Their task [creative artists], therefore, is to communicate directly from one inward world to another, in such a way that an actual shock of experience will have been rendered: not a mere statement for the information or persuasion of a brain, but an effective communication across the void of space and time from one center of consciousness to another.

There is perhaps nothing worse than reaching the top of the ladder and discovering that you’re on the wrong wall.

The last act in the biography of the hero is that of the death or departure.

This is all I ever wanted - to help students and artists see myth as a reflection of the one sublime adventure of life, and then to breathe new life into it.

Could God exist if nobody else did? No. That’s why gods are very avid for worshipers. If there is nobody to worship them, there are no gods. There are as many gods as there are people thinking about God. In choosing your god, you choose your way of looking at the universe. There are plenty of Gods. Choose yours. The god you worship is the god you deserve.

The function of (heroic) symbols is to give you a sense of Aha! Yes, I know what it is, it's myself.

Each of us has capacities. The real trick is knowing the machinery of the boat in which you are crossing the channel.