These stories, over time, brought tranquility to people, showing them that their distressing feelings and intimate issues were shared as well. by others and so they understood that they were not alone and that their fears, conflicts and aspirations were understandable and normal.
Myths and legends had the function of guiding to the depths of the soul, bringing together the common understanding, emotions and challenges of each of the stages of life, which we all face. In this way, internal conflicts were alleviated and life acquired a greater and deeper meaning.
The ancients, linked to Nature and the seasons, soon realized that in the firmament they could find a natural “calendar” that would help them mark time. Soon they began to project their own psychological attributes into the sky, establishing the relationship between the microcosm (the spiritual and psychological world of human beings) and the macrocosm (the Universe). Thus, the myths departed from the human psyche and populated the skies with figures, visions and meanings.
Each constellation (groupings of stars on the celestial sphere, which ancient astronomers imagined to form figures of people, animals or objects) was more prominent in the sky at a certain time of year, helping to identify the seasons.
Let's analyze the myths that underlie the formation of astrological signs. It is interesting to observe that the origins of the signs seem to refer to a distant time, perhaps born in the pre-cultural context of the populations that were dedicated to grazing and, later, to agriculture. It should be noted that the seasons refer to the Northern Hemisphere, as these studies originate from this part of the globe.
Aries – March 21 to April 20
On March 21st, the Sun enters the constellation of Aries. It is the beginning of the spring equinox, the season of Nature's awakening. The creative force explodes and spreads in all directions, disorderly. Aries is full of vital energy and fecund. Probably, when the ancients observed their flocks, they noticed the masculine qualities of rams and associated the animal with the stylized figure in the heavens.
In Greek mythology, the symbology most appropriate to the archetypal meaning of Aries is the story of the Golden Fleece and the Expedition of the Argonauts.
Young Frissus and his sister Helles, being mistreated by their stepmother, asked the gods for help, and received a ram whose "wool" (also called fleece, fleece or fleece) was made of gold, which would help them. them to escape. The brothers climbed onto the ram's back, which soon rose into the air, however, Heles fell asleep during the journey, falling into the sea and dying (the place where she fell became known as "Helespont", today called Dardanelles, a strait in northwest Turkey. ). Frissus managed to reach the kingdom of Colchis (eastern shore of the Black Sea), where he was received by the country's own king, Etes. Frissus sacrificed the ram in honor of Zeus (the most important god of the Greek pantheon) and offered the golden fleece to Etes, which was placed in a cave, under the guard of a dragon that never slept. Frisso had to face other tests, and ends up dying when he falls off a cliff.
In this myth, we see psychological symbols that refer to the astrological meaning of Aries. Frisso's ascent to the skies represents the impetus of separation from the one who generated him, an escape that takes place through the tremendous instinctive and psychic energy represented by the flying ram. Heles, his sister, is Frisso's feminine side, expressing the eagerness to find another protection or certainties, but due to her own inconstancy she weakens along the way, demonstrating that he doesn't know how to let himself be carried away by his own destiny. Frisso saves himself, but he loses part of his own soul, the feminine component, and so his masculine side becomes inflated, disproportionate. Frisso is the energy that frees itself from the obstacle, but casts panic. The Arian seems to express courage and audacity, but fear and anguish are present in him.
Jason is also a victim of fear and anguish. In the myth of the Argonauts, Aeson, king of Thessaly (region of Greece), passed the kingdom to his brother, Pelias, who should rule until his son Jason reached the age of majority. When Jason went to claim the crown from his uncle, Pelias pretended to be willing to hand it over, but proposed that Jason go first to get the Golden Fleece in Colchis, saying it belonged to the family. Jason sets out in search of the fleece on the ship Argo, with a crew (known as Argonauts) made up of several Greek heroes. In Colchis, King Aethes agrees to give Jason the golden fleece, but he has to win some tests. With the help of the sorceress Medea (who falls in love with Jason), the golden fleece is recovered and the Argonauts return to their homeland. Jason later betrays Medea, who reacts violently by killing the woman Jason loved and then the children.
This myth constitutes the disruption of order and conditioning. Jason's courage, initiative and boldness express the qualities of Aries. However, like Frissus, Jason separates himself from his soul (Medea), inflating instinct to the detriment of conscience and the Self. Jason's successes are due not to his conscious ability, but to a woman's magic. The feminine identifies with the Shadow, which dominates Jason, the virile archetype of Aries. The Medea-Jason union unravels through sacrifice, holocaust, and death. This is the passionate aspect of the Aries zodiac sign.. If the Aries individual wants to maintain a total balance in a harmonious synthesis, he must necessarily go through the sacrifices that evolution imposes.
References
“Astrologia e Mito” – R. Sicuteri – Editora Pensamento – São Paulo – 1978;
“The Golden Book of Mythology” – T. Bulfinch – Ediouro – São Paulo – 1999.
