heros journey Flashcards
1.Ordinary World:
Where the hero exists before the “adventure begins”
Santiago is a shepherd in Andalusia, living a simple, predictable life. He tends to his sheep, dreams of travel, and enjoys his freedom. This is his starting point before the adventure begins.
- Call to Adventure:
Disrupts the comfort of the Hero’s ordinary world & presents a challenge
Santiago dreams of a treasure buried near the Egyptian pyramids. This dream, interpreted by a gypsy woman and later emphasized by Melchizedek (the King of Salem), disrupts his ordinary world and presents a challenge: to embark on a journey to find the treasure.
- Refusal of the Call:
The Hero questions/fears the challenge ahead
Initially, Santiago hesitates to follow his dream. He doubts the legitimacy of the dream and is reluctant to leave his sheep and the life he knows.
- Meeting the Mentor:
Crucial turning point, where the hero needs guidance & support
Santiago meets Melchizedek, who provides guidance and encouragement. Melchizedek gives him the magical stones, Urim and Thummim, to help him interpret omens and urges him to pursue his Personal Legend.
5.Crossing the Threshold:
Ready to act upon the adventure and begin their quest
Santiago sells his flock and uses the money to travel to Africa, officially leaving behind his ordinary world and stepping into the unknown.
6.Tests, Allies, Enemies:
Either physical balks, or a different type of challenge/obstacle
Santiago faces several challenges, including being robbed in Tangier. Along the way, he meets allies like the crystal merchant, who helps him learn valuable lessons about persistence, and the Englishman, who introduces him to alchemy.
- Approach to the Inmost Cave
Actual location with danger, or conflict which the hero hasn’t had to face until now
Santiago’s journey through the desert alongside the caravan symbolizes his deeper spiritual growth. His conversations with the alchemist about the Soul of the World represent a turning point, preparing him for the ultimate test.
8.Ordeal:
Dangerous physical test or a inner crisis faced to survive or for the world in which the Hero lives
Santiago faces his greatest test at the oasis, where he has a vision of an attack and warns the chieftains. Later, he must prove his ability to transform himself into the wind when captured by tribal warriors, a moment that tests his understanding of the Soul of the World.
- Reward
After overcoming the greatest challenge, the hero is given a tangible reward or the feeling of pride/success
Santiago survives the ordeal and gains a deeper understanding of himself and the universe. He also earns respect and acknowledgment for his wisdom and courage.
- The Road Back:
The hero must recommit to continuing the journey home with vindication
Santiago reaches the pyramids, believing he has found the treasure. However, he is robbed again, and the robbers unintentionally reveal the true location of the treasure—back in Spain, under the sycamore tree where his journey began.
11.Resurrection:
The hero’s most dangerous brush with death. The Resurrection proves that the hero has learned and can apply what he’s learned to the Ordinary World Ultimately the Hero will succeed, destroy his enemy and emerge from battle cleansed and reborn.
Santiago returns to Spain with a renewed sense of self and spiritual enlightenment. His journey has changed him, and he now fully understands the meaning of pursuing one’s Personal Legend.
- Return:
Returns home to “The Ordinary World” a changed person in some way (usually more knowledgeable), and often with the means to share with others
Santiago finds the treasure where it all began, under the sycamore tree. He returns not only with material wealth but with profound wisdom and a transformed perspective, ready to share his story and insights with others.
