Slaying Dragons

In Joseph Campbell's book, The Power of Myth, he delves deeply into what he calls, "the hero's journey."

He explains that the basic motif of the universal hero's journey - "is leaving one condition and finding the source of life to bring you forth into a richer or mature condition." He notes what all the myths of the hero have to deal with is "transformations of consciousness of one kind or another; that you have been thinking one way and you now have to think a different way."

He goes on to say that the usual hero adventure begins with "someone from whom something has been taken, or who feels there's something lacking in the normal experiences available or permitted to the members of his society. This person then takes off on a series of adventures beyond the ordinary, either to recover what has been lost or to discover some life-giving elixir. It's usually a cycle, a going and a returning."

In numerous myth stories the hero must slay a dragon (or something equally as frightening) while on his quest in order to succeed at what he is attempting. As Campbell explains, regarding myth stories, "All of these dragon killings and threshold crossings have to do with getting past being stuck."

When Campbell was asked what the significance of the trials, and tests and ordeals of the hero were, he answered, “If you want to put it in terms of intentions, the trials are designed to see to it that the intending hero should be really a hero. Is he really a match for this task? Can he overcome the dangers? Does he have the courage, the knowledge, the capacity, to enable him to serve?"

Right now I am on my 'hero's journey." My quest is to attain something seemingly unattainable. I am trying to leave the condition of my present life - the loneliness of being single and childless - and finding the source of life to bring me forth into a richer or mature condition - being married and a mother.

My journey of "transformed consciousness" began at least two years ago when I had been thinking one way - that I was forty-four and it was too late for me to find a husband and have a baby - to thinking a different way - that it wasn't too late.

I have now taken off on my adventure "beyond the ordinary." I'm am leaving my old belief system of woe-is-me and lack. I am on the quest which ultimately will tell me who I am and what I am made of. Do I have the courage, the knowledge, the capacity to follow my dreams, to attain my dreams?

On my journey I will have plenty of "dragons" to slay; one of the biggest and fiercest is Self Doubt. The children of Self Doubt, Inaction and Fear, must also be battled into submission. I will be tested. I have been tested. And I am finding that the dream is worthy of the quest.