Transform your recovery and integrate your split selves with The Hero's Journey series

My transformative guided visualization journey through the archetypes of the unconscious will help you develop a deeper connection to your intuition and better regulate your emotions.

We are now living in the age of the psyche and spirit. I am convinced that we are not dysfunctional or disordered; we are spiritually starved. I did an entire episode on spiritual starvation, which you can listen to for free here.

It is essential that we learn to expand the way we think about who we are and what our fundamental skills are, including our basic senses. We are not limited to our five senses. We have numerous sensing skills.

We have emotional senses, for instance, and we have intuitive senses. Though many people think that being intuitive is a gift, that view will one day be considered as preposterous as thinking that being born with a sense of smell or taste is a “gift”.

Your intuition is an inherent sense that develops in you just as you develop eyes, ears, and your other senses. The real challenge in today’s day and age is to understand how your intuitive nature communicates with you, as your intuitive sense is as continually active as all your other senses; you’ve just spent much of your life ignoring and suppressing it.

I believe the vast amount of our emotional and psychological turmoil comes from this disconnection from our intuition. The BFTB Hero’s Journey Series aims to address this disconnection.

WHAT IS THE HERO’S JOURNEY?

The hero's journey is a narrative structure or archetype that describes the common stages or steps that a hero typically goes through in many myths, stories, and legends.

The concept was first introduced by American mythologist Joseph Campbell in his book "The Hero with a Thousand Faces."

Click here to watch a short video of Joseph Campbell describing The Hero’s Journey in his own words.

THE STAGES OF THE HERO’S JOURNEY

According to Campbell, the hero's journey typically involves three main stages:

1. Departure

2. Initiation

3. Return
   
   
   Each of these stages includes several sub-stages or steps. For my visual learners, below is a useful illustration that outlines the major stages and sub-stages of the hero’s journey:

THE DEPARTURE STAGE

In the departure stage, the hero is called to adventure and leaves their ordinary world behind. They may receive a supernatural aid or mentor, cross a threshold or a boundary, and face tests or trials that challenge their character and abilities.

THE INITIATION STAGE

In the initiation stage, the hero faces even greater challenges and undergoes a transformation or ordeal that tests their courage, wisdom, and morality. They may confront a powerful adversary, encounter allies or enemies, and receive rewards or punishments for their actions.

THE RETURN STAGE

In the return stage, the hero returns to their ordinary world, bringing back the knowledge, wisdom, or treasure they have gained during their journey. They may face one final challenge or temptation before achieving a final victory or resolution.

HOW THE HERO’S JOURNEY CONCEPT IS USED

The hero's journey has become a popular framework for analyzing and creating stories, movies, and other forms of media. It can help writers and creators to structure their narratives, develop their characters, and engage their audiences in a meaningful and memorable way.

A lesser-known use of the hero’s journey is to perform emotional alchemy, integrate the split-off parts of ourselves, perform shadow work, and become more deeply connected to our intuition and Higher Self.

HOW THE HERO’S JOURNEY SERIES CAN HELP WITH EMOTION DYSREGULATION ISSUES

The Hero’s Journey series will help you understand and navigate the challenges and transformations that you’ve faced in your life. By recognizing and embracing the various stages of the hero's journey, you will gain insight into your own emotional experiences.

One way that the hero's journey can help with emotion regulation is by providing a map for understanding the ups and downs of our emotional landscape.

For example, the hero's journey typically involves a call to adventure, a period of struggle and challenge, and, ultimately, a sense of transformation and growth. By recognizing that our emotional experiences are part of a larger journey, we can learn to view our difficult emotions as opportunities for growth and transformation rather than simply obstacles to overcome.

HOW THE HERO’S JOURNEY FRAMEWORK CAN HELP RECONNECT YOU WITH YOUR INTUITIVE NATURE

The hero's journey can help connect you more deeply to your intuition by encouraging you to pay attention to your inner guidance and to trust your instincts (also known as your “gut feelings.”)

One of the key stages of the hero's journey is the "belly of the whale," where the hero confronts the deepest and darkest parts of themselves. In this stage, the hero is often forced to rely on their intuition and inner guidance to navigate through the challenges and emerge transformed.

By following the hero's journey framework in the full BFTB series, you will cultivate a greater awareness of your own inner voice and learn to trust your intuition more fully.

In addition, the hero's journey series encourages you to embrace your unique strengths and talents and to use them in service of a larger purpose or mission. By connecting with your inner gifts and passions, you can tap into a deeper sense of intuition and inner guidance and channel that energy toward creating positive change in the world.

