Just finished...July 25th, 2009.
Many '4 or 5 point'/4 or 5 basic element' models of life and the personality have been offered many times before me. These models have deep, deep roots in Western and Eastern mythological-philosophical history.
I will offer one such model -- an integrative one of sorts.
Imagine a compass with the four points: west, south, east, north.
In this partly simple, partly complicated DGB 'multi-bipolar mythological-philosophical model of life and the personality', these four compass points represent four different oppositional but also holistically intermixed points of profound human -- Godly and/or 'Anti-Godly' -- influence and motivation.
Nothing is simple -- particularly in Greek and Roman mythology.
And nothing is simple when it comes to 'classification systems'.
Classifications systems can and will never be perfect. This can drive certain 'perfectionist individuals' (myself included) to the brink of insanity. Because no matter how hard you try, no matter how hard you work, your/my 'classification system' will always be imperfect -- it can never be any different.
Classification systems come from man's 'representational, metaphysical, phenomenal, subjective, sensory-perceptual, assumptive-interpretive, conceptual-theoretical world of ideas as first and primarily denoted by Kant in his classic philosophical treatise: 'Critique of Pure Reason'.
In contrast, life occurs on an 'immediate, non-representational, noumenal' dimension that is at least partly above and beyond any form of human comprehension. Our 'subjective, conceptual-theoretical, metaphysical, representational world' can always partly understand the domain of life but never entirely.
And no classification system will ever be perfect.
Whenever you think you have a perfect classification system, whenever you think you can say 'This is a man' and 'this is a woman' -- there will always be someone who comes along who put this classification system into confusion and uncertainty, someone, for example, who has both sets of sex organs or someone who has the sex organs of a man but the psychological mindset of a woman -- or visa versa.
No classification system is perfect.
To use another example from Greek mythology, I pick out the Greek Goddess 'Hera' -- Goddess of 'family and marriage'. And I envision this 'perfect family woman, this perfect mother, this nurturing mother and wife'.
And then I read about Hera in Greek mythology and I find out that she showed none of these 'motherly' characteristics. Indeed, she abandoned her 'ugly and lame' son -- Hephaestus (God of fire) as did his wife 'Aphrodite' (goddess of beauty, love, lust) who had an affair with Aries (the God of war).
I read this and I think to myself -- 'This sounds like human nature, human behavior -- i.e., a motivational mess -- as opposed to some easy to classify Godly ideal'.
I look at this and I see either of two possibilities: 1. either the Gods are out there 'cross-fertilizing' with each other, and 'cross-fertilizing' with humans -- and thus everything in the lives of humans has become exactly like the nature and the behavior of the Gods before them: the Greek and Roman Gods are in effect our parents and our own lives have become as motivationally and emotionally messed up as our 'parents'; or 2. as humans we have a very 'rich creative, projective fantasy life' in which we (or the Greeks and Romans) envisioned their/our Gods as having lived lives that were just as emotionally mixed up and messed up as their/our own lives.
Either way, these so-called Greek and Roman 'Godly ideals' often behaved in ways that were far from 'any so-called ideal'. Hera is a perfect example. Here she is supposed to be an 'ideal, maternal mother and wife' and much of her behavior shows the opposite. She rejects her son because he is ugly and lame, and she is constantly try to find new and different ways of 'getting back' at her husband -- Zeus -- who was always running and/or flying around and having various affairs on her with different Goddesses and/or humans.
So much for 'Godly ideals'.
Thus, my dilemma becomes: Do I make up some 'Godly idealistic classification system' that seems to have nothing to do with how these Gods actually behaved; or do I scrap this project altogether.
One way or the other, it would seem that the world of Greek and Roman Gods was, in effect, no different than the world of humans in this respect:
Godly ideals, idealism, realism, and Anti-Godly ideals were constantly intertwined -- it seems virtually impossible to find the one with out finding them all.
Again -- so much for 'perfect classification systems'.
Thus, what I will try to do instead is find some way of bringing this information together in a classification system that mixes 'Godly ideals, idealism, realism, and Anti-Godly ideals.'
