"The call to adventure signifies that destiny has summoned the hero and transferred his spiritual center of gravity from within the pale of this society to a zone unknown. This fateful region of both treasure and danger may be variously represented: as a distant land, a forest, a kingdom underground, beneath the waves or above the sky, a secret island, lofty mountaintop, or profound dream state; but it is always a place of strangely fluid and polymorphous beings, unimaginable torments, superhuman deeds and impossible delights." -- Joseph Campbell, The Hero with a Thousand Faces
Hero's Journey
We'll begin our study of Myth by an exploration of the Hero's Journey. Joseph Campbell and others have described multiple stages in a hero's or heroine's journey. Joseph Campbell in his book, "The Hero with a Thousand Faces" eloquently describes this process. The journey describes a process of personal self-discovery that is undertaken, and is usually unplanned. Everyone takes the Hero's Journey, at least to some degree, as we all get challenged by some type of call toward adventure. This call occurs at a certain point in your life when you are given notice that change is entering your life. You might not even be able to stop it, as everything is going to change whether you want the change or not.
We're all at a certain stage in the Journey. The question that you have to ask is: What stage of life (within this Journey) am I in? The stages are:
1. Ordinary world
2. Call to Adventure
4. Supernatural aid / Finding mentor
5. Crossing the threshold
6. Tests, Allies, Enemies
7. Approach
8. Ordeal
9. Reward
10. The Road back
11. Resurrection
12. Return with elixir
The first stage which is the Ordinary World stage is where we realize that we are bored, or suffering or experiencing some sort of anguish. You might say this the point where you feel like you are stuck in the rut of simple day-to-day living. You may even experience the feeling that there is no way out.
The next stage is "Call to Adventure". When the ordinary world is no longer enough for you, or it has become unbearable then you enter the "Call to Adventure" stage. In this stage, you the "hero" or "heroine" are confronted with a particular challenge, obstacle or adventure. It's as if a door has opened and you have stepped through. It's almost impossible to turn around and go back to the old way of living. Once you meet the challenge of the "Call to Adventure" you can't remain in the old world, at least not comfortably. The Call sets up a goal for you to achieve.
Now you might want to consider these questions about the Call:
* Is it desired?
* Is it dreaded?
* What were you doing before the Call?
* How can you leave this stage?
* What emotions were brought up?
Call to Adventure
In "Star Wars" Luke tries to avoid his Call by going back home. But when he gets there his home has been destroyed. He cannot go back to the simple life that he had been living. In order for Luke to able to respond to the Call it took tremendous change. His family farm was destroyed.
In the movie "Dark City", John begins his quest when he wakes up in a hotel room. He's alone and is naked in a bathtub. There is no indication, other than a syringe near the bath, of why he is there. How did he get here? Where is here? He has no memory of who he is or why he's in the hotel room. His first task is to at least find out how long he has been here. At the front desk, the manager tells that him that his bill is overdue. Part of his Call is now to understand this world that he is in, even though it seems to make no sense.
In the movie, "Kill Bill", we learn how "The Bride" feels a need to seek revenge. Her boss tried to have her assassinated at her wedding and several years later she comes out of a coma in a hospital. Her Call is to now seek vengeance. Her path is not an easy one, and is probably one in which many would back away from. To seek her vengeance, she first has to battle her former allies.
In the movie, "The Long Kiss Goodnight", Samantha has been living safely out of harms way, because she has had amnesia for almost a decade. But she is pulled toward her "Call to Adventure" when a prisoner escapes and recognizes her. He tries to come after her, and this event triggers memories of the past to slowly come back to her. She slowly learns that she was an undercover CIA agent. Now she has many new threats, some from former allies, to deal with.
Responding to the Call takes courage, stamina, bravery and hope. Acknowledging the Call, may require a nudge, push or shove! But, if we're willing to simply heed call from deep within our souls, we can try to answer the Call somewhat on our own terms.
Wondering what happens now is the next problem that we'll have to deal with, once we answer the Call. What lies ahead? What will we uncover? What secrets will be discovered? What will we learn about ourselves? What will we bring into our lives?
Do you remember a "Call to Adventure" in your own life? What changes did it bring about?
