Hi All,
Since reading Justin's Time to Leave post a ten year old dream kept returning to mind. Intuition says pay attention, there's something here. Been mulling it around since. Thought it was due to stimulus/correlation to his apocalypse type theme. Finally read the dream yesterday & it hit me. The dream from 1996 is my heroes journey of Self work.

I worked yesterday identifying Campbell's stages in the dream. I think it's pretty close. Some stages are out of sequence but that's to be expected. Even after some time in Self work I'm still in awe of what he has given us.

Departure
1. The Call to Adventure: Departure

At home, evening, radio news about a catastrophic event coming the following day. Warnings to stay home. I call Madeline and TR. Did they hear? Yes. Tell them to meet me at Univenture in the morning and bring their bikes, we’re leaving.

Morning, drive to Univenture, no one else out on the roads. I pull into parking lot. ? (co-worker) is there to work. I say What are you doing here? She replies Going to work. Didn’t you hear about the (catastrophic event)? No work, you should go home, quickly. She leaves. TR and Madeline each pull in.

I tell them it will be much worse than they said. The entire area will be destroyed. We must leave if we want to survive. Look to the northwest sky. Clear blue, see nuclear missiles with white jet plumes soaring through the sky. Say it’s time to go.


2. Refusal of the Call

Riding our bikes on 270 South past Broad St exit. Freeway deserted. A man in a deep hole jumps up calling to us as we ride past. We turn around peddling back to him. He asks to go with us. I say no. He pleads to go. I say you don’t have a bike or supplies. You won’t survive the trip. You’ll survive a while if you stay in your hole. I give him food and water from our supplies. Tell him to remain hidden, keep your head down and don’t come out for six months even when he hears other people nearby b/c they will kill him. He says thank you then ducks back into his hole covering it with a woven grass mat to camouflage his hideout.


4. The Crossing of the First Threshold

Riding south on 270 to 23 south for many miles through Ohio into Kentucky. Somewhere in Kentucky. We must leave the road to make our way through the forest, hidden from others who are dangerous. Now riding a trail through the forest. TR is riding up and down off trail dodging trees, big smile on his face, having fun. Madeline says ‘You’re a nut, TR.” He grins and says Yep.


3. Supernatural Aid

Travel for many weeks heading south southeast, ride days and camp nights. We have tents, gather/hunt food as we go, have everything we need. Nights we sit around a small fire talking. During the trip I have ‘intuitions’ but keep them to myself. I finally speak of these after they ask questions about why and where we’re going. There’s a new continent in the Atlantic Ocean off the south east coast. We’re supposed to go there, create a new civilization. The event was only the beginning, a catalyst for total destruction of the mainland. The destruction is spreading to engulf it entirely. Those that survive initially and stay will ultimately suffer and die. The new continent will be protected, spared destruction. Others have this knowledge and are traveling as we are to reach the new continent, too. We’ll meet up there to create a new civilization. They defer to my intuitions and make me quasi leader of the group.

5. The Belly of the Whale

One day Madeline is sick, stiff, moving hurts her. She’s falling behind all day with us repeatedly waiting for her to catch up. We rest a few days thinking physical exertion from riding the bike. After a few days she doesn't heal. She can’t ride her bike. She tells us to leave her behind, she can’t make it. TR and I talk. Since she can’t ride she doesn’t need the bike. We disassemble her bike to make a cart for her to ride in. We sit her in the cart checking that’s she’s comfortable. She’s nearly in tears that she didn’t have to stay behind. We take off asking if she’s ok. She says it’s a little bumpy but she’s comfortable so keep going. We take turns pulling her in the cart with our bikes.

Initiation
1. The Road of Trials (continues through several stages); 2. The Meeting with the Goddess

I realize I’m attracted to TR, and he to me. At camp one evening he approaches me. Thinks he loves me. I know there is another I’m meant to join with. I do not know him, or he I, only that we are waiting for each other. I tell him even though their ages differ by more than twenty years he and Madeline belongs together. He goes to her. She rebuffs him at first thinking she’s much too old, he too young, and her illness. Later she tells me of his approach to her. I tell her they are meant for each other, their ages are of no concern, and will enjoy deep happiness together. She goes to him. They join, are good to and for each other, their relationship is gentle and caring and full of fun (just as they are in waking life).

Morning, breaking camp I sense we’ll encounter trouble on the trail today. I tell TR and Madeline we should stay here another day or two. Something feels wrong but I don’t know exactly what it is. Just a bad feeling about traveling that day. We can avoid it if we just stay here a couple more days. Madeline says ok, she trusts my sense. TR wants to push ahead, doesn’t want to lose two days travel time. Doesn’t trust my intuition on this. I tell him we just need to stay here a few days to avoid trouble then we can push on. He won’t give in. I say fine, let’s go then. Mad & I are anxious.

In the afternoon we cross paths with three men traveling south southwest. We’re attacked. TR and I fighting for our lives, and to protect Madeline who sits in the cart. An intense sword battle. I am determined I will not fall-striking powerfully, unrelentingly at my opponent with my sword driving him back until he falls to my sword. TR & I defeat them, killing two. The third did not attack or fight. He says he had to travel with them or they would kill him. I look him over, sense he’s an innocent. I say we’re traveling to the new continent; come with us.

3. The Woman as Temptress

We pick up people along the way as we journey. Our group now numbers over 50. We travel the forest trails single file but sometimes the path is wide enough to walk in groups. I’m a ‘seer’ leading the group along with Madeline and TR. We send out groups to find food, water and scout ahead for danger and campsites. With so many we’re not able to gather/hunt enough food as we go. Some have died along the way, a few are ill carried by others. We experience shortages and some grow weary of traveling.

A hunting party returns. They met men who told them they live in a town a few miles away. They said they have plenty of food and supplies to share. I sense to not trust them, trickery, they intend harm and say so to the group. Some are discontented with traveling and want to go. We are all exhausted and hungry. They plead – only long enough to rest and get food. Others doubt the new continent exists or that the mainland will be destroyed. I tell them it is a mistake. These people wait in ambush to rob and kill you. I can not stop you. It’s your decision. If you go you will perish at their hands and any who survive will perish as destruction advances through the mainland.

4. Atonement with the Father; 5. Apotheosis

The group splits in half. Some continue on with TR, Mad & I, others leave for the town. My heart is deep sadness at their fate. I tell those remaining we must leave at once. After the slaughter those town people will back track to our location looking to attack us, too. We hurry off.

Walking single file the trail high up on a mountain ridge. We look down into the far off valley to the town. The group is just arriving. We stop to watch town people coming out to greet and encourage them into town. Then the melee starts. Heinous- terrifying, we watch as they are beat, shot, stabbed to death. Some are raped. A few turn on their fellow travelers joining in the massacre. We watch, some crying with horror, some in sadness. Afterward several of the town people run backtracking toward our prior location. I know they won’t follow us, they’re too afraid to leave the ‘security’ of their town and cohorts.

6. The Ultimate Boon

We continue on in silence each focused on what we witnessed sorrowful, praying for them all.

In southern Georgia we are nearly there. We meet a large party traveling north. I thought the one I waited for would be leading this group. The man now leading that group says the leader went ahead taking a small group to begin building the village. He was instructed to lead the slower group to meet us and travel the remainder of the way with us. Our two groups merge and head due East.

We arrive at the coast to a long wood and rope bridge spanning the ocean. We finally made it –traveling for many, many months. We cross the bridge to the continent and new village. Everything is made of wood, rope, clay. No concrete, asphalt - ground is packed brown dirt. Forest and fields surround the village. After the last of the traveling party is across they destroy the bridge to defend the village from attacks by others that will come as the destruction expands to engulf the entire continent.

Return
1. Refusal of the Return; 2. The Magic Flight

The people regard me as a seer, and co leader of the village. I am escorted to the central courtyard. He walks out of a wood building ducking his head to pass through the threshold. Walking toward me he says you are here. It has been a long wait. We sit on logs surrounding a fire talking to each other. The people leave us in private conversation, those that arrived early leading the new arrivals to their new homes and food.

A young woman, member of the co-leader’s advance party, hangs around observing us but mostly him, I sense her attraction to him. She says something (?) and he sends her off to hunt with a hunting party. I see this is an issue and speak to him about it. He says he holds no attraction to her and did not recognize her attraction to him until only recently. To him she is a child, a close cousin. He does not want to tell her because it will pain her. He invites me to his home. She must be told. I will not join with him until it’s resolved. I excuse myself leaving to choose my new home.

3. Rescue from Without; 4. Crossing the Return Threshold

I settle into a daily routine weaving and making clay art, hunting, daily chores, people seeking advice visit. My heart is heavy but I will not go to him. A woman stops to talk. Asks why he and I are not together? Tell her. She says it is wrong to blame him. The attraction is not his but hers.

On the third evening he visits my home by dark of the night. He begins to tell me he will talk to her. I tell him I love him and what the old woman reminded me of. We embrace and make love.

5. Master of Two Worlds 6. Freedom to Live

The next morning he invites me to move to his home. I say he should move to my home. He goes home to gather his things and returns. We settle into our new life.

Time passes as everyone settles into the new village and new way of life. We depend on the land for everything now. We make laws when things come up, but not stupid ones. Who we were and how we lived before is a long past memory, and we don’t miss it.

Regards,
Kathy

Age & Gender & Location {Required}: 44 Central OH

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Fascinating stuff Kathy. Your story shows how often the journey begins with a dream, and then the dream becomes the life. Only it is about the inner life, more so than the outer. At least until the outer life gives way to the inner. The way of the hero journey is psychological first, then physical. What the dream says one night, the life lives the next day. What was dream becomes reality. At least for those who dare to venture the hero path.

Gerard

Age & Gender & Location {Required}: 57 Murfreesboro, Tn.

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