JOSEPH CAMPBELL'S GUIDE TO THE

HERO'S JOURNEY

A monomyth is a template of tales derived from stories originating from mythology. Joseph Campbell is one of many mythologists who have identified this pattern of storytelling that has been told in a variety of ways for thousands of years, and continues to be used in stories today, as a monomyth called the Hero’s Journey.

THE CALL TO ADVENTURE

The Hero’s Journey begins when he/she receives a call to adventure. Something in the great beyond, in some distant unknown territory, there is a need for the hero to answer a call to overcome a physical journey, as well as to undergo an internal growth they will not find by staying at home where they are comfortable. The hero will most likely be reluctant to go, not wanting to leave the comfort of their home, but they will soon find that they cannot stay due to a direct threat to the world as they know it.

The hero will ultimately accept the quest, often times with the help of an older mentor as they undertake the challenge before them that signifies the end of the old and the beginning of something new.

TESTS & THE INNERMOST CAVE

Now that the Hero is out of his/her comfort zone, they must face an increasing series of difficult challenges that will test the Hero physically, mentally, and/or emotionally. These challenges serve as hurdles to the Hero they must overcome if they are to become strong enough and prepared for the goal that they are trying to reach. The Hero’s skills and powers are tested before they approach the Innermost Cave, which represents a terrible danger or painful inner conflict they have not yet had the strength to overcome.

To the Hero, the "cave" will be full of darkness and they may once again feel the doubts, fears, and insecurities that surfaced when they first felt the call to adventure. They will need to dive into and face those fears, much like submerging into the depths of a dark pool, if they are to be prepared for the impending events. This self-reflection helps the Hero understand themselves as well as the bigger stakes and risks they will eventually face in the task ahead.

THE ROAD BACK & RESURRECTION

After facing his/her fears in the Innermost Cave, the Hero undergoes a dangerous test, whether physical or an inner crisis, that calls upon the skills and experiences they have gained to overcome it. This is the turning point in the story, where everything the Hero holds dear is at risk or nothing will be the same if they fail. When they succeed, the Hero is rewarded through a form of greater power or wisdom that will benefit them in the final act of their journey.

The Hero realizes the necessity to begin the return home to the Ordinary World with their reward, but the path back will be more treacherous and steep than the one they took to get there. The Hero may need one last push to fully commit to a higher cause than that of their own personal objectives in a change of heart from the previous person they were before into someone new and stronger in a form of rebirth.

RETURN

At the last stage of the Hero’s journey, he/she will have overcome their challenges and will finally be able to return home to the Ordinary World. The Hero may go back to their humble cottage, or they may choose to find a new place to call home, but either way, the Hero has grown stronger, gained wisdom, faced danger and death, but now looks for the start of a new life. The Hero brings the reward they earned back to bless others that live around them, be it through a new hope for the future, a direct solution to the peoples’ struggles, or a newfound insight that changes how others may perceive or treat one another.

The Hero's world now has the means to rebuild, much like a new structure, thanks to the Hero bringing them the building blocks to do so. The Hero ultimately brings about change at the end of their journey that is open to everyone. They may have returned to where they started, but the Hero and the world around them will never be the same.