I'm talking about discovering that part of ourselves which is capable of creatively engaging in life, of overcoming obstacles, of pursuing our passions and bringing our unique gifts into the world. And then the hero inspires others to do the same. As an African-American, having a mythic tradition which reflects our historical experience allows us to become more creative in overcoming the typical obstacles we face. There is an element of healing in this process too. For me, myth is a way of coming to term with the African-American trauma that allows us to move forward powerfully, without feeling that we're still victims of the past.
Mythic wisdom has to change with the times as well.
We can't expect that the way wisdom was transmitted even fifty years ago is going to work today. A good example is the Rites of Passage Institute, an educational group that's attempting to find ways to bring rituals reflecting modern-day life to young people, particularly young people in the inner city. To his credit, Joseph Campbell repeatedly emphasized the relevance of myth to our modern lives, and tried to dispense with our modern habit of equating myths with untruths. Myths are vehicles for transmitting eternal wisdom. The variables that they deal with are the variables of our unconscious.