THE HEROINE’S JOURNEY

It was beautiful day after yet another snowstorm, so I got dressed, shouldered my camera, and headed to the trail in search of my next story. Not twelve steps out, however, I stopped in my tracks and thought about what I’d recently been contemplating: the difference between the Hero’s and the Heroine’s Journey.
The Hero’s Journey is a story of mythic proportions whereby the protagonist sets out on an adventure to conquer his fears (his enemies). Although it’s called a Hero’s Journey both males and females, such as Luke Skywalker in Star Wars and Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, participate in it. The Heroine’s Journey on the other hand is not about going out to conquer, but rather going within to appreciate. This is what my book Neesa’s Backyard and the movie The Legend of Baggar Vance is about. Again, the Heroine’s Journey is not exclusive to women as the protagonist in The Legend of Baggar Vance is a male golfer.

As I recalled from The Da Vinci Code, masculine energy is represented by the spear and feminine energy is represented by the cup: symbols for going out and going within. Just as testosterone and estrogen are not exclusive to either men or women, neither are masculine and feminine energies. We each have both within us and must work at balancing the two. This concept is represented by two interlinking triangles known as the six-rayed star or the Star of David, and it is what Jet Li’s Fearless is about; a champion martial artist only becomes legendary after he has developed his feminine energy to be as powerful as his masculine energy.

So instead of going out to seek a story, I turned around and came back home where I found pathways and stairs that needed shovelling and a wood holder and birdfeeder that needed refilling. I’ve come to understand that what brings me happiness isn’t acquiring new things but having less and caring for and enjoying them more.

Caring, it seems, is a lost art. We put our elders in retirement homes, which some call orphanages for the old, and we call shopping a recreational activity. How does that make sense? In this consumer society we’ve generated, it’s cheaper to buy a new vacuum cleaner than it is to repair the old one...that is if you could find the parts. The thing is, when we throw things away, where is away? Just because it’s hidden from view in an empty mine shift or a landfill site across the border doesn’t mean it’s impotent. How is this indifference sustainable?

The way a society evolves is by letting go of what no longer works and leaping to what does. Old patterns are comfortable, however, and fear of the unknown leadens our feet. But we’ve now come to a point in history where if we don’t jump, we’ll die. If we don’t start caring and repairing instead of ignoring and acquiring, we’re doomed.

The winds of change are howling; go home and take care they say. Take care of what you have and nurture it so it is strong and resilient. Happiness can’t be bought, it must be patiently cultivated. This is the Heroine’s Journey: going within to connect not with our limited physical power but with the soul’s infinite power.

I’m not trying to imply that the feminine way is good and the masculine way is bad, but instead to remind that they need to walk together – two feet, two eyes, two hands–balanced, interdependent, making each other stronger.

What I love about being in nature, on the trail or in my backyard, is that it balances me so I can hear my inner voice. What it is saying to me these days is, don’t be afraid. Just let go – let go of aggression, let go of having to win, let go of the idea that you need more. You already are powerful, you already are happy, you already are loved, you already are alive: YOU ALREADY ARE WHO YOU WANT TO BE.

Beyond the realm of the dualities, of masculine and feminine, there is the harmonious blend of the two which is Mother Earth’s energy: the energy of beauty, peace and love. By increasing feminine energy to balance the masculine energy that surrounds us now, we could all affect the change that is necessary to create peace and sustain life. Yes, there is an energy crisis, but it’s not the one so often portrayed. If you are concerned about this planet, be aware and take care in all you do.

The Hero’s Journey is about going out to conquer in order to return and better society. The Heroine’s Journey shows us that more important than what we do is how we do it. When the what and how are aligned with the natural way, peace will be restored.