Costumed Adventuring Explained

Do you feel like something's missing in your life? Are you looking for new ways to explore your identity and express your creativity? Do you want to discover a renewed sense of adventure, personal power, and spiritual purpose?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, Costumed Adventuring may be right for you.

Costumed Adventuring is a new way of life with roots reaching back into antiquity. Since the dawn of history, people have called upon their ancestors and deities to grant inspiration and guidance in their hour of need. They've often used special language, clothing, talismans, and rituals to shift outside of their everyday state of consciousness and invoke this archetypal power.

For some, this practice of using special clothing or other artifacts to trigger a shift in consciousness is seen as a relic of the past. But what would life be like if we developed a Character – a robust archetypal persona that embodies key aspects of our true self and our deepest-held beliefs and values – and used a Costume to aid us in becoming as this Character?

This is the life of Costumed Adventuring.

My earliest exploration of Costumed Adventuring was inspired by my love for the costumed heroes in movies, television, and comic books. In preschool, I was asked what I wanted to be when I grew up. Other children wanted to be firefighters, astronauts, etc. I, however, wanted to be Superman.

Throughout my childhood and adolescence, stories of costumed heroes and archetypal fantasy characters greatly appealed to me. As I entered young adulthood, this matured into a more serious and spiritual effort to embody the virtues and values championed by these heroes. However, it wasn't until my training as a Wiccan Priest that I started to understand the interconnections between archetypes, costumed heroes, and our innate power to create change in accordance with our will, known by some as magic.

Costumed Adventuring is a way to make the most of these interconnections. It empowers you to bring your true inner self more fully into every aspect of your life by developing a unique Character and invoking the power of that Character through the use of a Costume. Whether you want to serve some noble cause like your favorite costumed hero, or you simply want to be a more creative and empowered person, Costumed Adventuring is a powerful way to turn your dreams into a reality.

Creating a Character

The first and most important step in Costumed Adventuring is creating your Character. The most visible end result of this process is a Costume that visually defines your Character. This Costume, however, is merely a tool that you use to shift into Character. Unless you take the time and effort to develop a well-rounded Character that truly reflects the deepest and most genuine aspects of your true self, your Costume will be meaningless.

Creating your Character starts with listening to what your inner voice tells you about who you are, who you'd like to be, and what you want to do in life. Use a sketchbook, binder, or other tool of creative self-expression to explore these questions about your Character. Initially, this journal will be a place for unstructured brainstorming about any and all aspects of your Character. As time goes on, your journal may become a more focused and organized chronicle of your Character's journey from dream to reality.

In your journal, you will need to explore at least three strands of your Character's development: Costume, Qualities, and Quest.

Costume

Do you want to be a costumed superhero like Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, or Xena? Does watching rock stars in their flamboyant costumes, like Prince in Purple Rain or Madonna in her many roles, inspire you to dress like a rock star too? Do you already work in a profession, such as doctor or police officer or lab technician, that has its own distinctive clothing that you'd like to emulate?

Once you've found at least two or three examples of what you might like in a costume, examine what it is about these costumes that captures your imagination. Are you drawn to certain colors or color schemes? Do you prefer a certain historical period? Do the traditional clothes of your ancestors, or some other culture, speak to you? Is the appeal of these colors and styles purely aesthetic, or do you like them because of some character traits that you feel they embody?

In this brainstorming stage, no idea is too whimsical or outrageous to put onto paper. Let your thoughts, feelings, hopes, and dreams flow freely. The goal is to discover what colors and styles of clothing excite your imagination and trigger a shift in your consciousness from the ordinary to the extraordinary. You can decide later which of these ideas is most appealing to you and tailor your expression of these themes to be as practical or whimsical as you like.

Qualities

Consider the deeper virtues and values of your Character. Is there a particular spiritual leader or religious tradition that plays a defining role in your life? Are there other heroes or ancestors, either actual or mythical, who you see as role models who you would like to emulate? Are there particular qualities about yourself and your life that you value as defining traits of who you are and what you aspire to become? Maybe you see yourself as an artist, musician, worker, scientist, healer, defender, philosopher, trickster, or even a party animal!

