Imagine a ball of wool. We want to create a magnificent garment with it that we will call our life. However, as we live, it becomes so tangled that unravelling seems impossible
This may seem like a modern problem but it was no different thousands of years ago. Take the saying:
The children now love luxury, they have bad manners, contempt for authority, they show disrespect for elders, and love chatter in place of exercise. Children are now tyrants, not the servants of their households. They no longer rise when elders enter the room. They contradict their parents, chatter before company, gobble up dainties at the table, cross their legs, and tyrannize their teachers.
Unbelievably, Socrates wrote this. Apparently nothing has changed!
The Ancient Greeks invented stories in an attempt to unravel the skein of life and understand human behaviour. They divided the subjects into male and female and termed them gods and goddesses, but this is not gender based because we all have male, female and trans inside us.
These myths are vital because they formed the foundation of our western culture. They also show us the archetypes – patterns – that reside in our unconscious minds and determine our behaviour.
Furthermore, they are prophetic and show us how our unconscious behaviour has paved the way for our creation of climate change.
However, there is always hope. The gods and goddesses of ancient Greece may still want to rule us from the depths of our unconsciousness – 95% of our minds – but, crucially, we have the gift of Free Will. Our task is to see the archetypes for what they are and become more conscious so that we can make our choices rather than theirs.
So, over the next few months, let’s try to unravel some of the truths hidden in the myths.
But I warn you, it’ll be like untangling wool …
Image by Agnali – Pixabay
