The Heroine`s Odyssey Introductory Guide copy

Introductory Guide
Presented by Jen Blackstock
2014 Copyright Jen Blackstock and The Unbridled Life | All Photos Copyright 2014 In Her Image Photography
1 of 22
Table of Contents
The Call
3
Your Journey so Far
5
The heroine’s odyssey: Level 1
8
the heroine’s odyssey: Level 2
11
walking the odyssey
15
2 of 22
The Call
You’ve heard The Call.
You know that your life- your journey- is way more than
what you see in front of you. More than you could ever
fathom. Could ever dream.
You know you have a destiny.
You are ready to walk the path.
And as a woman, you know that this path is uniquely yours,
yet connected to all other women- those who came before
you, those who walk beside you, and those who will follow
in generations to come.
Life- simply being ALIVE- is an Odyssey into the deepest parts of
our souls, the reality of our bodies, and the heights of our
divinity.
This isn’t the masculine Hero’s Journey, though some of the
stops may look the same. Rather, this is the Heroine’s Odysseyhonoring that as women, we do things a little differentlyin your own rhythm, in your own flow, and with your own
spark to light the way.
Yet the adventure for all of us is the same and the path has
been walked before.
You are not alone.
The ancient secrets have been revealed.
The Mysteries are known.
3 of 22
And there are magical helpers to assist in each step
along the way- once you know where you are and which
face of the Goddess to call on.
It is TIME.
The Cycles of Eternity are real. The Heroine’s Odyssey is ready
to be followed. The possibilities are Infinite.
Can you trust? Can you surrender? Can you dare to see your
freedom?
All you have to do is Be Brave. Be Willing. Be-lieve in the
miracles that are already in front of you.
And say YES to entering Her magic.
Here. Now. YES.
4 of 22
Your Journey So Far
The first step on honoring your Heroine’s Odyssey is acknowledging Your Journey So Far. There is a potency in honoring where you have already been and in celebrating The Journey So Far. By knowing where you have already traveled, the experiences you have already had and the transformations that have already occurred, you then have the unique vantage-­‐‑point of several things: Perspective. Trust. Knowledge. Knowing. Gratitude. And many more. 5 of 22
Here’s the thing-­‐‑ most of us never take the time to actually honor where we have already journeyed. It’s so easy to get caught up in the ‘where am I going next’ or ‘what mountain do I want to conquer now’ that we take liOle to no time to fully thank and celebrate all that has already happened. So in the beginning stages of venturing into The Heroine’s Odyssey, it is important for us to first know where we are coming from. So as part of this The Heroine’s Odyssey: The Session experience, I invite you to spend some time writing out YOUR own journey so far. This could include ANYTHING that has happened so far in your life that you feel was important on the journey-­‐‑ include what happened, what you learned, and how you grew from each step. It can be a page long or 20 or more-­‐‑ the length doesn’t maOer. This exercise can be wriOen, spoken word, poem, song, video or any other medium you feel would adequately capture the adventures you have already experienced. What maOers most here is honoring and celebrating the Odyssey you’ve already taken, the dragons you’ve already slain, and your courage to make it to where ever you are now. There is a power in having your story witnessed by others, so please feel free to share this with me when you are ready. And in just a few months, there will be a beautiful opportunity to share this in a sacred space. Hold tight and be sure to hit save-­‐‑ it’s coming <3 Use the space below or start a new document that you could easily share. 6 of 22
7 of 22
The Heroine’s Odyssey:
Level 1
The Call of the Soul
The Goddess Speaks
Denial
Finding Courage
Redemption
Purification
r
Commitment
Ordinary World
The Great
Mystery
Ordinary World
Magical World
Service
Shaktified
Magical World
devotion
Miracles
The Womb
The Fall
to Grace
Leap of Faith
Initiation
Spiritual Bypass
Embodiment
Alchemical Freedom
© 2014 Jen Blackstock.
