Highlighting Heroes- Resurrecting our archetypes
Growing up playing sports taught me many valuable lessons. I learned the importance of hard work. I understood what meant to lose with dignity and win with humility. I realized my strengths and weaknesses. While I was never the fastest or the strongest, I was the one cheering the loudest for my teammates. My last year playing soccer, I had a difficult experience. I wanted to quit. My dad told me that while it was my choice which sports I continued to play, I wasn’t allowed to quit mid-season. I finished the season and never played soccer again. I often recall that memory and the value of completing what you start, never just giving up. My father is one of my heroes.
My father is one of my heroes.
My dad didn’t have an easy life, but he never saw himself as a victim. He chose to join the military and learn discipline. He pulled himself up by the bootstraps and forged his own path in life. He committed to providing for a family, being a good husband to my mom, and treating her well (she wouldn’t allow for anything less!). One of my favorite things to do together was watch movies.
I loved movies that portrayed fighters who trained hard, athletes who overcame a disadvantage, and superheroes who used their powers for good. As I continued playing sports in high school, I would often think of these archetypes: the Warrior, the Underdog, and the Hero. I considered the virtues that they stood for: fortitude, resilience, diligence. I ran suicides after every basketball practice (for those of you that didn’t play sports, suicides are sprinting to every line on the court…only after touching the end line each time. It is as hard as it sounds.) I didn’t stay late after practice to be the best. I put in the extra time because I wanted to be MY best.
The etymology of the word, “sin,” is to miss the mark. Will you hit the bull’s eye if you don’t have something to aim for? The concept of the Hero’s journey, popularized by Joseph Campbell, originated from Carl Jung, a Mystery School initiate in the lineage of King Salomon. Carl Jung contributed greatly to modern day psychology, particularly with the importance of archetypes in the collective unconscious.
Will you hit the bull’s eye if you don’t have something to aim for?
Archetypes are a mirror. They allow you to see yourself in their reflection. How do you accomplish your greatness without first committing to your goals? Archetypes are like your goals. They can shine through the darkest of nights. When you are lost in the darkness, they remind you of the Light. When I’m not clear about the direction I’m heading, I look to my heroes.
Another one of my heroes is Ipsissimus Dave Lanyon, lineage holder of the Modern Mystery School and one of my teachers. I’ve had moments of feeling like the Karate Kid around him. “Wax on. Wax off.” Ipsissimus Dave teaches in practical ways, reminding you of the wisdom that exists in doing the most simplest of tasks. It matters how you care for things. This often translates to how you care about people.
It matters how you care for things. This often translates to how you care about people.
“How you do one thing is how you do everything.” One of my first teachers and mentors, Verla Wade, has spoken this many times to me and countless others over the years. Verla is one of my heroes. She is strong, committed and always in service to others. She has a way of speaking to a room of people with such power that when she drops the mic, the gates of people’s hearts open. You can feel the silence in the room echo.
Embrace your heroes. They are necessary for your growth and progression. The archetype of the Hero is both singular and multi-dimensional. Heroes can be found in your life. You may know them personally. You may have never met them before. Heroes have existed for thousands, even millions of years in mythology. In this current age, superheroes are the modern day mythology reminding you of your inner power.
While many heroes exist, there is also only one. You are the hero in your life. By seeing yourself in the archetype of the Hero, you are reminded of what you can become, your personal destiny. In the Modern Mystery School, we would call it your Life Purpose. What are you here to do? Have you ever felt an inner calling? Did you ever feel like you were meant for something more? The Path of the Initiate is the Hero’s journey.
When Michelangelo, another Mystery School initiate, was questioned about how he created his masterpiece of David, he responded, “I removed everything that wasn’t David.” Clearing away what isn’t the Hero is part of the Path of the Initiate. Through the ancient process of initiation, as you clear away what no longer serves you, your true power begins to shine through.
Clearing away what isn’t the Hero is part of the Path of the Initiate.
Find your heroes in this life. Hold them close. Remember your own reflection that exists in aiming towards them. The heroes illuminate the virtues within you: strength, courage, good and beauty. On this journey, you aren’t alone. There are many others committed to the path of progression. Contact a Guide or Certified Life Activation Practitioner in your area to continue your journey with additional support, tools and empowerment.
Highlighting heroes,
Christina Becerra, Certified Guide and Ritual Master in the Modern Mystery School