Wednesday, July 11, 2007

The Hero Within

I have been reading the book “The Hero Within” by Carol Pearson. I will be creating “lessons” based on quotes, thoughts, and contemplations from or inspired by my readings in this book. It addresses archetypes we all identify with and learn from as we take our personal journey to becoming heroines. Becoming a hero is when you can identify with all the archetypes, and transition between them smoothly. Essentially taking on all the different roles life requires of us with equal competency. For me, heroinism is also about authenticity, and I will do my part to weave this ideal into the contemplations on our hero within.

From The Hero Within:

Heroism is a matter of integrity, of becoming more and more yourself at stage of your development. Paradoxically, there are archetypal patterns that govern the process each of us goes through to discover our own uniqueness, so we are always both very particularly ourselves and very much like one another in the stages of our journeys. In fact, there is a rather predictable sequence of human development presided over respectively by the archetypes of the Innocent, the Orphan, the Wanderer, the Warrior, the Martyr, and the Magician.


In your mind, do you recognize these archetypes from your personal history and experience with religion or spirituality? Do they make any connections for you?

We will be learning more about these archetypes this month, so for now, think about what each archetypes means to you right this moment.

3 comments:

sciencebird said...
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sciencebird said...

I think authenticity goes very nicely with establishing identity and becoming yourself. As you become more yourself, you become more authentic. Although, what constitutes an identity often puzzles me. How much can I change before I am no longer the same person, and how by definition, can I not be myself? I'm not the same person I was in high school, what if I've become less myself? I guess what puzzles me, is sometimes these questions are phrased as though there is an authentic self to be discovered, rather than created. And maybe discovery is more accurate, as you try new things and discover how well they suit you. What if I don't like myself and I want to change? Do I become myself or become someone else who is now me? Anyway, looking forward to the discussion. I rather believe in archetypes.

AlegraMarcel said...

Sciencebird-- some very interesting points to be discussed. I look forward to it as well.

Also, did people in your junior high sign year books "Stay you!"? They did mine, and it always seemed a bit ... idiotic, though now I see they were really being philosophical.