I will use the four directions on a 'compass' in order to illustrate my 'double bi-polarity'.
Before I do this you need something to refer to so you can see at least partly where I am getting my interpretation from:
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List of Greek mythological figures
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from Greek gods)
Ancient Greek Religion
Main doctrines
Polytheism · Mythology · Hubris
Orthopraxy · Reciprocity · Virtue
Practices
Amphidromia · Iatromantis
Pharmakos · Temples
Votive Offerings · Animal sacrifice
Deities
Twelve Olympians:
Ares · Aphrodite · Apollo
Athena · Demeter · Hades · Hera ·
Hermes · Hephaestus · Dionysus ·Poseidon · Zeus
---
Primordial deities:
Aether · Chaos · Cronos · Erebus
Gaia · Hemera · Nyx · Tartarus · Oranos
---
Lesser gods:
Eros · Hebe · Hecate · Helios
Herakles · Hestia · Iris · Selene · Pan · Nike
Texts
Iliad · Odyssey
Theogony · Works and Days
See also:
Decline of Hellenistic polytheism
Hellenic Polytheistic Reconstructionism
Supreme Council of Ethnikoi Hellenes
This box: view • talk • edit
A listing of Greek mythological figures. See also family tree of the Greek gods and the list of Greek mythological creatures. For a list of the deities of many cultures (including this one), see list of deities.
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* 1 Immortals
o 1.1 Olympian deities
o 1.2 Primordial deities
1.1. Immortals
Olympian deities
Greek name English name Description
Aφροδίτη (Aphroditē) Aphrodite Goddess of love, lust, beauty, wife of Hephaestus. Ares is her lover. Eros is her son. Known as the most beautiful of the Greek goddesses. Her symbols are the scepter, myrtle, and dove.
Aπόλλων (Apollō) Apollo God of music, medicine, health, prophecies, poetry, and archery. Also said to be the god of light and truth. Is associated with the sun. Also referred to as the most handsome of the gods. He is Artemis's twin brother, and son of Zeus. His symbols are the bow, lyre, and laurel.
Άρης (Arēs) Ares God of war, murder and bloodshed. Brother to Athena, and is the son of Zeus. Has an affair with Aphrodite. His symbols are vultures, dogs, boars, and a spear.
Άρτεμις (Artemis) Artemis Goddess of the hunt, wild things, and the moon. Protector of the dewy young. She became associated with the moon. Apollo is her twin brother. Artemis is a virgin goddess. Her symbols are the bow, dogs, and deer.
Αθηνά (Athēna) Athena Goddess of wisdom, warfare, strategy, handicrafts and reason. Sister of Ares, and is the daughter of Zeus. Sprung from Zeus's head in full body armor. She is the wisest of the gods. Her symbols are the aegis, owl, and olive tree.
Δήμητρα (Dēmētra) Demeter Goddess of fertility, agriculture, grain and harvest. Demeter is a daughter of Cronus and Rhea and sister of Zeus. Her symbols are the scepter, torch, and corn.
Διόνυσος (Dionysus) Dionysus God of wine, parties/festivals, madness and merriment. He represents not only the intoxicating power of wine, but also its social and beneficial influences. His symbols are the grape vine, ivy, and thyrsus.
ᾍδης (Hades) Hades God of the underworld and wealth. Brother of Poseidon, Zeus and Hera, and consort to Persephone. His symbols are the bident, the Helm of Darkness, and the three-headed dog, Cerberus.
Ήφαιστος (Hēphaistos) Hephaestus God of fire and the forge (god of fire and smiths) with very weak legs. He was thrown off Mount Olympus as a baby by his mother and in some stories his father. He makes armor for the gods and other heroes like
Achilles. Son of Hera and Zeus is his father in some accounts. Married to Aphrodite, but she does not love him because he is deformed and, as a result, is cheating on him with Ares. He had a daughter named Pandora. His symbols are an axe, a hammer and a flame.
Ήρα (Hēra) Hera Goddess of marriage, women, and childbirth. Zeus' wife and sister. Appears with peacock feathers often. Her symbols are the scepter, diadem, and peacock.
