Recently I wrote that mortal human beings can do amazing things. That belief is the core principle of the heroic life, the single faith that every person with heroic aspirations shares. For me, that grueling walk to make an offering was one of the first times I did something that amazed me.
I have no faith in the gods. I talk to them weekly, and I think they talk back, but I don't really know. And no amount of astral travel, meditation, trance journey, or prayer has ever changed that.
In my heart I wish someone could tell me that the myths are all true. The myths are beautiful, and they fill me with wonder. But there's only one of them that I know to be true, and that is the myth of the hero. The person who takes the risk, who does what is most frightening, who practices to do amazing things: that is the one religious story I believe with all my heart. Unlike gods and spirits and other worlds, heroes are made of human stuff. They are bigger than life yet somehow they fit into it.
The poem I offered at my first Midwinter was a dedication, promising my gods that I would devote my life to helping the earth. Have you had a moment that defines your spiritual path? I know I'm not a hero, and walking for a few miles on a cold morning doesn't change the world. But it was the start of my journey, and a template that taught me I can overcome hardship.
Please leave a comment and tell about a moment when you chose to keep going. What would it take for you to do something that involves discomfort, uncertainty, risk? What drives you to go forward when something is challenging? Is there a single experience that has given you confidence in yourself—or not? When you share your story, it makes us all braver!
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