Eight of Swords - Bondage Through Fear - Freedom Through Change

Ever find yourself in a scenario where you feel like you're suddenly in a kind of paralyzing emotional pickle? For instance someone seems hell bent on arguing and are looking for you to give them a reason to fight or attack you, or to take you emotionally hostage. When this situation presents itself, I go into a slow motion mode, because I'm kind of in shock and I never feel ready for this kind of thing, as I don't expect it and it can take me off guard. Your left feeling isolated, and trapped. But it happens to everyone more often than we realize, we aren't alone and it's possible for change. There's a way out, in spite of these feelings of being in bondage.

 I can certainly feel the temptation to defensively blat something out in retaliation, but will undoubtedly later regret. On the other hand, I need to keep my dignity in tact. I do want to respond, but in a way that defuses the situation in a positive way, to stand up for myself, calmly and clearly speaking my own truth, without infringing on an individual's right to express themselves. We all have a right to our own opinion, but I do believe this can't be at the expense of the individual we're interacting with. This is more about resentment and vengeance.

I'm certain everyone encounters these typical life situations, creating stress and fear. So I have to stop, step back, ask myself how and what is going to be my approach? This is usually my default now after many years of practicing and refining the habit, and now I feel I've finally come closer to getting it right these days. I've also learned to trust my heart, my intuition, to let go and to not force a solution.

This habit allows me to make an accurate assessment of a situation, in order to figure out what's really going on behind the scenes, or beneath the surface. I have to consider who it is, what are the antecedents that are exacerbating the circumstances. I need to take all of these into consideration before I can decide how best to respond and not simply react, before I can move forward.

Perhaps at times the best response is no response, until the dust settles, because there can be unknown factors beyond our control or beyond another person's control, such a mental health of physical health issues.

Understand I'm processing events that happened in my own life recently, and I'm still kind of working through them, and it always helps to write, because it enables me to make sense of what took place, in order to get some clarity and a clearer perspective.

Today I choose to remain hopeful and positive in my attitude. I also have to ask myself these questions. Can I change this situation? Can I accept those things I can't change? And most importantly, I ask the God of my understanding to help me to know the difference between the two. It's what's commonly known as practicing The Serenity Prayer. The Four Directions Prayer also helps me to find discernment and direction. I've found that these prayers are both preventative and practical to keep the chaos at bay, or to find that serenity in the very eye of the storm.

Drawing the Eight of Swords this morning was no coincidence, and it's just what I needed to reflect upon today. In this card we see that Orestes is frozen in the moment, he's being tormented by the Furies and fear has paralyzed him, preventing him from doing anything to resolve his dilemma. But, he needs to make a decision, even though it may appear that either choice will lead to trouble.

It's so important to come to the realization that we all have to face honestly our own part in the problem and we don't have to, nor is there any need to resign ourselves to the bondage of fear. Once we figure out and understand what it is that we want, act once and for all, then we will find the possible solution and be free from the bondage of fear.

Geshtinanna

Eight of Swords - What Do I Fear?

A card well chosen for me  today, because I've been feeling a little fearful and a little stuck.

The Eight of Swords shows Orestes who is between a rock and a hard place. He feels like he's damned if he does and damned if he doesn't. In a state of paralysis, with Apollo on his left, who's giving Orestes the evil eyeball and to the left are the three Furies, with their ugly on a ape faces, their bat wings and snake hair. I think we all can  identify with this feeling like we can't move, change our mind or our situation. It's not good.

Fear is something that is present in life, for all of us and manifests itself in so many ways and when we can't make a decision we can feel paralyzed, knowing that whatever we do is going to be problematic for us and might even be perceived as being life threatening us in one way or another. If nothing else it's stressful and anxiety producing.

 At times our fears are natural, realistic, warranted and understandable. Others fears emerge as phobias that we might carry into our adult life from childhood, like fear of the dark, or like me, I had a choking phobia when eating cheese or ice cream, and had a fear of bees when I was a kid. I still have my phobias but have learned to control them.

We can get treatment for phobia and we can choose to avoid situations where they present themselves, or they may lessen with time when we learn strategies to cope. But some problems are more difficult to overcome with out making a decision to do something about it, in spite of our fears. If we choose not to take any action we remain stuck in the quagmire, hobbled by our fear and the situation worsens, effecting almost every aspect of our lives.

 Some of us experience a learned helplessness because we've become dependent or co-dependent on someone else to solve our problems, but this is ineffective in the long term. It's pretty difficult for any one else to help us if we can't help ourselves.

