This is how to know if you're on the right path in life, and how to find it if not

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With flames crowning her head, the goddess Brigid was born from the union of the Daghda (Irish god of life and death) and the Morrigan (goddess of war, death and fate). 

However, when the time came, as if whispered on the very wind, Brigid heard a call to adventure that resonated deeply within her soul, not to conquer like her parents, but to learn and discover – not to battle, but to teach, inspire and heal. 

As so, stirred by this gentle, quiet knowing, Brigid established a sanctuary of sorts amidst a grove of ancient oaks, complete with a life-giving well and an eternal sacred flame. And since then, she has been invoked by Leinster men on their way to war, along with healers, artists, poets and iron-mongers alike.

Over the last few months, I’ve been delving deeply into archetypal journeys – those encounters and challenges of life that are so fundamental to the human experience that they're like rites of passage. By exploring these paths and the archetypal characters who walk them, we can glean profound insights into our own personalities, behaviour, and choices.

Now, the one archetypal journey that almost everyone has heard of is the sickeningly ubiquitous Hero's Journey. 

I've said quite a bit about how we place too much emphasis on the Hero, which is true, but his is still an important leg of the journey. But the way we venerate this archetype, especially in the West, means that the version of this journey we usually get fed is a little warped, with an overemphasis on hypermasculine and individualistic elements such as going to battle and seeking personal glory.

Out with the Hero, in with the Warrior

Now that you know what I’m talking about, let’s shift our language. Rather than "Hero", I prefer the gender-neutral name "Warrior" for this archetype so we can avoid mentally associating this journey solely with men. And because I know people are going to find this irking, please know that I'm not the only person to do this – the two names seem to be used almost interchangeably across sources, and interestingly, many of those who do differentiate between Hero and Warrior (notably Robert Moore and Douglas Gillette in King Warrior Magician Lover) see the Hero as the immature, childhood version of this archetype – one who naïvely believes themself invincible and therefore sets themself up for a catastrophic failure from which they will rise again as the more mature Warrior. 

As, in real life, we can take and retake this journey many times in different ways, I don't see the need to use both terms here. So, we can stick with Warrior. That said, it may be helpful to remember that the Warrior is a masculine archetype, even though that doesn't necessarily mean male. You can think of the Warrior as the asserter of boundaries – it's the part of the personality that fights for our personal values and sense of purpose. It is, therefore, essential for people of all genders, because we all possess both masculine and feminine aspects within us (and thank goodness for that). 

The importance of the Call to Adventure

The part of the Warrior's journey that I want to give a little attention to here is the all-important Call to Adventure. What truly stuck with me after reading K.M. Weiland’s Writing Archetypal Character Arcs was the idea that if a character merely sketches out an expected Warrior’s Journey—a socially acceptable adventure—rather than embarking on their real, authentic one, they risk creating a deep rift within themselves – a tear in the very fabric of their soul, which will not only prevent their successful completion of the Warrior's arc, but of other crucial journeys in their life, too, by trapping them them in the shadow versions of any subsequent archetypes they access. In plain language, this means they can wind up leading lives that feel disconnected and unfulfilled at best, or bitter, manipulative and conflict-ridden at worst. 

Have you heard your authentic Call to Adventure?

Now, of course, Weiland is talking about writing stories for fictional characters, and these archetypes are better understood as fictional motifs than as real people, but the reason they and their journeys are so powerful, is that their stories serve as resonant metaphors for experiences we're each very likely to have in life, in our own ways. That is why they’ve been cropping up in story after story since the mythic beginning of time. And the Call to Adventure is one of these important motifs.

So, how do you recognize and heed your authentic call?
This calling is more than an invitation to do something heroic; it is an invitation to break the mould in some kind of way, and to align with your own desires, values and purpose instead of those laid out for you. And while surely it's possible for our respective calls to adventure to match what other people in our lives expect of us, it's not all that likely, and even if that were the case, their expectation cannot play a part in it. Because the Call to Adventure is about individuation – the psychological process by which a person becomes distinct from those who raised them and anyone else around during their early life. 

This means that it takes courage to just hear the call, let alone follow it. Just like Brigid's call to heal and teach and inspire, rather than following in the combative footsteps of her parents, your call will whisper to you in moments of stillness, nudging you towards what you have always known deep inside but may have been too afraid to acknowledge.

Brigid's sacred flame symbolised inspiration and creativity, and it is said that Brigid ignites the desire in poets and musicians to create their work – she represents that vulnerable flame inside all of us that, although capable of burning brighter than you could ever imagine, is always at risk of being extinguished, snubbed out by other people's criticism, or the fearful urge to fit in. To be… nice. Acceptable. 

So ask yourself this: when does that flame burn brightest for you? What causes it to flicker and glow and come alive – because only you can know. 

Think of Brigid, standing among those ancient oaks, feeling that undeniable pull. The call isn’t about grand gestures or dramatic quests; it’s about the quiet, persistent yearning to align with your true self. Regardless of what others might think. Regardless of what your parents or teachers or friends have chosen to value.

We are all whispered to in this way, and those who ignore that whisper – and there are many people in that group – find themselves in a life half-lived, where the shadow of their potential haunts their every step.

I don't tell you this to scare you – unless you get scared into action, I suppose. My point is that it's never too late to reclaim the silenced or forgotten parts of yourself. It's never too late to heed the call and step into who you truly are – be that a Warrior or a Healer or an Artist or a Teacher or whatever. It's just never too late.

I would love to hear about your calls to adventure in the comments, especially as they may serve as inspiration for those who have not yet been able to take the very first step. So, please, if you have a story, share it in the comments.

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Thank you for reading!

We’re Hazel (ex boxer, therapist and author) and Ellie (ex psychology science writer). We left our jobs to build an interactive narrative app for self-awareness and emotion regulation (Betwixt), which you can try on Android here and on iOS here.

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