| The recurring image and experience of "home" or "homecoming" is a persistent theme in everyday life, as well as in personal, mythic, and spiritual journeys. Individuals describe their homes as "where the heart is", as a sanctuary or safe, comfortable refuge. Many addicts point to a sense of homesickness, emptiness, or soul-craving as a root of their addictions. Myths, fairy stories, and sacred narratives include the heroine or hero's departure from and return to home as essential to the courageous passage he or she is impelled to take in order to gain boons such as wisdom, valor, compassion, and love. In this presentation, we will discuss the power of Home, from the seemingly mundane to the richest metaphor for the goal of spiritual life. Drawing on insights from Joseph Campbell's The Hero with a Thousand Faces, personal experience, stories, and parables, we will explore ways to integrate theoretical understanding with daily experience. |