Ultimately we have to make the decision to change what we can for ourselves, face our fears and learn new skills that will help us to cope and hold those fears in check, without letting them control us. Otherwise we are simply spinning our wheels, going nowhere fast.

My experience has been that I had to make friends with my fear. Not to say fear's my new best bud, on no, definitely not but I've learned to make fear work for me. Sometimes this doesn't work, but I know fear is a necessary normal feeling, that will pass and that I need to work with it, instead of against it. I can then hopefully, make a good decision with some discernment in order to make a necessary change. Asking for help from others who have perhaps been through similar circumstance is important because I don't need to solve all my problems in isolation. I've always believed that when I can share a problem with someone else, it lessens my problem by half.

The Sun and Leonard Cohen

Synchronicity lifts my spirits today drawing the Major Arcana card, The Sun and listening to Leonard Cohen's Travelin' Light, from his new release You Want It Darker. I've followed Leonard from his early beginnings and I think this is the quintessential epic work ever, reflecting the kind of insight that is much like what is called "Apollo Longsight", seeing the purpose and reason for his life experiences through hope, faith and with far reaching vision.


 Apollo is a lord of prophecy, music and knowledge, the son of Zeus and Leto, the goddess of Night. Apollo is the image of the power of consciousness to dispel darkness and fear. He is the image of hope and faith.

The radiant sun-god is embodied in this mythic image of Apollo, with his classic, handsome looks, his golden wings, and cradling his lyre.

Music being the expression of the sun-god, it transforms darkness into light and meaning. The laurel wreath that crowns Apollo's head, symbolizes his artistic and athletic achievements, although Leonard aches in the places he used to play, because alas he is not the sun-god  but I sure do idolize him.

 Clarity, optimism and renewed trust, all enable our understanding of the pattern of life and arms us with  foresight, purpose, hope and faith in the striving human spirit,'travelin' light' toward the goal.

King of Swords - 'The Wily One'

This has been a week full of swords. My fourth day of drawing this suit. Yesterday I drew the Eight of Swords but didn't get around to posting, which is a card of bondage through fear.

Today brings me the King of Swords and the mythic figure of the the hero Odysseus who's intellectual authority and principles remind us to use reason over emotion and to not allow ourselves to be dictated by emotion and irrational thought. He urges us to act with foresight, cleverness, strategy, guile and determination to reach our goal.

The King of Swords may be cunning, artful, crafty and smart, but not necessarily wise. Wiliness needs to be tempered with intuited emotion, and wisdom, because the King of Swords in sometimes lacking in depth of feeling and can have a tendency to be dissociated with emotion necessary to be empathetic. In other words, trust your gut and be wise.

As a creative person it is essential for me to always be willing to question authority and to really listen to my own inner voice of authority. This may not be immediately apparent, but I need to be patient and trust that insight and discernment will be given.

Overcoming  fear means to be able to look fear in the face and traverse that road less traveled, and to be our own hero or heroine.

Seven of Swords - Changing Our Minds

This isn't my favourite card here that I've drawn this morning. Regardless, I look always for the positive in each card, and take into account the realities of it's meaning, because there is a lesson to be learned, whether I like the card or not.

Most of our thoughts are generated in our mind based on our experience. First comes the thought, and then the action. Fortunately we can decide to change our thoughts and actions, before doing something we might regret.

Orestes has decided to commit a violent crime that is both hurtful to others, and to himself that will be life changing. Life will never be the same after his actions. Resentment, anger, and hurt have long filled his thoughts, and it looks like he is about to choose to act upon these, allowing himself to be over come, and consumed by feelings and not the discernment of his intution.

He has been spending years filling up his gunnysack with negative thoughts and resentments, which has gotten heavier and heavier, as he drags it around, and increasingly weighs him down. If he finally lets this burden get the best of him, it will result in dire consequences.

The lesson and the warning here is to not allow our behaviour to be dictated by what some else had done or not done or by what has happened in our lives. Resentment is a poison that can not be afforded. There are many other tools can be used to deal with the wrongs that have been done.

The fear we might feel surrounding our guilt about past actions, needs to be examined and addressed, so we aren't enslaved or held captive in negative ways into our future, otherwise we are liable to repeat past behaviours.

Acceptance is key, and forgiveness is powerful  and both are personally trans-formative skills, that will help us to change our thinking, and enable us to be open to transformation and to changing our minds.

