Finding the Boon in the Heroine and Hero’s Journey: The Courageous Act of Self-Love

A presentation at the 2013 Cosmology of Love Conference at the California Institute of Integral Studies. The journey into the underworld is perilous, for here we encounter one of the darkest and most destructive forces in the psyche, shame. The courage that it takes to face this dark monster is one of the most heroic and rewarding acts known to humankind, for it is in the deepest cave that we find what we are looking for: Love. From a depth perspective, one can see that in order to whole-heartedly share our gifts with this world, the heroine or hero must descend into the underworld to discover the treasure or boon. This is a journey guided by the reclamation of one’s Creative Power, thereby re-connecting with the wisdom of the Self. It seems that this quest can only be truly accomplished through the courageous act of self-love–liberating the awareness and deep acceptance of one’s true nature.