USING THE HERO’S JOURNEY SERIES TO HEAL THE SPLIT PARTS OF YOUR SELVES

The hero’s journey concept can help you develop greater psychological integration by providing a framework for understanding your own values, motivations, and a sense of purpose.

As you embark on your hero's journey by listening to the series, you’ll be forced to confront your deepest fears and desires and grapple with the question of who you are and what you stand for. (Questions that far too many of us spend a lot of time dissociating from or repressing.)

As you listen to the series, you’ll reflect on these questions and engage in practices such as journaling, guided visualization, meditation, and listening to myths and fairy tales. Once you complete all the episodes, you’ll develop a greater sense of psychological coherence and integration.

HOW TO LISTEN TO THE HERO’S JOURNEY SERIES

The Hero’s Journey series is exclusively available to premium subscribers of the Back from the Borderline podcast.

To unlock all 21 episodes, you must become a Premium Submarine on Patreon. Click here to sign up.

In addition to the Hero’s Journey series, you’ll also gain access to over 110+ hours of additional BFTB bonus content.

Once you’ve signed up, don’t forget to read the Premium Submarine welcome message, which you can find here. This article will walk you through how to access all the BFTB bonuses and goodies you receive as a brand-new Premium Submarine.

THE HERO’S JOURNEY SERIES STRUCTURE

Each chapter of the series will begin with an analysis of the major arcana card being explored for that particular episode. The listener is asked to meditate on the imagery of the card. Below, you’ll find quick links to images of each card you can use as a companion when you begin the series.

The major arcana cards of the tarot deck are a set of cards that are typically considered to be the most significant and powerful cards in the deck that aim to help the seeker explore the collective unconscious.

Each of the cards in the major arcana represents a specific archetype or universal theme, and they can be used not only for divination but for self-reflection and personal growth.

After a short description and meditation on the card imagery, each episode in the series will walk you through various guided visualizations, journaling exercises, and myths that will help you deepen and explore the meaning of each archetype and integrate it into your own conscious awareness.

EPISODE BREAKDOWN AND CARD IMAGES

EP01: THE FOOL
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN | VIEW ABOUT CARD HERE
THEMES: This card represents new beginnings, taking a risk, and embracing the unknown. The Fool is often depicted as a carefree wanderer, sometimes with a dog as a companion, and is often associated with the element of air.

EP02: THE MAGICIAN
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN | VIEW ABOUT CARD HERE
THEMES: This card represents manifestation, creativity, and power. The Magician is often depicted with one hand pointing to the sky and the other pointing to the ground, symbolizing the ability to bring ideas into reality.

EP03: THE HIGH PRIESTESS
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN | VIEW ABOUT CARD HERE
THEMES: This card represents intuition, mystery, and the unknown. The High Priestess is often depicted sitting between two pillars, holding a scroll or book, and wearing a veil or hood.

EP04: THE EMPRESS
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN | VIEW ABOUT CARD HERE
THEMES: This card represents abundance, nurturing, and creativity. The Empress is often depicted surrounded by lush vegetation, with symbols of fertility and motherhood.

EP05: THE EMPEROR
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN | VIEW ABOUT CARD HERE
THEMES: This card represents authority, structure, and order. The Emperor is often depicted sitting on a throne, with symbols of power and control.

EP06: THE HIEROPHANT
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN | VIEW ABOUT CARD HERE
THEMES: This card represents tradition, education, and spirituality. The Hierophant is often depicted as a religious figure with symbols of faith and doctrine.

EP07: THE LOVERS
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN | VIEW ABOUT CARD HERE
THEMES: This card represents love, choice, and duality. The Lovers are often depicted with two figures, sometimes with an angel or cupid overseeing their union.

EP08: THE CHARIOT
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN | VIEW ABOUT CARD HERE
THEMES: This card represents ambition, willpower, and victory. The Chariot is often depicted as a warrior or hero, riding a chariot with two sphinxes or horses.

EP09: STRENGTH
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN | VIEW ABOUT CARD HERE
THEMES: This card represents inner strength, courage, and fortitude. Strength is often depicted as a figure holding open the jaws of a lion or other powerful animal.

EP10: THE HERMIT
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN | VIEW ABOUT CARD HERE
THEMES: This card represents solitude, introspection, and wisdom. The Hermit is often depicted as a figure with a lantern or staff walking alone in the wilderness.