The Chariot - Harmony After The Shit Storm Was A Brewin

On Sunday past we've had a monster shit snow storm here in Nova Scotia, and were without power for about 28 hours, which meant no internet either. Though, I did do my daily draws, and wrote about them in my journal, I haven't been able to post anything, trying to get myself in gear with a big snow hangover.

This morning my good neighbour, God bless his big heart, came down totally unexpectedly with his big honkin' green and yellow chariot with a big front loader bucket, and plowed me out from under mounds and mounds of white stuff. I couldn't see out of my studio windows with the eight foot drifts piled up against the house. It was a doozy of a blizzard with gusting 100 kms winds lasting over 24 hours and into the next day. Lots of folks still haven't any power and some of the roads are still closed in the county, and in the Maritime provinces.

When you go without power in a Winter blizzard, for a length of time, you need to find a way to pace yourself, as the time seems to drag and you get impatient. Not unlike the driver of the Chariot, there is a struggle between the push and pull of opposing forces.On one hand you're stressed and upset, simultaneously you trying to keep calm.

Having a focus when we are faced with a difficult challenge is important, otherwise you'd go a little doolally, and I've had my moments, believe me, but living in the country most folks are prepared to fight the elements, much like Ares, the god of war, but here neighbours do help one another, which I am so grateful for.

Ares has two buddies, Fear (Deimos) and Terror (Phobos). With friends like these, who needs enemies right? Like Ares, some find the strength to challenge the enemies in the storms in life, and this can be a good thing, as long as it doesn't get destructive, because of extreme aggression.

Aphrodite and Ares had a love affair, and each god represents the two emotional spectrums of love and strife. From their relationship a child was born-Harmonia, whose name implies a balance between these two spectrums.

Just as I was about to finish today's post, the internet went down, again, for about two hours.  If I had use of my phone I would have given my internet provider a blast. The Chariot's good message is about gaining control of aggressive instincts, and to move from the immaturity of adolescence into adult maturity, and to know that the best approach to take when dealing with conflict and struggle is with harmony. These challenges can make for a stronger personality, regardless if I am feeling like my underwear is in a knot.

I'll remember and reflect on this post, next time I am facing another shit storm!
In the mean time, Chariot has special meaning to me this morning! It's so wonderful to be able to see out my studio windows, with a clear driveway! I am feeling most harmonious, and even grown up!

Yeii Spirit

Strength

Using my head and not my heart can sometimes be difficult, because it can feel like I am going against the grain, as I approach life often with my heart. But I have learned to ignore some of those feelings when I know I am not doing the right thing, because sometimes my heart can get me into trouble if I don't think.

I now understand why 'they' say youth is wasted on the young. I wished I had listened to my head when I was young, and maybe I'd  have made decisions not based on fear. But we can't undo what has been done and need stay the forward course with hope and optimism.

Courage and fortitude is what the Strength card symbolizes. We all have situations were we try to have courage but are very afraid, just as we can have the guts to do some thing, but we feel weak. Courage can be spurred on by fear. Fortitude can be motivated by weakness. Fear and feeling weak can cause negative reactions, if we don't use our head. I need to handle unhealthy anger and self-serving pride. I must be willing to do the right thing in spite of fear, and try to replace my fear by acquiring faith. This helps be to walk through my fear, with love being the opposite of fear.

Self-reliance is not the way for me to possess strength, courage and fortitude.The human spirit is amazing. It inspires and changes our lives when grounded in faith.
Freedom from fear is a lifetime process.

Nine of Swords Vs 21 Years of Recovery

I really don't like seeing on the Nine of Swords the menacing wrath of these Furies toward Orestes, with their threatening presence.
Considering however today, January 2nd, 2015, being my 21 year A.A. anniversary of contented sobriety, it really gave me pause to reflect on my days before sobriety. I was like Orestes, tormented, often full of great fear and anxiety with feelings of impending doom, that did not necessarily manifest itself,  nonetheless it was both frightening and painful. The fear of destruction caused me to have all kinds of free floating anxiety and fantasy at times. I felt pursued by guilt and shame, which I thought would no doubt end in a terrible future, even if these fears where not based on reality. Of this however, I am quite convinced; had  I continued to drink, these fears would have eventually become self-fulling prophecies.

I thank God I came to understand the reason for my fear and guilt, which provided insight once I got sober through the 12 Step Fellowship.

I can not say I am completely free from worry, or never feel moments of fear and anxiety, but so does everyone. The difference today is, I no longer have to, nor choose to pick up a drink to cope. Today my antidote to worry is action and prayer.
Reality suits me just fine, no matter what happens in life today, and for that I am very grateful.

