A maegi was a woman who lay with demons and practiced the blackest of sorceries, a vile thing, evil and soulless, who came to men in the dark of night and sucked life and strength from their bodies.
"I am a healer," Mirri Maz Duur said.
This one includes a small meta section since a lot of the return portion of the hero's journey hasn't happened for Bran just yet!
Refusal of the Return
This one seems straightforward to me because it is something Bran already struggles with.
There is also the implication that Bran wargs birds; the crows that say both Theon and Jon's name seem to be not Brynden but Bran. And this is something Haggon mentions that bird skinchangers struggle with the most - "staring up at the bloody blue." I imagine Bran will be particularly susceptible to something like that given that he's already gotten lost in Summer.
And, of course, he is right in the middle of getting even deeper within his own magic by doing a sort of dream/memory walk through the weirwood network. Literally he is about to tempted by memories of the past - and might not want to come back.
The Magic Flight
Again, also fairly straightforward.
I don't know how much I believe D&D when they say what came from GRRM but given Bran's continued violation of Hodor, it makes sense that there will be a final consequence for this and Bran will murder Hodor somehow.
In the show, their magic flight is when Hodor dies. Again, unsure if this will be the same scene but it seems not unlikely that it happens where Bran is skinchanging Hodor as they are escaping the cave (for whatever reason) and this is how Hodor is killed, considering how this dynamic has devolved and how Bran’s initial violation of Hodor was also in a dangerous situation where they are about to be caught.
"but will they leave the cave" yes, it is an integral part of the Hero's Journey that they make the return home and any theory that has Bran as God-King beyond the Wall rather than somewhere in Westeros proper is really goofy to me considering how closely Bran's story otherwise sticks to the Hero's Journey.
“but he will subvert the hero’s journey!” sure, by showing us that bran’s violation of hodor is a natural consequence of the way brynden & the children & arguably even jojen reed have enabled bran’s continued pushing of magical boundaries without giving him the time and instruction he actually needs to understand what it is he’s doing. the magical flight can certainly be metaphorical as well - escaping the weirwood net. but i think it’s more likely he will mirror the last hero and go back south, and anyways, if his magical flight is away from the weirwood net…why would he stay in the cave when he wakes up lmao. What ten year old actually wants to never leave a dank ass cave again, if given the option to do anything else? He’s leaving the cave.
Rescue From Without
This is where we get more into theorizing territory.
My interpretation is that the "rescue from without" is going to be about rescuing Bran from the weirwood hivemind after his escape (so NOT the metaphorical magical flight - this part of the journey instead!)
I think his family are going to be very important to pulling him back into his mind. I don't know how successful it will be but I do believe there will be a more active effort to do so than we got in the show.
I also believe that physically speaking, Jon Snow might play a role in getting Bran back south of the Wall. I sure hope Meera doesn't die but even if she lives they needed Sam's help to cross the Wall which means they might need another man of the Night's Watch to cross back over.
All throughout ADWD, Jon is actively brushing off his magical capabilities. He literally attacks Mormont’s crow saying his name in the middle of a wolf dream at one point. But once he's dead it won't be something he can ignore. So I think it's likely, considering how tethered to each other Bran and Jon are, that Jon will greendream, and meet Bran, and become aware that Bran is alive - and might physically help Bran make the rest of the journey once he gets to the Wall.
Crossing the Return Threshold
TO ME. The first threshold is Theon’s attack on Winterfell - Theon acts as the catalyst to get Bran to leave, Theon is heavily associated with dogs (and Cerberus is Thee most popular depiction of the Guardian of the Threshold), Bran literally crosses the threshold magically during these chapters while Within The Earth and is carried over a number of thresholds as they climb back up and leave. And this directly starts the next chapter of his journey.
So rather than Bran’s significant return across the threshold With New Gifts being him crossing the wall, it will be his return to Winterfell, and imo, his return to the Winterfell Godswood specifically. It’s the road he leaves on, it’s the road he will return on.
Master of Two Worlds
Similar to the magic flight, I think in order for Bran to achieve "master of two worlds" he has to not only leave that fuck ass cave but regain control over his mind and body. No more getting lost in dreams, but actual control over his magic.
But I chose an image of him in winterfell for a reason - master of two worlds means he can control his magic AND exist in real life. He can purposefully send dreams, doesn’t get lost, and communicate effectively and freely.
Maybe, again, this will be subverted in some way - this is imo where we’d get into the “and i must scream” horror aspect - that others THINK bran is in control but it’s someone else in the driver’s seat.
Freedom to Live
This one I made with no layers because the point is Bran's identity is no longer fractured. He has made some sort of peace - whether it be a forced peace because his mind is taken over (it won't be, he's gonna be fine, I'm not coping!!) or Bran taking back his mind - with his magic and his abilities, he has returned home and accepted his path forward, and he has reunited with his loved ones. No more prince of the wood, Bran the Broken, Bran the Beastling, and his southron dreams all being at odds with each other.
In the end, he is just Bran. Quick to laugh, easy to love.
But also I do believe that it's likely Jon will be offered a crown - maybe over the North, maybe over all of Westeros - but will, as his mentor did, refuse it in favor of Bran.
And interestingly, just as Aegon was the fourth son of a fourth son, Bran is the second son of a second son.
