Joseph Campbell first explored the Hero’s Journey in The Hero With A Thousand Faces and it has been thoroughly studied ever since. For the Hero Workshop I’ve reduced it to five steps for easier digestion.

Step 1 – The Mundane World

The first part of the Hero’s Journey sees the hero in the normal world. The hero has yet to be introduced to their journey. Often they are being held in the Mundane World by forces – sometimes through ignorance of the existence of another world. Continue Reading

Step 2 – The Call To Adventure

The spark that launches a hero onto the journey is the Call To Adventure. Something from the world of adventure appears in the hero’s Mundane World and the journey begins. Continue Reading

Step 3 – Crossing The Threshold

Now that the hero has received the call, he or she must step into the new world. This means Crossing The Threshold. This is often comes in the form of a task or a symbolic transition. Sometimes the Threshold is accompanied by guardians. These guardians help make sure the hero is ready for the adventure ahead. Continue Reading

Step 4 – The Path of Trials

Now that our hero has taken the first step, the Path of Trials begins. The path contains challenges for the hero – often covering all of the mind, body, and spirit. The trials vary in difficulty and usually culminate with a challenge that the hero must face alone. Continue Reading

The hero’s Friends and Foes have a large bearing on the Path of Trials. The Friends help the hero with making decisions and overcoming challenges. The Foes do the opposite, often confusing matters or deliberately hindering the hero. Sometimes people who appear to be Friends are actually Foes and vice versa. There are also the rare people who are Friends some times and Foes others. Continue Reading

Mentors help the hero when the Path of Trials seems hopeless or confusing. Mentors are often on their own journey and only appear in the hero’s journey infrequently, offering a piece of advice or helping overcome an obstacle, then disappearing just as quickly. Continue Reading

Step 5 – The Master of Two Worlds

After the Path of Trials has been completed, the hero heads back to the Mundane World a changed person. The world has stayed the same, but the hero is changed forever. The Mundane World becomes a better place because it has the hero in it. The journey has made the hero the Master of Two Worlds – the Mundane and the Heroic. Continue Reading