Queen of Cups - Emotion Vs Reason

I was once told I was like a ball of emotion. This isn't true. I am simply no longer afraid of my emotion, but I wasn't always this way. Today I am very grateful to be able express my emotion, because there was a time when I completely shut down my feelings for many years, and learned to do this at the age of five, due to my family circumstances.

 I also learned how unhealthy it is to suppress emotion as it eventually leads to repression, resulting in an inability to know you even have these feelings. It is if a steel door has been slammed shut where nothing gets out and nothing gets in.
Alcoholism is described as being a disease of the emotion. Being sober 20 years, I can attest to this.

The reason I love the Queen of Cups, is that she reminds me emotion is a good thing, balanced with reason. And like the Queen of Cups who relies on her intuition before her intellect. I believe this is a good way to live life. At some point we have to let go of reason, and make a leap of faith. We need to have faith in ourselves, in others, and a faith in the God of our understanding.

 I can't say feeling emotion is painless, because that would be far from the truth, unless I am crying tears of joy. More often than not, we experience emotion from painful things, like the death of a loved one. No one wants to feel pain. Our immediate response, and I will only speak for myself is fight or flight. In the past, I would want to take, what I thought, was the easier soft way, and run away. Thank goodness now, I strive to have courage in the face of fear. Having courage does not mean I am not afraid.

What if I don't believe in God, and what if I find it hard to have faith you ask? I remember it being said, that if you don't believe or have faith then borrow someone else' faith. That made a lot of sense to me, because others can give you if not a complete faith of your own, well it can at least give you courage to go on. Those who have been through worse things than ourselves, can inspire us to believe that if they can make it through, perhaps we can too.

People who have been through hard times in life, are often more compassionate, and can cry with those who weep. Like the Queen of Cups, they drink deeply from the cup of life, and are emotionally generous. They can impart this to others, so we in turn can pass it on, and give it away to others.
It is in giving that we receive.

This emotional generousity is compassion, and can make our world a better, kinder place, that will bring tears of joy, and the tears that heal.

The Chariot - Fear & Love

 This Major Arcana card, The Chariot is linked to the Moon, and to the astrological sign of Cancer.
 There are strong emotions here, but simultaneously it symbolizes balance between negative and positive, ying and yang, to achieve success in order to control the direction of one's life. It's been said that true love castes out fear.

Today I read a review of a late artist I love and deeply admire. The critic stated the particular artist reflected a constipated terror in his paintings. I thought this was a very negative and offensive thing to say, however I think it is a accurate description of the way fear can make you feel, leaving us emotionally drained, weak, powerless, and out of control,

 We must understand the nature of good and evil. Maintaining focus, attending to details, which can be difficult for many of us living in a hurried, and overindulgent world, particularly in the West. We can get caught up in our own problems, wants and needs, becoming myopic in our perception.

 We can't allow ourselves to be controlled by fear, but need to allow love to direct our lives.

Three of Wands - New Possibilities

Wands signify growth, action, and energy and are associated with the element of  fire and the fire signs of the Zodiac: Aries, Leo and Sagittarius.

The Three of Wands heralds new possibilities, and it gives one hope. This card signifies accomplishment, new challenges, optimism and satisfaction, involving an original idea that is arising. This is a high point, a good foundation, and the initial completion has been made, but it's not over yet, there is still work ahead, but we can meet the challenges ahead with courage and strength.

Fear can be viewed as a very positive emotion, if it causes us to do the right thing. Often our fears and concerns are manifested in our dreams, whether we know it or not. I  believe our dreams are a powerful means to work through issues, and difficulties we can't always rationally solve, in our every day lives. Tarot can assist us in understanding the meanings of our dreams, as they can share similar unconscious archetypal images, that the Tarot cards depict.

I had such a dream early this morning. There is a direct parallel connection and meaning between my dream, and the card I have drawn today. The Three of Wands has enabled me to process the meaning of my dream, which was a little disconcerting, but comforting at the same time. It was about forgiveness and moving on spiritually.

 We see in the Mythic Tarot, Pelias kneeling before Jason, offering him his rightful crown that he has stolen, butPelias is not asking for forgiveness, he offers the crown to Jason because he is afraid. Jason could have easily lashed out and killed him, but he did not. I don't know if Jason ever forgave Pelias, as he had been deeply betrayed him, his own flesh and blood. He also lied to Jason, put his life in peril, and usurped the crown. Pelias' life was full of treachery and betrayal eventually coming to a gruesome end.

