The Hero’s/Heroine’s Journey and The Sacred Path
My ancestors came from Scotland, Ireland, and England to Canada in 1931. They immigrated and first settled in Waterdown, Ontario. My grandfather, Patrick, was a miner, and my grandmother, Annette, came from Quebec to Manitouwadge, a small mining town. Together, they raised three Robertson children. My father, Allan George Robertson, the middle child, was born in Manitouwadge, and my mother was born in Hamilton. My father was a great athlete in all sports, and baseball was perhaps his favorite. He loved the great outdoors, hunting, skiing, sailing—all things sports and nature.
Manitouwadge is a northern Ontario town shaped by a 1950s copper mining boom, its name drawn from an Ojibwe word meaning “Cave of the Great Spirit.” Rooted in the ancient geology of the Canadian Shield, the area is rich in copper, zinc, and silver and has long attracted prospectors and miners. Surrounded by forests, lakes, and rugged terrain, Manitouwadge offers abundant outdoor recreation, from hiking and fishing to skiing, embodying a resilient, resource-based community with a strong small-town spirit, even amid the rise and fall of mining fortunes.
My father was an engineer, and my mother was an elementary school teacher. Their union came together and brought me into the world in 1982. I was born and raised in Hamilton, Ontario. When I was five years old, I had a profound dream that I still cannot forget. From that night on, I began listening deeply to my dreams, to symbols, to the silent language of Spirit that speaks to me between the daydream and night vision. The Dream Weaver became the first feather of my medicine; the bridge between the visible and the invisible.
Shortly after that dream, my father, not more than six weeks after his fortieth birthday, experienced a tragic baseball accident that forever changed the course of our lives. I was six years old when the accident happened. This began my Hero/Heroine’s journey and initiated my calling as a therapist and medicine guide.
At 30 years old, I left home and everything I knew to be familiar and took a huge leap of faith. Shortly after my first experience with ayahuasca, led by a shaman from Brazil, I followed the call that eventually brought me from Canada to California. Along my path, I had the extraordinary opportunity to work for Byron Katie and to be immersed in her work and programs, which became an important part of my journey and apprenticeship.
During my Vision Quest on Pine Mountain, California, in my early forties, I came to rediscover arrow as one of my main gifts. For five days and three nights, I fasted, prayed, danced, sang, and listened to Great Spirit, surrounded by the quiet stillness of the mountain and the unseen presence of Spirit. I prayed and sang to my ancestors; my lineage. I meditated, visualized, and danced for a vision so clear, I could not be mistaken; this path was for me. The mountain had called me and was ready to speak. I was ready to listen.
Our wilderness guides had provided us with many exercises, rituals, and ceremonies to hold during our isolated three days of fasting. One of which was to discover a stone that represented our vision, our journey to bring back to camp. On my day walk and wandering, I came across a stone that looked identical to an arrowhead. As I held the stone in my hand, I had a knowing that this was the one meant for me. I felt the contours, the shape, the size, and the smoothness of the arrow and knew instantly I was home. Feeling the arrow in my heart, I felt deeply aligned with my truth.
The arrow carries profound symbolism and wisdom. The Arrow represents truth, clarity, direction, and right action—the medicine of walking one’s path with integrity and truth. It teaches that when the heart is pure and intention clear, Spirit guides the flight. The Arrow flies straight because it has surrendered to its purpose.
In the stillness, the Arrow revealed itself to me. I understood that my path is one of directness, integrity, and truth-telling. Like the Arrow, my work in the world is to guide energy toward clarity, to help others align with their own inner compass, and to live from the truth of their hearts.
The Arrow reminds me that every word, every gesture, is a prayer in motion. It calls for precision, courage, and surrender; the willingness to let go and trust the path once the bow is released. The truth will set us free. May we surrender to love and remember: love never dies. Beyond life, death is just the beginning of a new journey that awaits all of us. I say yes to all of it and bow down in gratitude and humility for every single step and breath. There is no final destination, no arrival, and no distance that we can’t go.
In Service to Truth & Love — Jacqueline Sarah Robertson