Look for one or more archetypes that will serve as the foundation for your Character. Keep in mind, though, that archetypes are broad concepts which could be embodied by many different Characters. Once you've found an archetype that defines your Character, consider what unique personality traits, personal history, abilities, quirks, and so on you can weave into that archetype.

The more personal, particular, and genuine that you make this Character, the more powerful it will be.

Quest

Galahad's Quest is to seek the Holy Grail. Superman's Quest is to serve Truth, Justice, and the American Way. We can surmise from his interviews and art that David Bowie's Quest is to bring fantasy and glamour into the world through the power of music and performance.

What does your Character do? Do you want to fight crime and protect people and the planet? Are you a mad scientist who uses gadgets and technology to hatch maniacal schemes for fame and fortune? Do you long to burst into song and change the world with the power of rock and roll?

Remember that this is a brainstorming exercise. No idea is too silly or outlandish. Express what excites you in as much or as little detail as you choose. Once you understand what your heart desires, you can refine this aspiration into a form that stretches the boundaries of consensus reality as little or as much as you choose.

Weaving the Strands Together

Once you've explored each of these three distinct strands, it's time to weave them together into a single holistic Character.

Study your journal and compare your thoughts on Costume to your thoughts on Qualities and Quest. Do any of your favorite colors or styles have an obvious connection to your Character's archetype or overall mission? If so, these colors and styles are your best choice when designing a Costume. If you're not sure, you can do research on the psychological, spiritual, magical, and cultural significance of colors. However, you may find that a common theme naturally emerges.

For example, one of the major Quests that I serve through my Character is Earth Defense. I also find that the colors green and black are very visually appealing to me and make me feel strong and empowered when I wear them. Green and black are both colors that have strong associations with the earth and earth defense movements. Therefore, green and black have become defining colors in my Costume. In addition, my boots, armbands, and other elements of my Costume are reminiscent of the clothing of warriors throughout several time periods. When I wear these clothes, I feel stronger and more empowered to defend myself and others. Therefore, they're a good style choice for an Earth Defender.

Choose two or three complimentary colors and one or two complimentary styles that define your Character. Your final choices should appeal to both your sense of style and your Character's Qualities and Quest.

When you put on your Costume, you should feel a renewed sense of empowerment and purpose. If you haven't chosen a True Name for your Character yet, you should do so now. Your True Name and your Costume empower you to shift into Character and draw on the power of your Qualities to fulfill your Quest.

The real work, of course, lies in your exploration of the Qualities and Quest of your Character. The deeper your exploration, the more powerful your Character becomes. However, your Costume is a tactile and visual cue that takes the magic of this soul-searching and makes it manifest in your life and your world.

Becoming Your Character

You have a Character now, complete with a Costume, Qualities, and Quest. How do you turn this from an exercise in self-exploration and a nifty outfit in your closet to a lived reality of Costumed Adventuring?

Really, that's up to you. You can do as much or as little with each strand of your Character's development as you choose.

You can use your Costume as a tool for private rituals, or possibly public events and activities. You can tone down your Costume into an overarching Theme with several outfits that share a common style and color scheme yet are subtle enough to go unnoticed. Or, you can become a full-time Costumed Adventurer, wearing a single distinctive Costume in most or all situations.

Of course, if you go the full-blown Costume route, you may end up having to explain to coworkers why your fuchsia lab coat and sky blue goggles should be considered appropriate lab attire! But let's face it – that comes with the territory. If you've chosen to go full-time with your Costume and Character, you may relish those questions and make them a part of your personal narrative.

You can also go as far with your Qualities and Quests as you choose. If you want to be a rock star, you can play games like Rock Band with your friends on the weekends or become a karaoke star at the local club. If you want to become a champion of freedom and justice, you can volunteer for a charitable or activist cause in your free time. Or, if you want to take these aspects of your Character further, you can find ways to make them permanent parts of your personal and professional life.

Maybe you really can become a rock star. Maybe you really can become a champion of the people and the planet. Maybe you can make part or all of your living by doing exactly what your heart longs to do. Maybe you can become everything you imagined – and beyond!

This is where the Adventure part of Costumed Adventuring comes into play. Figure out how far you know you can go with your dreams, and then try going just a little farther.

How far can your Character take you? You'll never know unless you give it a try. So start your journal and let your new adventures begin!