  Asking for forgiveness, to forgive another and to be forgiven is healing for all individuals involved, if you allow it to be. Usually the problems occur when we can't forgive ourselves, in spite of the fact we have been forgiven. Or when we hold onto resentment, which can poison every aspect of our lives, growing it's bitter root.

Queen of Swords - Idealism

Today's card from the Minor Arcana, the Queen of Swords is a strong independent woman. In the Mythic Tarot the Queen is Atalanta who was abandoned but her father who was disappointed that he had no male heir. He left her on a hill, but she was rescued and nursed by a bear, sent by the moon-goddess Artemis- Hecate.

Crescent Moon Bear - Catherine Meyers

The Queen appears aloof and cool, but don't be fooled, she has a soft underbelly after experiencing  great losses, and many difficulties in her life. This Queen is very familiar with hard times and suffering, but continues to thrive, not just in spite of them, but because of these burdens she has had to bare, this has given her an inner strength.
She has a vehement sense of justice, and benevolently upholds and champions the rights of others, perhaps as a result of her own loss and brokenness.

 Quick witted with a sharp tongue, she can cut to the quick, being very intelligent and passionate about her high ideals. Not willing to settle in love she can cut her nose off to spite her face because of this idealism, which in the extreme, is an expectation of perfectionism in others; an expectation that was placed upon herself as well at a young age.

The Queen is a woman possessing a strong sense of integrity and pride, but she is also lonely, and isolated as a result of these high ideals. She may be unconscious of her perfectionist expectations, however it does have a positive aspect, in that others are inspired by her, to improve upon themselves.

Being too idealistic prevents us from ever measuring up to a perfectionist ideal. It does not exist in reality, and is an image. This state occurs because this individual is fearful of being human, and leaves us vulnerable to being hurt.

Many of us have been hurt in early life or in the past, which manifests into our adult life, especially if we lack self-awareness, and choose not seek help to resolve these issues. Serious problems arise in our relationships with others, as a result of clinging to an unmovable faith in high ideals, leading to an addiction perfectionism.

Nine of Swords - The Darkest Hour Is Just Before Dawn

 

The Nine of Swords is a card the describes a psychological state of mind indicating that we are having many sleepless nights, because we are carrying burdens, overwhelming feelings of failure, disaster and impending dread. We may have guilt about the past and fear what the future repercussions will bring. This is a psychological problem not based on reality.

I've always agreed that action through prayer is the antidote to worry. Just my opinion. Most people I think would agree, worry is not constructive, and can make us psychologically and even physically unhealthy. Worry simply fuels anxiety, and signals a lack of trust and faith. We feel hopeless.

 Many think it is a virtuous thing to do, in that it reflects care and concern. Fretting and worry can be a habitual reaction. In extreme cases, it is being in a constant state of hyper vigilance, and is often a way of being for many, especially if we have grown up in troubled family situations, or had traumatic events happen.

We do not have to be a prisoner of our fear and sense of hopelessness. We can seek help for ourselves, if we reach out to change.

There is nothing we can do to change the past, and projecting into the future is futile. It does nothing to improve our lives or our state of well being, and happiness.

The Nine of Swords reminds me of a time when I saw a young punk rocker years ago. He was wearing a button which said, "Hope For The Hopeless ". To me it said it all, and made me smile and feel very hopeful. 

Eight of Swords - Patience

When I was in grade nine, I remember hearing my Geography teacher say under her breath, but loud enough for me to hear, she said, " Patience is a virtue ". The class was about to drive the poor woman over the edge.

We have all felt this way some time in our lives when we are tested, to the point that it felt we were at the end of our rope, and our patience is wearing thin. It is then, that we have to stay the course, dig our heels in, and find that reserve, to draw on our inner resources to persevere, and some how find the patience we need to overcome, whatever circumstance. If you don't, the situation will get much worse, and you very may well regret it, ending up in a worse mess.

You cannot ignore this situation, and you need to face it square on, even if there is nothing to be done. Coming to terms with reality, and going through whatever the challenge is the only way out.

The Eight of Swords portrays a situation of being in bondage through fear of the consequences. Fear will paralyze, rendering you incapable of moving forward, and you know it. You know you have played a part in creating this dilemma, and need to honestly accept responsibility for what you have contributed to this situation. There is a solution possible, but there is a need to try to understand what it is you want, and take action in order to change it for the better.

