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"Each of us has a Hero, an Sage, a mercenary, a Princess within. Each
of these pulls and pushes as we journey through the story that is our life.
We need all of these energies to pursue life's adventure." As the
Hero journeys the 'road of trials,' and we pursue the trials of our everyday
lives, the Heroic task is to "integrate these parts or energies and
win the prize -- our individuality, our sense of place, our sense of purpose."
... The Hero's Journey
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"We have not even to risk the adventure alone, for the Hero's of all
time have gone before us. The Labyrinth is thoroughly known; we have only
to follow the thread of the Hero's path And where we have thought to find
an abomination, we will find a God. Where we have thought to slay another,
we shall slay ourselves, Where we have thought to travel outward, we will
come to the center of our existence. And where we have thought to be alone,
we will be with all the world." ... The Hero's Journey
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"When you see the Earth from space, you don't see any divisions of
nation-states there. This may be the symbol of the new mythology to come;
this is the country we will celebrate, and these are the people we are
one with." ... The Power of Myth
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| Class Notes by: Marjorie Gibson |
JOSEPH CAMPBELL 1904 - 1987
Part I. This man is one of the 75 "Spiritual Innovators" named in our
present study book. He was a man of prodigious talent - so far above
we ordinary mortal so as to appear, at first, to be unreachable and beyond
our understanding. This is undoubtedly true to some extent.
This course is a survey, a signpost guiding us on should we desire to pursue
what any one of these "innovators" seems to be offering.
Considering that Campbell was a scholar and author, extremely knowledgeable
in the fields of literature, history, philosophy, anthropology, psychology,
and religion, it is obvious that in this course, at the most all we can
do is introduce this outstanding man. One of Campbell's "signature
theories or beliefs" was that the study of comparative mythology showed
that wherever mankind has developed in the universe, sooner or later the
same basic ideas, the same search for answers to the beginnings of things
- creation of the world and of people - appeared. These idea and
searches and answers appear in the myths of the people, and these myths
are a valuable gift to mankind and should be understood for what they are.
MYTHS
Common usage today seems to be that a "myth" is something that
is, to any sensible person, clearly untrue. This is a relatively
modern definition of the word, and not what it means to scholars.
Below are some definitions to consider.
Dictionary:
1. A traditional or legendary story, usually concerned with deities and
the creation of the world and the inhabitants.
2. A story or belief that attempts to express or explain a basic truth.
Other definitions:
1. A common core of basic value. 2. Ancient guideline. 3.The
consciousness of the individual. 4.(My favorite) The distilled
wisdom of the ages". 5.(Holst book review) Mythology is a vessel
of the truth.
If we go no further in the study of Campbell's works than to discuss and
come to some understanding of the value of myths, we will have still gained
something of considerable value. |
Part II. Joseph Campbell was a consummate intellectual and scholar. His books can
be difficult and overwhelming, and his exploration of ideas daunting. Despite
this, there is much in his ideas which speak to people generally. In the
midst of reading some of his complicated ideas I found that sentences would
leap out at me with statements that were a clear, concise expression of
truths I recognized, or beliefs that were deeply appealing. Here indeed,
was a great man.
Following are a few examples of the kernels I gleaned:
· God is a metaphor for a mystery which transcends all categories of human
thought.
· "Truth is one, the sages speak of it by many names" (Quoting
an eastern sage)
· When you follow your "bliss", doors will open.
· The outer world is scholarship, the inner world is your response to it.
· The purpose of the first part of your life is to give you the experience
out of which you can draw your spiritual realizations.
· In my own life I am now looking back and I can tell you that there's
a wonderful moment that comes when you realize "I'm not striving for
anything". What I am doing now is not a means of achieving something
later. After a certain age, there's not a future, and suddenly the present
becomes rich.
May your encounter with the works of Joseph Campbell bring you pleasure.
Marjorie |
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