You are the medicine | a poem to inspire your hero’s journey

I found myself in my first solo journey with sacred magic mushrooms. Just me and a trip sitter. I lay on a mattress on the floor of my lounge. Scent hitched a ride on smoke drifting through the air, leaving glorious swirls of mystery across the fields in my mind. Music wrapped me in Melody’s arms and rocked me on waves of overwhelming beauty…and a fair amount of horror thrown in for good luck (shadow-work is no fucking joke, my friend).

My trip sitter sat calmly beside me through it all. Gatekeeper between the ordinary and the unknown. Suddenly an epiphany pounced on me (luckily I didn’t think to run down the road naked shouting “Eureka!”). I bolted upright and grinned at my sitter, exclaiming “I’m the medicine! I am the medicine!”

My sitter smiled and nodded, replying “Yes, you are the medicine.”

I lay back down with a smile and rode my inner medicine deeper into the hero’s journey…

What is The Hero’s Journey?

Words have power. Which is why the first agreement of The Four Agreements (Don Miguel’s PHENOMENAL book) is ‘Be Impeccable With Your Word’.

I’ve always paid deep attention to words. What they create. What they destroy. How they shape reality.

It blew my mind that it took me so long to realise that the word Universe holds a deep secret in plain sight:

Uni-Verse simply means One Story. This whole infinite mind-fuck we are dancing in is One Story, One Song, one ever-unfolding Narrative.

Which then begs the critical question: if the whole universe is One Story…what is that story?

Joseph Campbell was an epic professor who realised that all stories humans have ever told come down to One Story…which he called the Mono Myth (Uni-Verse! Ya seeing the connection here!?). He named this ‘mono-myth’ The Hero’s Journey…stay with me, this is important for us!

What Joseph Campbell discovered was that every story humanity ever tells follows one basic structure, which is The Hero’s Journey.

Interesting side-note: George Lucas was inspired by Joseph Campbell’s work and used the steps of the Hero’s Journey when creating Star Wars. Now you know…

Why have we always told the hero’s journey in our best stories?

In small and great ways, on various time-scales (from moment to moment and cradle to grave), we are all on personal hero’s journeys. When we learn and integrate this, it gives meaning to the experiences we all navigate. Love, loss, growth, failure. All makes sense within the context of the hero’s journey.

Below you’ll find a representation of the circular (or spiral) structure of the Hero’s Journey.

And then I’ll explain how the hero’s journey is an invitation to remember that you are the medicine!

You are the medicine | The Poem

As I noticed our society becoming ever more focused on ‘staying safe’, disempowering inner sovereignty, idolising dis-ease and just basically falling the fuck apart, I felt called to speak out. These last few years have seen an intensifying of the ‘big brother’ consciousness. ‘Give up all your freedom and we will keep you safe.’ While surprisingly (note the sarcastic tone), we have dis-ease, disconnection and disassociation growing at alarming rates.

Thing is, every time I shared my thoughts, it seemed to create more polarisation. And that was never my aim. It destroys the opportunity for discourse, for honouring differing perspectives, for finding common ground and empathy.

And so my first ever long form spoken-word poems (like Life Unfolding Into Everything and We Are Already Free, were birthed. It’s also how this poem, You Are The Medicine, came into being.

May it remind you that…well, you are the medicine!

Do you ever wonder
Why so many of us don't
Go down the mainstream
But much rather flow with a tributary?
Well, the grass is green, the air is clean
And the food doesn't need labels to prove where it's been

The people are joy-filled and love living free
Embodying the meaning of royal sovereignty

You see, you are a hero and this is your quest:
To live life fully until you're laid to rest
'cos death is coming, that's one hundred percent
If you need another stat, there's one they can't bend...

To the villainous purpose of keeping you surfaced
Unaware of the depths hidden in your consciousness
Your very next breath, if you take it with care,
Could begin your adventure...do you dare?

If you do then come in, the fire's warm and
The people are grinning
We're gathering, circling, sitting, connecting
Swaying in concert with melody's onset

Breath in my belly
Fire in my heart
Water is my body
Earth my Mother

We are the children
Of light and love
Remember, you're one of us
You're not a
Lame tame tiger muzzled, drugged and leashed
Into submission

But a roaring dragon
Filled with sun-fireAnd ecstasy in evolution
This revolution is the solution

Internal combustion
Burning parasites from the depths of our guts

Until,
In fiery lines of love across skies,
We birth a new world
Look at us fly

Breath in my belly
Fire in my heart
Water is my body
Earth my Mother

I know, it's painful
You don't know if you'll make it through
But the only way out is in
And the only peace is completing
Your hero's journey, 
Your personal reckoning

So face your trials, 
Feel through all lies
Give another breath 
Another step 
Another moment of wild

This world needs you. 
I need you,
To gift us the medicine you find
In the golden shadows entwined
With the deepest parts of your heart, 
Divine

You are the medicine
You are the medicine
YOU ARE THE MEDICINE

Please don't accept
Anything less, anything off-the-shelf
Anything less than vibrant, glowing, magnificent health
That's wealth, that's the juice of life,
And it's in you, I promise, it's in you and ready to rise

So breathe in
Let go

And come Home

Before we go on…

Many people have been asking where to get a hold of my poems to read at their leisure

SO, good news!

Below you can download a free ebook of some of my favourite poems.

How to remember that you are the medicine and embrace your hero’s journey

Your life is not meaningless. You are not a mindless drone sent here only to accumulate. No! You, dear one, are on a hero’s journey and you are the medicine.

Your life has a deep, beautiful meaning. It is a verse in the Great Story unfolding forever! You are the only you we will ever get to know!

All the things you are looking for outside of yourself are actually intrinsic. Your trials, challenges and demons are invitations for you to empower yourself, to complete your hero’s journey and bring home the treasure to serve your community!

Your life is a great adventure!

You are the medicine…and so is everyone else

Please don’t journey alone.

Having tried that myself, I recommend finding support.

So, how to find good support for your hero’s journey?

Notice that most companies, corporations, governments, media outlets, etc, all tell you that THEY are the fountains of knowledge and that you NEED THEM to survive. Look for the voices who seek to wake up up to your innate power. Your innate sovereignty and response-ability.

I’m honoured to support people like you on their hero’s journeys. I use breathwork, empowering songs/stories/poems and personal coaching/mentorship/guidance. If you’re feeling the call to reconnect with you innate magnificence, book a free discovery call with me.

Either way, I wish you all the blessings on your beautiful hero’s journey.

And remember, every hero needs a guide. Seek out the ones who point you to your own power!

Thank you for reading, for being the medicine and for existing just as you are.

I love you
Nathan

PS: remember to download the free ebook of 5 poems for personal liberation ?

Cover Photo by Jakob Owens on Unsplash

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