From the Melanin Man:

What is the Hero’s Journey?

A term popularized by the well-known mythological historian Joseph Campbell, it is the cycle of existence a person endures that leads them through a series of tests and trials which causes a transformation within that person into a new being. The concept of this conflict originated from the Osirian myth of Ancient Kemet, where Horus or Heru (the product of the goddess Isis and the god Osiris, who was murdered by his brother Set before Horus was conceived) was born and claimed the throne from Set.

Sidenote 1: For the Christians out there, combine the story of Cain and Abel with the Jesus mythology, you will have the Osirian myth. The former two derived was derived from the Osirian myth.

The Osirian myth, the basis of the Hero’s (Heru’s) Journey, is a story of rebirth and metamorphosis, basically a narrative on alchemy ( turning something known into something new.) Alchemy (or AlKhemy) was/is the ultimate science that has existed since time inequity, especially when it comes to the evolution of man. The Hero (Heru) archetype has been played out in many alchemical mythological tales such as the adventures of Hercules and Persius, the Great Renunciation of Buddha, the aforementioned “life” ( figurative not literal) and crucifixion of Jesus Christ, as well comic greats Batman and Superman, and movie fixtures such as Bruce Leroy (The Last Dragon, my favorite) and Neo of The Matrix. The archetype has even been portrayed in video game classics such as Super Mario Brothers (pictured above.)

If you are familiar with Mario, you know that playing as Mario you will go through a series of transformations (from small Mario to Big Mario with eating the mushroom, intaking the magical flower to turn into fireball or Rising Kundalini Mario, etc.), fight off numerous underlings (goombas and Koopa Troopas) and underbosses to get to Bowser to save the Princess. You are also familiar with the fact that you can “die and be reborn”, where hopefully you learned not to repeat the same mistakes from the “previous life,” because if not, you have start all over again from the beginning (which at this point you call it night and thus not play the game again for a couple of weeks because you’re so demoralized smh.) Super Mario Brothers truly epitomizes the Hero’s Journey to a T.

So esoterically, comparing to Super Mario Brothers, what does the Heru’s Journey look like for the everyday souls of the melanated (chaos, cosmic) man and woman?

The Heru’s Journey for the melanated soul, for those who are aware (conscious) of the challenge, consists of daily “trials by fire” (Kundalini Energy) that challenge the (un)realities of paradigms and archetypes we were programmed with from our incarnation into the earthly realm.

Sidenote 2: As a Black man or woman, what are the usual paradigms and archetypes one must overcome in this day and age?

The melanated soul who wishes to ascend the human cycle must release (detach) from its programming with a open heart and mind, realizing that the ego self it was born with is not its TRUE SELF. This is early stages of the Rising or Awakening Kundalini Energy, which in short, is the melanated soul awakening from its slumber (the coma that is humanity.) At this point, the melanated soul, the true representation of God(dess), understands and even accepts the different realities of existence and that its path back home is only one of many. The melanated soul then realizes its true purpose and gains a greater appreciation for the ego self it has chosen to manifest itself within the earthly realm. At this point, the melanated soul knows that it is its own Creator. Once its purpose has been fulfilled, the melanated soul will have conquered the Great Dragon (or serpent), which represents the ascension of the soul from base of the human spine (which resembles the shape of a snake or serpent) in the pelvic area into the Pineal Gland or Third Eye (“the gateways of Heaven”, the doorway to the real world.)

Through death (or, “the return back to life”), the melanated soul has “rescued the Princess”, or returned back to its Source (The Great Mother), a fully-transformed, new kind of chaos being.

And that’s the Heru’s Journey for the typical mundane melanated man/woman in a nutshell.

I can understand why it can take a couple of thousand lifetimes to get back home. It’s very easy for the soul to be duped into thinking that it is its earthly self, thus passing its karma from lifetime to lifetime. That’s just more junk for the soul to go through to get out of the human cycle.

For the hardcore Christians out there, there’s a subconscious, metaphysical reason why you’re so attached to Jesus Christ the Savior. The Jesus myth (remember, Jesus is Horus) is all about the Christ energy. Letting go of the physical realm, embracing the spiritual self is the major teaching point of that ordeal. Your soul is the “Christ that has risen.”

Chrysopoeia (which chryso is derived from Christ), is the alchemical term that means “transmutation into gold.” That is the Christ energy (also the Kundalini energy), the alchemical process your melanated soul undergoes when it is ready break the human cycle.

What Would You Do?

Please stop taking Jesus literally, y’all.

Now, there are some loose ends to this post that needs to tied up? Like, who or what is the Great Mother? Since the soul resides within the pelvic region of the human body, how much does sex play in the soul’s ascension to the Third Eye?

That’s what the next post proceeding this will touch on. Until then, continue to be the Creator in your world.

Peace and Love,

The Melanin Man