Cycles and Spirals

It’s not just the wheels on the bus that go round and round. It’s life.

Seems we humans like to represent ideas as cycles, or spirals. In fact, even the things that at first appear to be cycles are really spirals — the seasons form a cycle, but winter 2021 will not be the same as winter 2020 (thank heavens, some might say…). Time moves on, so in the same way you can’t step in the same river twice, you can’t live through the same winter twice.

Here are a few cycles for your delectation, including one I made up myself.

The Hero’s Journey, as described by Joseph Campbell:

The hero isn’t a hero when he sets out, but as he crosses the threshold into the unknown, and endures trials, failures, and the innermost cave, he grows as a person before returning transformed, bearing a gift of wisdom for his community. Star Wars famously follows this structure, and it’s no coincidence that George Lucas was good friends with Joseph Campbell.

And then the cycle starts over again. As did Star Wars in its 8 reboots.

The Rise and Fall of Empires: