Lau Tzu could very well have been speaking of the Hero’s Journey. We cannot take our whole journey all at once. We need to begin with a single step and then follow that with another step, and then another. And at each point we need to focus mindfully on the step we are taking, living […]

In this 2014 interview with Oprah Winfrey, author Elizabeth Gilbert offers interesting insights into threshold resistance, fear and the Hero’s Journey. Every problem begins with fear Recently I came across this 2014 series of short videos from an Oprah Winfrey “Supersoul Sunday” program. Winfrey is interviewing Elizabeth Gilbert, author of “Eat, Pray, Love” and the […]

NOTE: You are welcome to link to this article, but do not copy or repost it. If you would like a free, updated PDF copy to use in your class or work, please contact me. (This is the introduction to The Hero’s Journey: The Path of Transformation, our comprehensive guide to teaching the Hero’s Journey.) […]

The chambered nautilus, both in its structure and its behavior, illustrates how we should navigate the… Read More To “purify” the mind doesn’t mean that you become holy or other than you are; it… Read More A challenge either knocks us down or lifts us up, depending on our attitude. Read More Resilience is an […]

Joseph Campbell’s “Other” Monomyth – Campbell’s monomyth is usually depicted in 17 stages or 12 stages (Vogler). However, Campbell’s own summary in The Hero with a Thousand Faces suggests a much more manageable six-stage model of the monomyth. Mythologist Joseph Campbell Rethinking Campbell: When Stages are not Stages – Joseph Campbell’s monomyth is the standard, virtually sacrosanct, model […]

To “purify” the mind doesn’t mean that you become holy or other than you are; it… Read More A challenge either knocks us down or lifts us up, depending on our attitude. Read More Resilience is an innate capacity in the brain that allows us to face and deal with… Read More We in the […]

I love this resource. I bought the paper copy about 15 years ago and bought this digital copy a few months ago. I highly recommend it!! James R., teacher ~ I’m always looking for fresh and exciting ways to explore the hero’s journey and allow my 9th graders to truly understand the whole cycle. This […]

A symbol is like a mirror swinging out from the mind, allowing the mind to look back on itself. In the symbol’s reflection, we can explore our own mythology and discover the subconscious myths that inform and shape our lives. Joseph Campbell is, perhaps, most famous for his advice “follow your bliss.” In his interviews […]

We update and add articles regularly, so check back from time to time. Your comments and feedback are always welcome. Articles exploring the hero’s journey, its elements, symbols, stages and process. JOSEPH CAMPBELL Articles about Joseph Campbell and the monomyth, his model of the hero’s journey.

Unfortunately, because of a flood of spam contacts and emails, I have had to disconnect my contact form and the direct link to my email. To contact me by email, just copy and paste my address (below). Sorry for the inconvenience I check mail regularly, so I usually reply within 24 yours. I’m looking forward […]

The chambered nautilus, both in its structure and its behavior, illustrates how we should navigate the… Read More To “purify” the mind doesn’t mean that you become holy or other than you are; it… Read More A challenge either knocks us down or lifts us up, depending on our attitude. Read More Resilience is an […]

As a writer and educator, I have more than four decades of experience using the Hero’s Journey in education, counseling and personal transformation. I began using the journey in the classroom in 1975. Since then, the Hero’s Journey has grown from being simply a heuristic for teaching myth and fantasy into the guiding passion of […]

In my research on the Hero’s Journey, I come across videos that do a good job of explaining the journey, its elements, applications or related themes. I post links to them here. If you have suggestions, please let me know (use the contact link in the menu). Thanks. “The Hero’s Journey: Life’s Great Adventure” is […]

NOTE: I originally published this article in 2005. I’ve tried to keep it updated, but the rapid changes in our media and culture have made that difficult. I wasn’t worried about freedom. I was worried about people being turned into morons by TV…Fahrenheit’s not about censorship. It’s about the moronic influence of popular culture through local […]