Ερμής (Hērmēs) Hermes God of flight, thieves, mischief, commerce, and travelers. Messenger of the gods. He showed the way for the dead souls to Hades's realm. He shows up in more myths than any other god or goddess. Likes to trick people and is very inventive. Hermes invented the lyre using a turtle shell and sinew. His symbols are the caduceus and winged boots.
Ἑστία (Hestia) Hestia Goddess of the hearth and home, the focal point of every household. Daughter of Rhea and Cronus. Gave up her seat as one of the Twelve Olympians to tend to the sacred flame on Mount Olympus for Dionysus. Her symbol is the hearth.
Ποσειδῶν (Poseidon) Poseidon God of the sea. He created horses from sea foam. God of earthquakes as well. Also called 'Earth Shaker' and 'Storm Bringer'. His symbols are horses, sea foam, dolphins, and a trident.
Ζεύς (Zeus) Zeus The king of the gods, the ruler of Mount Olympus and the god of the sky and thunder. His symbols are the thunderbolt, eagle, bull, and oak.
1.2 Primordial deities
Greek name English name Description
Αιθήρ (Aithēr) Aether God of the upper air.
Χάος (Khaos) Chaos The nothingness from which all else sprang.
Κρόνος (Kronos) Kronos or Cronus Titan of eternal time and father of six of the Olympian gods. Cronus (Kρόνος) and Chronos (Xρόνος) are two separate entities altogether. Cronus or Kronos is the father of Zeus, Poseidon and Hades, whereas Chronos is the Keeper of Time. In addition, in the Greek language "χρονια" means "year" or "years" depending on accent.
Έρεβος (Erebos) Erebus God of darkness and shadow.
Γαία (Gaia) Gaia or Gaea Goddess of the Earth (Mother Earth); mother of the Titans.
Ημέρα (Émera) Hemera Goddess of daylight and the sun.
Ζέφυρος (Zephuros) Zephyrus God of the west wind.
Νύξ (Nux) Nyx Goddess of night. She is also the only being from which Zeus turned from when her son Hypnos, who had angered Zeus, hid behind her.
Τάρταρος (Tartaros) Tartarus The darkest, deepest part of the underworld.
Ουρανός (Ouranos) Ouranos God of the heavens (Father Sky); father of the Titans. He banished his children, the Cyclopes and the Hecatonchires, to the underworld
because they did not please him.
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The Astrology Signs (From the internet)
February 20, 2009 – 7:23 am
Astrology Signs
Aries: quick-start energy, no questions asked, take action, intensely focused in the present.
Taurus: maintaining what is already here, stubborn, slow-moving, sensual, very physical.
Gemini: thinking about all sides, playful energy, more uncomfortable with emotions.
Cancer: nurturing, emotionally bonding with love, focused on family, trying to please all.
Leo: creative, generous, wanting attention and approval from lots of people, honest.
Virgo: service to others, thinking carefully, wanting precise perfection but struggling to do it.
Libra: relationships, exhibiting harmonious behavior and beauty, decision challenges.
Scorpio: deep and altering changes, inward focused, intense energy underneath the surface.
Sagittarius: looking for truth through enthusiasm, lack of tact, independent, fun-loving at any expense.
Capricorn: structured and responsible, work and discipline, ambitious, learning how to have fun.
Aquarius: group identity and association, philosophical and questioning, harder to take action.
Pisces: healing and sensitive, very receptive to all emotions, losing the ego, less focus.
The interaction of the Sun’s sign with all the other planets in your chart, their signs, and the connections they make with one another all give depth and variety to the infinite combinations of personality, character, relationships, and even fate. These descriptions above just scratch the surface of astrology signs !
Astrology shows that free will and fate can exist together at the same time. Now this topic is typically so deep and mysterious that it can bring on migraine headaches to those who haven’t pondered such concepts before. But this is my take from my zodiac experience: One can have a likely path in life, like a sailboat on the ocean current. But free will allows you to navigate however you want in getting from that first point to the next. Astrology is full of exciting information that can really give great insight into much more than just personality. It is a guidebook and a forecast, that with proper action, can make you proactive about the future in making the best choices for you, rather than passively watching. It’s really a tool to empower you in giving your best in life and applying your strengths to make yourself and all around you the best it can be!
