740: Separation, Initiation & Return
Although the full Hero's Journey has 17 stages, the "Nuclear Unit" of the Monomyth is – according to Joseph Campbell, "a magnification of a formula represents by the Rites of Passage: Separation–initiation-return."
As I've said before on this podcast:
The world changes, which forces the hero to change, so she can in turn change the world.
David Kudler, Campell's long time editor, wrote a fascinating piece on this in which he clarified the importance of this nuclear unit, and its implications for us.
"But at its core, the Monomyth isn’t a blueprint of a plot outline; it’s a description of a psychological process, one each of us goes through every time we’re challenged and have to change and grow. Separation. Initiation. Return."
Episode home:
https://StoriesMeanBusiness.com/podcast/740:-Separation,-Initiation-&-Return