It seems important to say a few things as we travel through the hero/heroine’s journey. While there are many stages, there are two “halves” to the journey: the descent and the ascent. Right now, as it pertains to the heroine’s journey, we are in the descent. I know how badly folks might want to jump straight to the good and hopeful, but hang tight. The journey itself breeds hope even though it can be extremely hard. If we don’t go through the hard, if we don’t go into and through the cave, the hope on the other side may be rather thin.

I love this passage from Plato’s Allegory of the Cave about moving from the cave into the light:

“At first, when any {one of us} is liberated and compelled suddenly to stand up and turn {our} neck round and walk and look towards the light, {we} will suffer sharp pains…unable to see the realities of which in {our} former state {we} had seen the shadows…{our} eye is turned towards more real existence…what will be {our} reply?…{Our} eyes will be dazzled, and {we} will not be able to see anything at all of what are now called realities.”

We will suffer sharp pains, and then our eyes will be dazzled.

I mean I’d like to think we have all been dazzled at one point or another. The light is always there, even when the dark threatens to overcome us. When we emerge from it, we arrive with greater capacities for empathy for self and others. We are more able to walk in another shoes because we’ve connected with some deep and profound human thing and survived. I promise - will will get to the light. Even as it is already around and within us.

Thanks for listening!