Module 12 – Your Unique Myth

“The lost home that we are seeking is ourselves; 

it is the story we carry within our soul.”

– Michael Meade

Introduction

We are at the end of the program, but we are not at the end of the journey.

There is no audio for this module.

Myths are stories people tell to explain things. Mythology is a feature of every culture. The type of myth that concerns us here is your personal story of finding and embodying your life purpose.  Think of your myth as a manifestation of a deeper soul-level truth that exists at the core of your being, rather than as a historically accurate account. Your Purpose Myth will help you feel a deeper sense of belonging to your purpose. Your Purpose Myth is more for you than for sharing with others, though you may sometimes choose to share it too. Your Myth is a guiding story that you will (over time) live into.

Purpose isn’t primarily about doing a job, having a career or even discovering your vocation.  Purpose embodiment means: you live the story/myth of your purpose. For instance, Bill Plotkin had to die, for Cocoon Weaver to be born. When his work is flourishing, when it is feeding and nourishing his people, it isn’t Bill living his purpose, it is, rather, Cocoon Weaver living through the body of Bill. Likewise, what is it that you are living out through the instrument of you?

Remember back to Module 2 and Practice 2:5 Read Mythology. Perhaps you have been reading mythology over these last 6 months.

Module 12 Practices

Practice 12:1 – Purpose Myth

It is time to create a personal Purpose Myth that connects you deeply to the mythopoetic dimension of your purpose. Here are a few suggestions for you to consider.

    • Have your multi-sentence purpose statement and your Core Insights page ready.
    • Perform a short induction ceremony, where you sit quietly for a few minutes. It can be helpful to meditate, pray to Soul, light a candle, etc.
    • Ask for guidance from the Mystery. Perhaps you might pray from your heart, “Mystery, I cannot magnetize a truly powerful purpose myth into consciousness without your help.  Please guide my thoughts/feelings/body/intuition as I dive into this creative journey.”
    • Using your multi-sentence purpose statement and your Core Insights page, allow yourself to be guided by Soul to tell a “historical” story about your purpose. There is no correct way to do this.  You might speak your story out loud and record it, you might write it, you might paint it, you might write a song, you might take a multimedia approach. You might let this myth-telling become an act of expression of your soul’s core powers.  
    • You might tell a simple origin story or one with an elaborate multi-incarnational arc. You can tell a story that weaves across lifetimes on other planets or dimensional planes. Your myth can sound like the Hero/ine’s Journey, Greek Mythology, Science Fiction, a fairy tale, or like the story of a comic book protagonist. Whichever direction the Muse takes you, be sure to weave in elements of your Octagon (Vision, Task, etc.)  
    • You might include an element in your story about how/if you were wounded early in life in a way that would later be understood as your “sacred wound”. A sacred wound is a wound/loss/trauma that perhaps later turned out to be a portal to your purpose and genius.

Method #1 – Incarnation Story. Example: “I felt a passion for coming to earth to perform evolutionary and revolutionary soul work during the first part of the 21st century. Before my conception, I convened an incarnational council, a pre-birth Soul Circle with a few of my guides and friends. I told this council of my commitment to live this next lifetime as an agent of cultural transformation. I stated my Vision, told them about the Message that I planned to bring to my people. We then explored what an optimal wounding might be, a crack where the love, passion and purpose could come through. We discussed what life experiences, soul-friends and soul teachers would come into my life and when. We explored the question of timing: when would be the right time to take up a rigorous practice of Purpose Discovery? Turns out the Earth year in the first few decades of the 21st century was the ideal time. We discussed exactly what I was going to commit to regarding my soul-work, after reconnecting to my purpose after the ‘long sleep’ of forgetfulness. We also talked about how I would learn to skillfully meet my fears and concerns about living a soul-infused life…” 

Don’t forget to write an ending! A good myth has a narrative arc that includes some kind of cathartic ending or conclusion.

Method #2 – Hero/ine’s Myth – You may wish to tell your purpose myth through the structure of the Hero/ine’s Journey. Think of Luke Skywalker (Star Wars), or Dorothy (Wizard of Oz), or Frodo (Lord of the Rings). For an exploration of the classic myth told from the heroine’s perspective, you may wish to read Maureen Murdock’s The Heroine’s Journey.

Method #3 – Greek Myth. One way to tell the story of your purpose is to use elements from Greek mythology (or any other mythology for that matter). You can use any element of Greek Mythology that speaks to you. Perhaps the facets of Greek Mythology most relevant to composing your myth are those associated with the Underworld Journey. What follows are a few morsels from Wikipedia to stimulate your imagination. You needn’t limit yourself to Greek Mythology. Feel free to draw on Judeo-Christian, Norse, Hindu, Chinese or any mythological tradition that speaks to you.

You may wish to google the story of Persephone’s spiritual transformation: she enters the Underworld an innocent (and happily “ignorant”) Maiden, but at the end of the story becomes a wise woman and the Queen of the Underworld. Think of the story of death and rebirth and sacred abandon in the myth of Dionysus. Think of faith and trust in the stories of Orpheus & Eurydice and  Psyche & Cupid.

