Hero's Journey Stage 10: The Road Back, Restoration of the Ordinary

Stage 10: The Road Back, Restoration of the Ordinary

It is time to return to the Ordinary World, for one cannot dwell in the Special World forever. In our myth cycles, some heroes are reluctant to return and must be chased out of the Special World, for the Special World has a way of restoring its balance. Some heroes find themselves facing the destruction or death of the Special World with the reward now removed from it, or worse—face the destruction of the Ordinary World if they do not return. And there are even tales where the Hero is faced with a choice: remain in the Special World and follow the desires of the now or return to the Ordinary World to serve a greater cause than themselves.

After seizing out prize, we have come to this place, where we are the master of two worlds, settled between the past and the future, but not a part of either. We see where we were with full clarity and the path where we are going with equal understanding. Much like the state of balance, this is a moment that we will pass through, and life will move on.

Recall the question resounding in your journey since Crossing the Threshold, and remember why you asked it in the first place. What ties lie in the Ordinary World that need this reward? Hold those anchors of the Ordinary in your mind as we light the tenth flame. Just as Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz longs for her family back in Kansas, we must remember what draws us back to the Ordinary World.

Guided Meditation: The Call to the Ordinary

In the light of the tenth flame,
Feel yourself full of the knowledge and skill you have obtained on this journey.
Feel you mind expanding with each breath,
Feel your heart overflowing with love and success.
Feel your spirit filled with joy—and longing to share it.
Sink into the inner landscape, and feel the specialness begin to fade,
As though the light is being drained from this place.
The colors seem to be draining out of the world around you,
Odd in the dawning sun, usually so full of illuminating beauty in pink, orange, and red.
The world around you is definitely becoming more grey.
You notice streaks of smoke beginning to rise off everything around you—
The colors ARE draining, and the plants and rocks are disintegrating as their colors are depleted, as though the shades were keeping them together.
You notice the path beneath you beginning to smoke in the same way,
And you decide it is time.
You begin taking purposeful steps away from the disappearing clearing,
Picking up speed as you go, following the solid of the remaining path,
Hoping it leads to where you need to go.
The streams of the Special World are growing, pulling everything that once was
Into smoke and nothingness.
You break into a run, moving past the cave, now merely an outline of a hill,
On past the boulder where you sat and considered your allies and shapeshifters,
And finally, you arrive back at the garden where you first entered this world.
The fading of the Special World seems to have stopped at the gate of the garden.
Everything here is still bright and warm, and the early birds are singing in the trees.
Here, it feels like home, the same yet—different.
You rest next to the garden, catching your breath, and feeling the Call to return
Deep within your bones.
Your seat faces the blooming garden.
In your pocket, you have your talisman.
In your hand, you have your reward.
Next to your seat, you see a watering can and a small packet of seeds.

As you open your eyes, feel the detachment of the Special World fade away, and consider a journal entry for your thoughts.