8 of 22
In working with this first level, less detail and theory is actually more. There is a lot of theory behind The Heroine’s Odyssey, which is why I am writing a book about this, and we will definitely be going there in your session and in various mediums in the years to come in learning how to intimately work within this concept. But for now in your first introduction, it’s all about Feeling and Intuition
So for the purposes of this Introduction to Level 1 of the Odyssey, there are 2 exercises: 1. Feeling into each step on the path: How do you feel as you examine this diagram? Where does your heart stop, where does it want to run away from? Where does your heart feel at home? What are you immediately drawn to? What do the stages mean to YOU on immediate glance, and how do they evolve the more you spend time with them. Don’t skip this part. In any theory or practice, what I feel is MOST important is how you yourself interact with it, even more so than what it means or is supposed to be. So spend some time geOing to know each section and saying hello. Asking each stage what she wants to say or reveal to you. 2. Intuition of how this path may be working in your life already: I invite you to spend some time with this graphic and feel into how it moves, how it’s shaped, how it may fit with how you’ve experienced your journey up until this point. 9 of 22
How is it different from the classic circular depiction of the Hero’s Journey? How does it honor the feminine in your viewpoint? How might you begin to work with it in your own life. Intuitively-­‐‑ what is it telling you about your own path and your own journey so far? In the next section, I will reveal Level Two of The Heroine’s Odyssey so we can begin to work deeper within the structures and theory. But please spend some time with these questions before moving on so you begin to form your own relationship with the Odyssey. 10 of 22
The Heroine’s Odyssey:
Level 2
The Call of the Soul
The Goddess Speaks
Denial
Purification
Refusal of the Call
Finding Courage
Redemption
Liberation + Dark Mirrors
Forgiveness
Merging of Masculine
& Feminine
Commitment
Going Beyond
The Veil
Ordinary World
Ordinary World
Service
Magical World
Magical World
The Great
Mystery
Death and
Rebirth
Integration
Shaktified
Awakening
The Womb
Devotion
Miracles
Reverence, Prosperity
& Magic
Divine
Intervention
The Fall
to Grace
Dark Night of the Soul
Leap of Faith
Trust and Surrender
Initiation
Spiritual Bypass
Refusal of the Physical Realm
Walking Through
the Fire
Embodiment
Alchemical Freedom
Merging of the Spiritual
& Physical Realms
© 2014 Jen Blackstock.
11 of 22
Now we get to move on to Level 2, which gives more detail about what each Stage actually means, as well as giving a high-­‐‑level overview of what The Odyssey is and how to begin working with it. First, I invite you to play with this level just as you did with Level 1. What insights begin to reveal themselves with knowing more detail? Does your view of each Stage change knowing what it means. Are you still drawn to the same Stage you were in Level 1? Or has it changed? Is there still a Stage (or a few) that scare you, or you want to avoid all together? Record your answers below-­‐‑ it will be important for you over time to remember what stands out, scares, excites or triggers you as you begin working with this: 12 of 22
Now it’s time to explore more detail, background, and how to start working with The Odyssey. My inspiration for this work came from the beloved Joseph Campbell, who decades ago laid out The Hero’s Journey-­‐‑ the classic adventure that we as humans experience when time of transformation arises. His journey has inspired me for years, and as I worked with this concept in college and over the years of my own healing journey, it spoke to me on levels I couldn’t even comprehend. But it always felt like something was missing. Like it was the story, but not the whole story. It honored what happens on the outside, how we can view the adventure. But what about the internal journey? What about the divine feminine in each stage? What about the transmutation that happens on the inside as the alchemy of the Odyssey reveals itself? And could it apply over our entire lifetime, or perhaps even multiple lifetimes? As I played with this concept, a new twist began to form. And I realized-­‐‑ the linear trajectory of the classic circle from The Hero’s Journey honored the masculine, and something was being called from my depths to honor the feminine flow of life. A re-­‐‑writing, if you will, of the old classic. Honor the feminine. Honor the internal alchemy. Honor the divine feminine archetypes that appear in each stage. And craft our practices, rituals, movements and lives around honoring where we are and where we are going. So what does this look like? Well, you now have Level 1 and 2 to begin to explore this. {There are currently 8 levels that can be explored in deeper work with me in the future}. I like to approach it like this {but again, I want you to develop your own relationship with The Odyssey, so if this resonates-­‐‑ awesome-­‐‑ and if not, then what works for you?} We enter The Heroine’s Odyssey with The Call of the Soul. When the Goddess calls us into something deeper, more, greater, more meaningful in our lives. 13 of 22
The Call can come in many forms: Being born is one. Or a deep knowing that something has to change. Or a sensation that there is something greater you are meant to do with your life, or something greater than you to guide your life. This is the-­‐‑ how shall I say it-­‐‑ easier way that The Call shows up… when you just know there is some adventure you need to go on, and you are willing to begin now. Most of us however, don’t get the message the first time. Or second. Or maybe some never recognize The Call ever. They go about their lives in a daze, numb or scared or never even realizing they have the courage to live their life fully alive. Luckily, most hear The Call in some way shape or form. Sometimes it’s obvious. But most of the time, we finally get it when we are given no more choice in the maOer: dis-­‐‑ease, accidents, break-­‐‑ups, chaos, losing jobs, losing friends, losing loved ones…. how it comes varies, but the message is always the same: You are here for a purpose, you have a destiny, and if you continue to ignore this simple truth, then life will begin to make sure you do something about it. After years of running a healing practice in San Francisco, I saw it daily: injury and illness, loss and despair, anxiety and stress-­‐‑ all pointing to one thing-­‐‑ heeding The Call to make something of your life. To live. To come fully alive. The key to heeding The Call? Courage. Knowing that there is an Inner Warrior inside of you, ready, willing and able to do anything you set your heart to. You just have to listen and believe Her. Have you ever experienced The Call? How did it come about for you? Was it a whisper or a loud scream? Was it easy or did you fight it? How did you begin to walk your own Heroine’s Odyssey to get to where you are today? 14 of 22
Walking the odyssey
How do I view The Heroine’s Odyssey SO I
can work with it?