EP11: THE WHEEL OF FORTUNE
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN | VIEW ABOUT CARD HERE
THEMES: This card represents change, cycles, and destiny. The Wheel of Fortune is often depicted as a wheel with figures moving up or down the spokes, symbolizing the ups and downs of life.

EP12: JUSTICE
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN | VIEW ABOUT CARD HERE
THEMES: This card represents fairness, balance, and impartiality. Justice is often depicted as a figure holding scales and a sword, representing the weighing of evidence and the rendering of a verdict.

EP13: THE HANGED MAN
EPISODE COMING SOON
THEMES: This card represents surrender, sacrifice, and letting go. The Hanged Man is often depicted as a figure suspended upside down with a serene expression.

EP14: DEATH
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN | VIEW ABOUT CARD HERE
THEMES: This card represents transformation, endings, and rebirth. Death is often depicted as a skeleton or figure with a scythe, symbolizing the inevitability of change.

EP15: TEMPERANCE
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN | VIEW ABOUT CARD HERE
THEMES: This card represents moderation, balance, and harmony. Temperance is often depicted as a figure pouring liquid from one vessel to another, representing the blending of opposing forces.

EP16: THE DEVIL
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN | VIEW ABOUT CARD HERE
THEMES: This card represents temptation, materialism, and addiction. The Devil is often depicted as a figure with horns and a tail, holding chains or other symbols of bondage.

EP17: THE TOWER
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN | VIEW ABOUT CARD HERE
THEMES: This card represents upheaval, chaos, and revelation. The Tower is often depicted as a tower being struck by lightning or falling, symbolizing the destruction of old structures and the emergence of new ones.

EP18: THE STAR
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN | VIEW ABOUT CARD HERE
THEMES: This card represents hope, inspiration, and renewal. The Star is often depicted as a figure holding a vessel or jar, pouring water onto the earth and stars above.

EP19: THE MOON
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN | VIEW ABOUT CARD HERE
THEMES: This card represents intuition, emotions, and the subconscious. The Moon is often depicted as a figure with a crescent moon overhead, standing between two towers, with a dog and wolf howling at the moon.

EP20: THE SUN
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN | VIEW ABOUT CARD HERE
THEMES: This card represents joy, vitality, and positivity. The Sun is often depicted as a child riding a horse, with sunflowers or other symbols of growth and abundance.

EP21: JUDGEMENT
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN | VIEW ABOUT CARD HERE
THEMES: This card represents rebirth, renewal, and awakening. Judgment is often depicted as a figure with a trumpet or horn, calling forth the dead to be judged and rise anew.

EP22: THE WORLD (series finale)
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN | VIEW ABOUT CARD HERE
THEMES: This card represents completion, wholeness, and fulfillment. The World is often depicted as a figure holding a globe or wreath, surrounded by four figures or animals representing the elements or cardinal directions.

Are you ready to begin your journey?

Sign up to become a Premium Submarine today to unlock all 22 episodes of The Hero’s Journey series.

Once you’ve signed up, read the Premium Submarine Welcome Guide to learn how to add BFTB bonus content to your favorite podcast player.

Once you’ve signed up, you can use the above episode walk-through and card imagery links to make your way through the series.

The episodes were created to be listened to in chronological order. Make sure to start at episode 1 and make your way through the series one by one.

This series can be listened to over and over again throughout different phases of your life. With repeated listens you’ll uncover deeper meaning and insights into each archetype. That’s part of the beauty of it.

The spiritual prisons of our childhood stop the feelings of freedom we are meant to feel as children. These dysfunctional environments devoid of spiritual nourishment cultivate unhappiness, emptiness, and “dis-ease,” which leads to various mental, nervous system, and physical “disorders”, which is why we live in such a sick and empty society today.

This “dysfunction,” “disorder,” and “dis-ease” leads to many of us feeling like we want to die, especially in adolescence and early adulthood. But what we don’t know in these stages of our lives is that the death we are longing for is metaphorical and spiritual, not literal.

The problem is that no one has explained this to us, so the death urge remains. This deep depression, this dark night of the soul, is what it feels like when our spirits tell us that it is time for our childhood mentality to die so we can become adults.

It is time for spiritual transformation. For initiation and integration. It’s time to clean up, grow up, and awaken to higher truths. This series will help you start that journey.

What are you waiting for? Soon, you’ll be standing in the ashes of who you used to be.

-Mollie