“In a time lacking in truth and certainty and filled with anguish and despair, no woman should be shamefaced in attempting to give back to the world, through her work, some portion of its lost heart.”
~ Louise Bogan, American Poet, and the fourth Poet Laureate to the Library of Congress (1897-1970)
Surely, if news headlines are any clue, the world has lost a good portion of its heart, and calls out for the restoration of its lost portions.
Restoring some portion of the world’s lost heart is the point of the Hero’s (or Heroine’s) Journey, or at least one of the shining facets of The Journey.
Those who’ve walked (or, like me, stumbled and crawled for a fair bit of) The Journey will know the truth in what Joseph Campbell said about the stages of the Hero’s Journey:
That the Return is the most challenging part of the journey — even moreso than the dreaded and, well, dark Dark Night.
Campbell noted that the Heroine dares the long journey not only because it’s a soul imperative, and it is that, but to seek some elixir that has gone missing from the world but is very much needed.
That the elixir — this unknown something — is much needed is why the Heroes and Heroines dare The Journey in the first place, and surely why they continue on with it in the midst of the “dark forest they know not,” as Dante said.
That the unknown something is a piece of the world’s lost heart, in Bogan’s words, and soul, too, makes so much sense; and it shows why the Hero’s Journey (and those brave enough to take it, and see it through to The Return) is so vital.
Which portion of the world’s lost heart is calling to be retrieved and shared by and through you?
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Big Love,
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Lots of love,
Jamie
June 30, 2014 at 9:10 pm
Thank you Jamie for this beautiful and wisdom filled post. I am in the process of integrating my own intense journey and these words are an inspiration to me.
June 30, 2014 at 11:51 pm
So glad it was a timely inspiration for you, Malinda. That does help when we’re integrating all of the intensity of The Journey (as we both well know!). Thanks for reading, and sharing your comment. Blessings, Jamie
July 2, 2014 at 12:14 pm
Playing in delight in her dreaming.
July 2, 2014 at 12:45 pm
Indeed, Mary. As we remember Sophia, She re-members (and delights) in and through us. 🙂
July 9, 2014 at 5:01 pm
Jamie, I’m delighted to find your rich blog! Having just emerged from leading a Red Tent experience for women, we are all asking the very question you pose here–so I have passed it on to the group. Thank you for your work!
Blessings to you,
Pam
July 9, 2014 at 5:05 pm
Thank you for sharing the Sophia’s Children post and blog with your Red Tent group, Pam. I’m delighted you found your way to it (or it found its way to you!)! Blessings to you as well, Jamie
September 23, 2015 at 3:07 pm
Reblogged this on Sophia's Children and commented:
In this season (and greater time) of sifting the wheat from the chaff, and restoring the sacred to its rightful place in both the mundane and the lofty, it’s a fine time too to resurface this previous Sophia’s Children post on Restoring the World’s Lost Heart.
Big Love,
Jamie
September 23, 2015 at 6:00 pm
Yes the road we travel can be very challenging, and you have within this post many gems within your links.. As we came to dare to journey and walk the dark night, so that one day we could help restore our worlds heart..
🙂 Love and Blessings
Sue
September 24, 2015 at 3:57 pm
Come to dare and walk in the dark night … beautiful. Sometimes we see more clearly in the dark, yes? xoxo Love, Jamie
September 24, 2015 at 12:21 am
Reblogged this on Laura Bruno's Blog and commented:
Thank you for reblogging this one, Jamie! Happy Equinox and Much Love!
September 24, 2015 at 3:54 pm
And thanks for reblogging it into your circles, Laura! A happy Equinox and fiery full moon to you, too. xoxo Love, Jamie
September 24, 2015 at 5:50 am
Hi Jamie well, this certainly resonates with me. I had no intention of ever returning to my astrology practice, and in fact when I had emerged from my Underworld journey, took myself off to academe to do another post-graduate course – my fourth. ( education junkie here!) However, I truly disliked what I found: academe has to a considerable degree turned into a rules-bound processing machine with little room left around all the piles of work for reflective thought or creative expression. It felt as thought it has lost its heart….So I completed the course I was doing and in 2012 resumed my astrology and counselling practice. Precipitating this was an encounter with a young woman, interested in studying astrology, to whom I had said ‘ Well, maybe…” after years of saying ‘no’ to all requests for teaching or consulting. After having met with her for an hour, she looked me straight in in the eye and said ” You can not keep all this knowledge to yourself!”.
So – in this increasingly materialist, reductionist world, I am happily doing my very small bit for the World Soul!
September 24, 2015 at 3:53 pm
Thank you, Anne. I remember that wonderful story of how you were ‘invited’ back into your current ‘right livelihood’! So beautiful how that happens (and so wonderful to be able to discern and follow those clues!). Thanks for sharing your insights on the dry, barrenness that academia (etc) can be. xoxo Love, Jamie
January 1, 2016 at 5:40 pm
This is exactly what i want in my life – transformation for riches and abundance.