There are 2 primary ways to view this theory: 1. Identify the Stage that most fits where you currently are in your life on on a high-­‐‑level view, or meta level. 2. Identifying the Stage that most fits where you are today, this week, this month. It’s important to know the difference between the two, because as you begin to integrate this into your life, you will be crafting daily, weekly and often yearly 15 of 22
practices and intentions to honor where you are currently, and where you want to go next. After we hear The Call is when the fun begins. From here, if you look at the graph, there are actually several directions to go: Denial, Shaktified, Liberation, Service are the closest stages. Once you begin to move around the infinity loop, the possibilities are endless. You could be working within the stage of Purification-­‐‑ clearing everything that no longer serves-­‐‑ and move to the right to Redemption, or move down to Embodiment. Or you could go straight into Initiation on a downslide of the graph. For everyone, it’s slightly different. For some a stage may last a few months, or it could be a few years. Or this whole lifetime could be all about one stage because it’s the one your soul really needs to get this time around. You might skip some stages as you intensify your practices, or be able to move through the tougher ones quicker than before. You may move across the infinity loop from Commitment to the Great Mystery with ease, or just love being in Devotion so much you do everything in your power to never leave. Which is where temptation comes in. Temptation to control the experience and journey. Temptation to do it perfectly, or have it look or feel a certain way. Let me warn you now: The more you try to control this journey of the Inner Warrior, the more it will gift you with initiations that may feel impossible to overcome. And-­‐‑ahem-­‐‑ these initiations can be quite the ass-­‐‑kicking. So if controlling your Odyssey is not an option , what is? Knowledge: Knowing where you are and where you are going Patience: That the right adventures, challenges, gifts and initiations will come when it’s the right time. 16 of 22
Trust: That you are always taken care of, safe, and all of it is perfect in it’s timing. Surrender: To whatever plan is in store for you, that it will provide you with what you need to keep journeying onward. Reverence: For the divine, for yourself, and for everything that crosses your path. And Respect: For the process, for others, and for everyone else each on their respective journeys. Let me add here: Even though one stage is more present at a certain time, ALL of them are always available for you to explore and journey through on a daily basis. All you have to do is ask. And you might experience that as women, sometimes we experience All of the stages in a day, or sometimes even an hour. That’s the nature of the infinite loop. Everything and nothing. Cycle and Flow. Creation and Destruction. Death and rebirth and everything else in-­‐‑between! How do i apply the heroine’s odyssey to my
life?
Have you identified the stage that most fits what you are experiencing in your life on a meta level? Great! Now that you know where you are, that is half the baOle ;) Now it’s time to do something about it. Why? Because by supporting and honoring where you are-­‐‑ no maOer what-­‐‑ even if it’s hard and painful or easy and joyful, is the key to living fully Alive. 17 of 22
This is when the practice of Alchemy comes in: Alchemy is the ancient process of turning metal into gold that often was associated with sorcerers & priestesses in far away times. While many believed the alchemists back in the day were literally trying to turn metal into gold, the real secret is that ‘turning metal into gold’ is a metaphor for life-­‐‑ how we can take our current circumstances and turn them into richness and beauty beyond our wildest dreams! Alchemy is the quest for immortality, the fountain of youth, the holy grail... abundance that comes through the process of turning the ordinary into the extraordinary. In my experience, the recipe for Alchemy is: Alchemy = Inner Stillness + Outward Movement +
Celebration
All 3 are essential in calling in that which you desire in your life. I can look back at times where I only was doing one or two, and that was when things fell flat, didn’t work out, felt out of alignment…. and many other scenarios. So here’s how this process works with The Heroine’s Odyssey: 1. Identify your Stage-­‐‑ either on a meta level or simply for today 2. Spend time in Stillness practices to support this stage and meditate on what this stage means and what gifts it has to offer you. 3. Mantra practice to support the Inner Stillness. We get into mantra practices in higher levels, and in your session (if you have booked one) we will address this if appropriate. I.e. if you are in the Purification stage, mantra to Kali can support you. 4. Outward Movement-­‐‑ craft exercises, rituals, body movements, decisions and any other action items you need to take in your life to support the energy of this Stage. Do everything you can to fully feel, experience and embody the stage. I.e. If you are in the Finding Courage stage, time in the outdoors, practicing archery or other precision sports, or even watching The Hunger Games can support you this stage. Again-­‐‑ this is higher level but I want you 18 of 22
to have a big picture of just how much you can do when you have the power of knowledge of where in the Odyssey you are! 5. Celebration-­‐‑ Celebrate-­‐‑ every damn day-­‐‑ wherever you are, whatever you are experiencing, and however you feel called. This is paramount to anything else-­‐‑ you get this, you get the Odyssey. Here’s an example of how to apply the above:
Say we have determined that you are currently in the Purification stage of your Heroine’s Odyssey. You are in the process of leMing go, liberation, facing your dark mirrors and maybe for the first time, tapping into the power of your rage and anger for the first time. Or maybe for the first time in a healthy way. You know that what you are letting go of is necessary. But it can be painful. Hurtful.