The Chariot - War, Battle, Conflict, Struggle

The card of the day for me, is The Chariot.  This card is symbolic of war, battle, conflict and struggle, which may seem initially to be a negative thing, but if we allow ourselves, this struggle and conflict can give us strength of character, and great personal transformation, depending on our attitude. I have found this to be very much  the case personally. I have witnessed this inner strength, and courage in others, who have been, and are warriors.
Although it is necessary to face these conflicts and contradictions within ourselves, and cannot be avoided,  I have never found this to be easy, but it is all part of growing up, even becoming and adult!.
Resentment and aggression  are luxuries I can  no longer afford. I stopped carrying around a little gunny sack full of grudges toward others. I have learned to forgive others and myself.

The Chariot is the seventh card among  the 22  Major Arcana. The astrological sign Cancer and the Moon are linked with this card of conflicting animal urges and the inner instincts that can threaten to run away with us, if we do not learn to live in balance and harmony. This does not mean that we should repress our feelings, otherwise we loose our personal power, and ability to not just survive in spite of ourselves, but to thrive because of our selves, in finding our way, traveling along on the road of life.
Harnessing and balancing human nature, being pulled in opposing directions; will and action, the two horses, one black, one white symbolize this struggle that takes place within the human psyche, as we make daily decisions in our lives.


Ares, the God of War, is seen in bronze helmet and bronze armor over a blood-red tunic as he drives his war chariot. He wears a shield at his hip, and at his side is a large spear. He holds the reins of two horses, one black and one white, as they pull in opposite directions before him. The landscape is reddish and desert-like as a storm approaches.

War Symbolism (Chariot, Armor, Shield, Spear, etc)

• chariot is a symbol of war or battle
• chariot is the image of the mastery and mobility of gods and heroes
• armor identifies a warrior
• spear is a symbol of war and struggle, aggression or hostility
• spear represents that which may cut, pierce or injure
• spear represents phallic power and potency in both men and women
• an environment of hostility, aggression and oppression
• an internal struggle
• retaliation for previous thoughts, words or actions
• the need to consciously deal with problems that are struggling at the unconscious level
• the need to fight for what’s right
• the process of disintegration and reintegration
• abolishing disorder and creating order out of chaos
• the spiritual battle between good and evil within man’s own nature

Black and White Horses

• Deimos (fear) and Phobos (terror) accompanied Ares on the battlefield
• the potential for both good and evil contained in the aggressive instinct
• white horse represents pure intellect while the black horse represents chaos
• black symbolizes lack of consciousness, descent into darkness, evil, corruption, ignorance while white represents innocence, purity, truth, perfection, redemption, illumination
• conflicting animal urges within man that are full of vitality yet unwilling to work together
• Metaphors/Proverbs:
  • “to know black from white” is to understand the difference between right and wrong
  • “to see everything as black and white” is to have limited vision, to see things only as true/false or right/wrong
  • “a horse of a different color” means additional information that causes a situation to be reconsidered or different
  • “don’t put the cart before the horse” means it’s important to do things in the right or natural order, and is also used to correct people who confuse cause and effect
  • “zeal without knowledge is a runaway horse” means that uninformed enthusiasm will only lead to disaster

Desert Landscape

• the lack of feeling and relatedness in which the aggressive impulses thrive
• that which is not fertile, is bleak or is abandoned
• that which lacks insight or spirit; hopelessness and pessimism

Ares

• god of war, he reveled in fighting and was in love with the heat and glory of battle so that he could unleash all his strength to challenge his foe
• because he was associated with bloodshed and conflict, he was disliked by Zeus and Athena because of his brute-strength and lack of refinement
• Aphrodite fell in love with him though, and together they had a daughter Harmonia, whose quality was the harmonious blending of love and strife
• the image of aggressive instincts guided and directed by the will of consciousness
• as fatherless god (he was born from Hera without male seed), he’s the image of the natural aggressive and competitive instincts of the body because he lacks the archetypal spiritual father who might provide him with vision and meaning
• this iron will and great courage are a necessary complement though to spiritual vision, which isn’t enough to survive in a competitive and difficult world
• the second of life’s greatest lessons – the creative harnessing of the violent, turbulent urges of the instinctual nature
• arriving at maturity – learning how to take the consequences of one’s actions as an adult and facing the anger and conflict one has invoked both internally and externally
• the need to deal with the warring opposites and war-like urges within
• lesson of how learning to contain and direct the aggressive drive fosters the development of the whole personality