The heroine's journey: search for the holy veil
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Authors
King, Carolyn
Issue Date
1985
Type
Thesis
Language
en
Keywords
Consciousness
Alternative Title
Abstract
The thesis contains a three-fold story: First, it is a comparison of the tales of the Hero's and Heroine's Journeys. These mythological figures represent idealized personas born of collective need for a way to comprehend the growth of consciousness.
Secondly, this writing is an autobiographical account of my own Journey story. I came to the Arts and Consciousness program four years ago with a keen awareness of myself as a multi-faceted yet fragmented person. During the ten years I lived outside the United States, my travels took me through nine countries and settled me for extended periods of time in Belgium, Mexico, and Canada. The constant variables of my otherwise nomadic life were my studies and practices in both the realms of art and Hatha Yoga. In each country, I learned a new language, different values and customs. By the time I returned to the States, I felt as though my inner life was an array of colored spools filled with thread waiting to be interwoven into one fabric. The autobiographical nature of the majority of this writing has provided the loom for this necessary re-weaving process. By digging into personal and collective past, I have uncovered common threads which unite my Journey story with the journeying of others.
The third aspect of this thesis is a discussion and illustration of the powerful relationship that exists between the creative process and the development of human consciousness. In the words of Jungian psychologist James Hillman, "Image is the language of the psyche." By making our inner imagery real and tangible through engagement with materials and the creative process, we are able to unlock the gates between our unconscious and conscious worlds. Once this barrier has become permeable, we are able to experience the unity between past and present, self and other, male and female, and the proverbial Heaven and Hell.