Sometimes that energy of Kali coming into ‘clean house’ is just. too. much. to handle.
19 of 22
You want it to be over, to move on and be done. But you also know how important this
Purification is in the big picture.
So- we use the Alchemical Formula to create gold out of the pain.
First- tap into the Inner Stillness. Allow yourself to be still in whatever stillness practices
you know (or if you work deeper with me in higher levels, I will introduce specific
practices for each stage).
Then- amplify the Stillness with a mantra to Kali, Isis, or any goddess who represents the
Liberator archetype in your own practices (again, if we go deeper, you will learn a lot
more about the archetypes and how they can support you on your path).
Next we add Movement- dancing to dark, heavy metal music is GREAT for this stage, or
anything that helps you tap into your rage and anger in a healthy way. Kickboxing and
certain forms of yoga also work wonders in the Purification stage. Add to this any
burning rituals you need to do to let go of that which it is time to get go. Make the
decisions you know you need to make from a place of love and knowledge that it is for the
highest good of all involved. Move on. Say No. Speak your truth. Walk through the fire
and know that on the other side is creation and expansion.
And finally- you celebrate. Celebrate the anger. Celebrate the hardship. Celebrate the
wins. Celebrate everything that is happening, and truly honor how important everything
you are experiencing is so you may move closer to your truth.
So what if you want to be in another stage
or feel a different stage this day, week,
month?
This is a great exploration. Often we are in a stage for a significant amount of time, but
that doesn’t mean that we don’t experience other stages or don’t need the knowledge they
have to provide. You may be deep in Purification and one day feel strongly the sense of
Devotion. Honor that. Work with it. See what it has to offer you and why it is appearing
now. I could indicate that your soul is ready to move on to another stage. Or it could
mean that the energy of Devotion will help heal the pain of where you are now.
20 of 22
Explore. Play. Listen. Trust.
Know that even though one stage is more present at a certain time, ALL of them are
always available for you to explore and journey through on a daily basis. All you have to
do is ask.
And you might experience that as women, sometimes we experience All of the stages in a
day, or sometimes even an hour. That’s the nature of the infinite loop. Everything and
nothing. Cycle and Flow. Creation and Destruction. Death and rebirth and everything
else in-between!
Now- there will come a time when it is clear that the meta stage you have been in for a
while is coming to a completion. Sometimes this is a welcome change, sometimes it’s
scary as all hell. When you feel a shift, begin to work with the map to determine where
you feel you are going next. Again, if in Purification, do you feel like you are moving
toward Redemption, or Embodiment? Or does it feel like you may skip a few steps and
‘slide down’ the infinity loop to Shaktified? What is your sense of how the journey is
unfolding for you?
Once you determine what stage feels like the most natural progression, then begin to
infuse your life with the qualities of that stage that come through. If you feel the call to
Shaktified, what awakening practices can you begin to incorporate- kundalini yoga,
dancing as if you are in a Bacchanalia like the wild women of lore? How can you invite
the energy of Shakti in, so you can begin to move towards that stage with grace and love
and intention?
See- this is where the real fun begins. This is how you begin to be the Inner Warrior and
truly direct the flow of your life, while also honoring the natural process that is
occurring. It’s the opportunity to practice surrender while also being the warrior of your
own life.
And truly honoring the divine feminine in everything you do.
Every step you take.
Every mantra you sing and every way you move your body- She is there with you.
21 of 22
She wants to help.
She wants to come forth.
The more you allow Her, the more miracles and grace will appear in your life- like magic.
The path is yours to walk on.
She is yours to behold.
And Her treasures are as close as closing your eyes and asking to be Seen.
You are an Inner Warrior and the
Heroine of your own story.
Welcome.
We’ve been waiting for you.
22 of 22