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DGB
The Four Elements (or 'Compass Points')
As I said above, I will use the four directions on a compass -- i.e., 'compass points' -- to illustrate my 'double bi-polarity, mythological-philosophy model here.
1. Direction; a. Basic Element; b. God(s); c. Philosopher/Leader; d. Description/Interpretation/Characteristics; e. Philosopher(s) f. Main Energy
Example
1. North; a. Sky (Air, Heavens, Wind) b. Zeus c. Plato, Copernicus, Galileo, Newton, Kant, Hegel, Nietzsche, (Ruling From Above -- arrogance, power, leadership: Common Horoscope: Leo); or striving to fly -- idealistically ambitious, visionary, abstract, dreamy, head in the clouds, creative, not always very well grounded: Common Horoscope: Pisces); main energy is a 'yang-testosterone-oriented energy'
2. West: a. Fire; b. Aphrodite/Venus/Cupid/Dionysus/Hades/Aries/Athena/Satan; Heraclitus, Schopenhauer, Marx, Lenin, Mao Tse Tung, Stalin, Nietzsche; Passion and fire can be used in either a positive or a negative direction: either bonding people together in emotional passion; and/or blowing people apart in anger, rage, hatred, war, violence...mainly a 'yang, testosterone-oriented aggressive energy' such as fires burning out of control and/or a passionate, romantic energy' such as when fire is used in the control and comfort of a home or campfire...
3. South: a. Ground/Earth/Metal/Wood/Minerals/Vegetables/Plants/Animals/Biology/Nature/Natural Spirituality-Pantheism/Environmental Romanticism/Gaia/Hera/Hephaestus/Demeter/Artemis/Hestia/Aristotle/Spinoza/Schelling/Darwin/Einstein; grounded, loyal, trusting, family-oriented, security and safety-oriented, home-oriented, reluctant to take risks, uncomfortable when they are off the ground...mainly 'yin energy' unless any of these characteristics or qualities above are jeopardized or compromised...
4. East: a. Water/Seas/Oceans/Lakes/Depth/Insight/Poseidon/Apollo/Light/Sun/Moon/Tides/Reason/Tranquility/Peacefulness unless in the context of a hurricane, ocean storm, tidal waves, etc. where it is capable of drowning somebody...mainly a 'yin energy' unless or until this 'water energy' turns aggressive...Descartes, Spinoza, Kant...
The idea here is that we all need a balance between 'being grounded' (earth energy) and 'flying high towards our ideals (sky energy); and between utilizing the 'fire' of warm or hot passionate energy in balance with the 'peace, reason, tranquility, and wisdom of yin water energy' that is not 'pathologized into the aggression and drowning capability of yang water energy' which can happen if we metaphorically try to 'drown someone' (by flooding them with our emotions -- and staying there) and/or by 'drowning ourselves' (i.e., flooding ourselves with emotion -- and staying there).
Once again -- balance -- homeostatic, dialectic, democratic balance is the name of the game.
We all take our individual turns -- traveling to the extreme of one bi-polarity or another at particular points in our lives (some more than others). But the key remains: Can we come back and 'regain our homeostatic-dialectic-democratic balance'?
And live for the most part in peaceful equilibrium?
If we are constantly going off 'one deep end' or another,
Then perhaps we need to better investigate these circumstances,
By asking ourselves,
How?
And why? (without going off the 'deep end of analytic-interpretation' that in itself can take us to the outer stratosphere of abstract space and never bring us back to earth again,
Back to concrete living,
In Gestalt fashion,
Here and now,
I and thou.
Bridging the different Gods -- and 'Anti-Gods' -- between us.
-- dgb, July 25th, 2009.
-- David Gordon Bain
-- Democracy Goes Beyond Narcissism
-- Dialectical Gap-Bridging Negotiations...
-- Are still in process...
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