LITERAL & MYTHICAL REALITY

A short conversation from "The Messenger" feature film, wherein Joan of Arc is awaiting her execution and is visited by a strange being who challenges her faith with his words while reinforcing it with his very presence/existence.


Joan of Arc: I've always been faithful to God and I've followed everything He's ever said and I've done everything He's ever asked me to do.

The Conscience: God asked you to do something?

Joan of Arc: Yes. Yes, lots of things.

The Conscience: You mean God said, "I need you, Jeanne."

Joan of Arc: No. But He sent me signs.

The Conscience: Signs? What signs?

Joan of Arc: The wind. The wind. And the clouds, ringing!

The Conscience: Ringing clouds?

Joan of Arc: The dance. The dance. The dance. The dance.

The Conscience: The dance.

Joan of Arc: The sword! The sword lying in the field. That was a sign.

The Conscience: No. That was a sword in a field.

Joan of Arc: No. No, that was a sign!

The Conscience: No. That was a sword. In a field.

Joan of Arc: It can't just get there by itself! It can't. A sword just doesn't get there by itself. It can't just get there by itself.

The Conscience: True. Every event has an infinite number of causes, so why pick one rather than another? There are many ways a sword might find itself in a field.


Literal Reality presents you with a sword in a field.
Mythical Reality presents you with a sign.

The trick is to know when you are being presented with a sign and when it’s just a sword in a field. Both have value. Signs can help you know our purpose, seed adventures, and serve as guideposts along life’s (and death’s) journey. And how cool is it to find a sword in a field? Sometimes the world is simply what meets the eye, and the world is pretty cool already.