The Heroine’s Journey

1. Separation from the Feminine — Often a mother or prescribed feminine role.
    
2. Identification with the Masculine and Gathering of Allies—Often entails choosing a path that is different than the role prescribed for her, deciding to gear up to "fight” an organization, role, or group that is limiting or entering some male/masculine-defined sphere. 
    
3. Road or Trials and Meeting the Ogres and Dragons — Heroine encounters trials and meets people who try to dissuade her from pursuing her chosen path and/or destroy her (ogres and dragons or their metaphorical counterparts).
    
4. Experiencing the Boon of Success —The Heroine overcomes obstacles. In The Hero’s Journey, this is normally where the hero’s tale ends.  
    
5. Heroine Awakens to Feelings of Spiritual Aridity/Death — Success in this new way of life is either temporary, illusory, shallow, or requires a betrayal of self over time.
    
6. Initiation and Descent to the Goddess — The heroine faces a crisis of some sort in which the new way is insufficient and falls into despair. All of her “masculine” strategies have failed her. 
    
7. Heroine Urgently Yearns to Reconnect with the Feminine — The heroine cannot go back to her initial limited state or position.
    
8. Heroine Heals the Mother/Daughter Split —The heroine reclaims some of her initial values, skills or attributes but views them from a new perspective. 
    
9. Heroine Heals the Wounded Masculine Within — Heroine makes peace with the “masculine” approach to the world as it applies to herself. 
    
10. Heroine Integrates the Masculine and Feminine — She faces the world or future with a new understanding of herself and the world/life. Heroine sees through binaries and can interact with a complex world that includes her but is larger than her personal lifetime or geographical/cultural milieu.

12 Stage Hero’s Journey 

1. The Ordinary World —The hero is shown against a background of environment, heredity, and personal history.  Some kind of polarity in the hero’s life is pulling in different directions and causing stress.
    
2. The Call to Adventure —Something shakes up the situation, either from external pressures or from something rising up from deep within, so the hero must face the beginnings of change.
    
3. Refusal of the Call —The hero feels the fear of the unknown and tries to turn away from the adventure, however briefly.  Alternately, another character (ed. work colleague or sibling, perhaps?) may express the uncertainty and danger ahead.
    
4. Meeting with the Mentor —The hero comes across a seasoned traveler of the worlds who gives him or her training, equipment, or advice that will help on the journey. Or the hero reaches within to a source of courage and wisdom.
    
5. Crossing the Threshold — The hero commits to leaving the Ordinary World and entering a new region or condition with unfamiliar rules and values.
    
6. Tests, Allies, and Enemies — The hero is tested and sorts out allegiances in the Special World.
    
7. Approach — The hero and newfound allies prepare for the major challenge in the Special World.
    
8. The Ordeal — The hero enters a central space in the Special World and confronts death or faces his or her greatest fear.  Out of the moment of death comes a new life (rebirth).
    
9. The Reward — The hero takes possession of the treasure won by facing death. There may be celebration, but there is also danger of losing the treasure again.
    
10. The Road Back — The hero is driven to complete the adventure, leaving the Special World to be sure the treasure is brought home.  
     
11. The Resurrection — The hero is severely tested once more on the threshold of home. He or she is purified by a last sacrifice, another moment of death and rebirth, but on a higher and more complete level.  By the hero’s action, the polarities that were in conflict at the beginning are finally resolved.
     
12. Return with the Elixir — The hero returns home or continues the journey, bearing some element of the treasure that has the power to transform the world as the hero has been transformed.

Creating a Hybrid Blueprint 

One Step Back, Two Steps Forward 

Midpoint of our online recession-proof reinvention course we have our learners go through the process of building and crafting an authentic change story—one that includes a hero / heroine activity. As you begin your change story you’re laying the foundation for a future transformation. It’s an exploratory process where you step back and dig into what has come before—expanding your peripheral vision—a crucial first step in adapting yourself for the unknown.

Reinvention with a Hybrid Hero in Mind 

ACT I

• Separation from the Feminine — Often a mother or prescribed feminine role.
  
  
• The Ordinary World — The hero is shown against a background of environment, heredity, and personal history.  Some kind of polarity in the hero’s life is pulling in different directions and causing stress.
  
  
• The Call to Adventure — Something shakes up the situation, either from external pressures or from something rising up from deep within, so the hero must face the beginnings of change.
  
