and serve through the wisdom of the humble spirit and not through the demands of I know best, because I ve been there. Reinvest in the creative juices and find ways to share the rapture of being alive. Use the steps again. Upon the return, your dance may have a limp. The choreography may include a wheelchair. But don t forget to dance.