Hero's Journey

Hero

Hero

the protagonist and their primary purpose is to separate from the Ordinary World and sacrifice himself for the service of the journey at hand

The Temptress (Black Goddess)

offers the hero short-term gratification. Giving into this urge derails the mission and has the potential to cause the mission to fail, proving the hero unworthy.

Herald

announces the journey, prompting the Hero to answer the Call to Adventure despite their reluctance. The herald motivates the hero to action despite the Hero's desire to maintain the status quo.

Friendly Beast

An animal companion showing that nature is on the side of the hero

Threshold Guardian

Tests the hero's courage and worthiness to begin the journey

Shadow

an external physical force or an inner demon lurking within the Hero determined to destroy the Hero and their cause. It represents the Hero's darkest desires, untapped resources, deepest fears, or even rejected qualities.

Devil Figure

This character is evil incarnate.

Trickster

embodies the energies of mischief and change. They both possess and represent the forces of cunning and wit. They are the wise-fools, the creators, the jokers, the truth sayers, and the storytellers.

Shapeshifter

represents uncertainty and change and is a reminder that not all is as it seems. They may be a character whose allegiance is uncertain or fluctuating.

Loyal Retainer

Duty is to protect the hero and reflect his nobility

Initiate

young hero who must undergo some training and ceremony before quest

White Goddess

Good, beautiful maiden, usually blond, may make an ideal marriage partner; often has religious or intellectual overtones.

Tower

A strong place of evil, represents the isolation of self

Flood

often a test. it represents great cleansing and/or rebirth for humans. or water's duality as creator and destroyer. it serves as act of destruction or return to chaos, but enables new creation to occur.

The Unhealable Wound

Either a physical or psychological wound that cannot be fully healed. The wound symbolizes a loss of innocence.

Magic Weapon

The weapon the hero needs in order to complete his quest.

Ordinary World/Status Quo

sets up the contrast with the special world they are about to enter. In the Ordinary World, the reader is given the opportunity to identify with the hero before the journey begins.

Call to Adventure

the point in a hero's life when they are first given notice that everything is going to change, whether they know it or not. They are faced with an event that calls them to a journey of some kind.

Refusal of the Call

The hero feels the fear of the unknown and tries to turn away from the adventure, however briefly.

Meeting the Mentor

Hero encounters someone who gives advice and helps with journey.

First Threshold

The hero leaves his ordinary world for the first time and crosses the threshold for adventure. Stepping out of comfort zone

Belly of the Whale

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

The road of tests and trials

a series of tests, tasks, obstacles, ordeals that the hero must undergo to begin their transformation. The hero will have to learn about themselves and the Special World's rules/norms in order to accomplish goals.

Meeting with the Goddess (Sacred Marriage)

The point in the journey when the hero experiences all-powerful, encompassing, unconditional love. It is a union of opposites, and it may occur either internally or externally.

Approach to the Inmost Cave

The hero comes to the edge of a dangerous place: sometimes deep underground or a literal cave or the headquarters of the hero's greatest enemy. Things are getting bad, but they will get worse. This may be a time for the hero to make preparations for the fight to come, or to rest before it.

The Supreme Ordeal

The biggest life or death crisis - the hero faces his greatest fear and only through "death" can the hero be "reborn" experiencing even greater powers to see the journey to the end.

Reward

Having survived death or slain the monster, the hero takes possession of the treasure, the sought-after reward.

The Road Back

The hero begins his journey back to his ordinary life.

Refusal of the Return

Having found bliss and enlightenment in the other world, the hero may not want to return to the ordinary world to bestow the boon onto his fellow man.

Magic Flight

Sometimes the hero must escape with the reward if it is something that has been vigilantly guarded or if the hero has had to use trickery or deception to gain it. This return escape can be just as adventurous and dangerous as it was embarking on the journey in pursuit of the reward. This part of the journey is a lively and comical pursuit, sometimes complicated by obstruction and evasion.

Rescue from Without

Just as the hero may need mentors, guides, and assistants to set out on the journey, oftentimes they must have powerful guides and rescuers to bring them back to everyday life, especially if the person has been wounded or weakened by the experience.

Resurrection

A second life and death moment. The hero withstands one last desperate attempt by death and darkness to determine if they have internalized the lessons gleaned from the Supreme Ordeal, to show that they have achieved heroic status.

Crossing the Return Threshold

The hero must not only retain the wisdom learned on the journey, but also integrate this wisdom into their life and the life of their community. The hero re-enters the ordinary world.

Return with the Elixir

The hero returns home bearing some element of the treasure that has the power to transform the world as the hero has been transformed.

Master of Two Worlds

The hero achieves a balance between the physical and spiritual worlds because they are competent in both the inner and outer worlds.

Hunting Group of Companions

loyal companions willing to face any number of perils in order to be together