  
• Refusal of the Call — The hero feels the fear of the unknown and tries to turn away from the adventure, however briefly.  Alternately, another character  (ed: co-worker or sibling, perhaps?) may express the uncertainty and danger ahead.
  
  
• Identification with the Masculine and Gathering of Allies — Often entails choosing a path that is different than the role prescribed for her, deciding to gear up to "fight” an organization, role, or group that is limiting or entering some male/masculine-defined sphere. 
  
  
• Meeting with the Mentor —The hero comes across a seasoned traveler of the worlds who gives him or her training, equipment, or advice that will help on the journey.  Or the hero reaches within to a source of courage and wisdom.

ACT I Journal Activity 

• In this ACT I activity you’ll want go deeper into understanding the WHY you’re uncomfortable stepping out of your comfort zone in assuming more personal risks at work and WHAT triggers this fear of the unknown?
• Do you take on more risks in your personal life than you do at work? 
• Do you consider yourself as more naturally risk averse or was this something that you developed as an adult?
• Do you consider yourself a curious person? Why or why not?
• Review your responses. What responses are you comfortable sharing with your support net when asking for their help and advisement. 

ACT II

• Crossing the Threshold — The hero commits to leaving the Ordinary World and entering a new region or condition with unfamiliar rules and values.
  
  
• Road or Trials and Meeting the Ogres and Dragons — Heroine encounters trials and meets people who try to dissuade her from pursuing her chosen path and/or destroy her (ogres and dragons or their metaphorical counterparts).
  
  
• Tests, Allies, and Enemies — The hero is tested and sorts out allegiances in the Special World.
  
  
• Approach — The hero and newfound allies prepare for the major challenge in the Special World.
  
  
• Experiencing the Boon of Success — The Heroine overcomes obstacles. 
  
  
• Heroine Awakens to Feelings of Spiritual Aridity/Death — Success in this new way of life is either temporary, illusory, shallow, or requires a betrayal of self over time.

ACT II Journal Activity

• In this ACT II journal activity you’ll leverage the feedback and suggestions offered by your advisors for building out your personal action plan. Your plan should include a pivot strategy so that you’re prepared for potential surprises.
  
  
• Any short term success needs to be more than superficial or temporary.  What steps will you take *now* in order to ensure that you’re able to adapt to the challenges of raising the bar for yourself?

ACT III

• The Ordeal — The hero enters a central space in the Special World and confronts death or faces his or her greatest fear. Out of the moment of death comes a new life.
  
  
• Initiation and Descent to the Goddess — The heroine faces a crisis of some sort in which the new way is insufficient and falls into despair. All of her “masculine” strategies have failed her. 
  
  
• The Reward — The hero takes possession of the treasure won by facing death. There may be celebration, but there is also danger of losing the treasure again.
  
  
• Heroine Urgently Yearns to Reconnect with the Feminine — The heroine cannot go back to her initial limited state or position.
  
  
• The Road Back — The hero is driven to complete the adventure, leaving the Special World to be sure the treasure is brought home.  
  
  
• Heroine Heals the Mother/Daughter Split —The heroine reclaims some of her initial values, skills or attributes but views them from a new perspective. 
  
  
• Heroine Heals the Wounded Masculine Within — Heroine makes peace with the “masculine” approach to the world as it applies to herself. 
  
  
• Return with the Elixir — The hero returns home or continues the journey, bearing some element of the treasure that has the power to transform the world as the hero has been transformed.

ACT III Journal Activity

• In this ACT III journal activity you’ll document the process steps you’re taking to “slay your dragons”. What is happening to you—physically, emotionally, spiritually, and intellectually as you lean in to face your fears? 

ACT IV

• Heroine integrates the Masculine and Feminine — She faces the world or future with a new understanding of herself and the world/life. Heroine sees through binaries and can interact with a complex world that includes her but is larger than her personal lifetime or geographical/cultural milieu.
  
  
• The Resurrection — At the climax, the hero is severely tested once more on the threshold of home. He or she is purified by a last sacrifice, another moment of death and rebirth, but on a higher and more complete level.  By the hero’s action, the polarities that were in conflict at the beginning are finally resolved.

ACT IV Journal Activity

• In this ACT IV journal activity you’ll capture the experience of integrating your feminine and masculine energy (soft / hard powers). How does this strengthen trust in yourself and your ability to step outside what was once your comfort zone?

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