You might browse books, Wikipedia articles and various other online resources filled with the imagery and their meanings of a particular mythology. Think of the fairytales from your childhood. Allow your imagination to move freely across the field of shared stories of humanity.

NOTE: Please don’t feel obliged to use (let alone read) the following Greek Mythology tidbits below. The tidbits below (from Wikipedia) are there to stimulate your creativity. In NO way do you need to adhere exactly to what the traditional Greek Myths teach.  You are free to use unlimited creative license in using any of the Myths or characters below.

The Underworld

In front of the entrance to the underworld live Grief, Anxiety, Diseases, and Old Age. Fear, Hunger, Death, Agony, and Sleep also live in front of the entrance, together with Guilty Joys. On the opposite threshold is War, the Erinyes, and Eris. Close to the doors are many beasts, including Centaurs, Gorgons, the Lernaean Hydra, the Chimera, and Harpies. In the midst of all this, an Elm can be seen where false dreams cling under every leaf.

The souls that enter the Underworld carry a coin under their tongue to pay the ferryman Charon to take them across the river. Charon may make exceptions or allowances for those visitors carrying a certain Golden Bough. Charon is appallingly filthy, with eyes like jets of fire, a bush of unkempt beard upon his chin, and a dirty cloak hanging from his shoulders. 

Across the river, guarding the gates of the Underworld, is Cerberus. There is also an area where the Judges of the Underworld decide where to send the souls of the person — to Elysium, the Fields of Asphodel, or Tartarus.

Mourning Fields

In the Aeneid, the Mourning Fields (Lugentes Campi) was a section of the underworld reserved for souls who had wasted their lives for unrequited love. Those mentioned as residents of this place are Dido, Phaedra, Procris, Eriphyle, Pasiphaë, Evadne, Laodamia, and Caeneus.

Isles of the Blessed

The Fortunate Isles or Isles of the Blessed were islands in the realm of Elysium. When a soul achieved Elysium, they had a choice to either stay in Elysium or to be reborn. If a soul was reborn three times and achieved Elysium all three times, then they were sent to the Isles of the Blessed to live in eternal paradise.

Persephone

Persephone (also known as Kore) was the daughter of Demeter, the goddess of the harvest, and Zeus. Persephone was abducted by Hades, the god of Hell, who desired a wife. When Persephone was gathering flowers, she was entranced by a narcissus flower planted by Gaia (to lure her to the Underworld as a favor to Hades), and when she picked it the earth suddenly opened up. Hades, appearing in a golden chariot, seduced and carried Persephone into the underworld. When Demeter found out that Zeus had given Hades permission to abduct Persephone and take her as a wife, Demeter became enraged at Zeus and stopped growing harvests for the earth. To soothe her, Zeus sent Hermes to the Underworld to take Persephone back to her mother. However, Persephone ate six pomegranate seeds, and so she was forever tied to the underworld, since the pomegranate seed was sacred to the underworld.

Persephone could then only leave the underworld when the earth was blooming, or every season except winter.

Erinyes

The Erinyes (also known as the Furies) were the three goddesses associated with the souls of the dead and the avenged crimes against the natural order of the world. They consist of Alecto, Megaera, and Tisiphone.

Hermes

While Hermes did not primarily reside in the Underworld and is not usually associated with it, he was the one who led the souls of the dead to the Underworld. In this guise he was known as Hermes Psychopompos and with his golden wand he was able to lead the dead to their new home. He was also called upon by the dying to assist in their passing – some called upon him to have painless deaths or be able to die when and where they believed they were meant to die.

Charon

After receiving a soul from Hermes, Charon the ferryman would guide the soul across the rivers Styx and/or Acheron to the underworld.

Thanatos

Thanatos is the personification of death. He guards the Doors of Death.

Nyx

Nyx is the goddess of the Night.

Eurynomos

Eurynomos is one of the daemons of the underworld, who eats off all the flesh of the corpses, leaving only their bones.

Practice 12:1 – Purpose Plan Letter

Now it is time to do the last step of the program: write out a plan to embody your purpose. Write a letter to yourself outlining what you are going to do to embody your purpose. Include:

    • Your Task: your upcoming mission or project.
    • Project Steps: what you plan to do in order to succeed in your task.

Beyond 12:2

Note: The work you did in modules 11 and 12 is the beginning of the most important part of your Purpose journey: embodiment. It’s now up to you to decide how to live the purpose you have discovered. Here are a few options:

    1. Go through the whole Purpose Discovery Program a second time. You can do this on your own. Example:  You could take 6 months to go through the 12 modules, doing 2 modules a month. Some people have found it useful to come back in September and repeat the program with a new cohort.
    2. Set up a self-designed embodiment program. Be sure to have the support of other people.
    3. Take the Purpose Integration Program and the Purpose Embodiment Program: receive expert guidance and group support to make your life-purpose take root and flourish.
    4. Engage in 1:1 Incorporation Guiding with one of PGI’s certified Guides.

Module 12 Summary

Written Reflections

    • 12:1 – Purpose Myth – Create a personal myth about your purpose.
    • 12:2 – Purpose Plan Letter –Create a letter of intention about how you plan to embody your purpose.

Soul Circle

None.

Reading

No further reading requested for the Purpose Discovery Program.