Joseph Campbell & The Holy Grail
It’s easy to forget in tough times or when we’re going through something annoying or painful that, “where you stumble is where your treasure lies.” That’s the way Joseph Campbell sums up mythology’s answer to life’s dilemmas. For Campbell, one of the great unsung spiritual heroes of the 20th Century, mythology speaks to a spiritual journey that each of us is on. It’s an inward journey and one that is made by everyone on the planet, be they Muslim or Buddhist, Christian or Jew. For Campbell it is the real journey to be made, not living up to the tenants of a faith, a shallow rendition of the real deal.
Campbell even goes so far (or maybe not) to assert that the real magic of the Bible is to read it as mythology rather than literal historical fact. By reading the Bible as myth we have stories that act as guideposts to the inward journey.
One of the myths Campbell likes to reference is the story of the Knights of the Round Table and their search for the Holy Grail (no, not the Monty Python version). The knights are challenged to seek the grail and upon agreeing to the quest, each knight, “entered the forest where he chose where it was darkest and there was no way or path.” Campbell makes a point of noting that we each have a dark forest, but we choose the entry point and how to make our way out. This is the spiritual journey, making our way out of the dark forest.
“Wo! Hold on there Mr. Campbell. I didn’t choose these messes I’ve been in. They just happened to me,” I can hear many saying.
That’s where it gets weird, doesn’t it? The idea that we choose our Waterloos is very deep, but think about it for a moment. Imagine that God set up the universe so that we had the unconscious ability to put ourselves in situations, that when worked through would give us the strength we were lacking. Each sticky situation is an opportunity to ask for help and make our way through the forest. Of course the illusion is that the forest is too much for us. And many events, broken relationships, failed careers, addictions, we’re sure are going to sink us. Then self-pity can creep in and become a warm cabin in the woods. But according to Campbell fear can be only temporary:
“Where it seems to be most challenging is where the greatest invitation lies to find deeper or greater power in ourselves. Where power to respond succeeds, there comes a new amplification of life and consciousness.”
As I look at the history of my own personal myth, I was sure I was sunk many times and yet ironically the sinkings (sic) all had something I needed to lose to get further down the path: an arrogance, a false ego pursuit, a superman dream, a control grab . . . so far Campbell has been right about finding a deeper power.
So pay attention yea knights and damsels, today may hold a clue to getting out of the forest.
