In This Issue
Jane Ellen wrote in:
Why are men said to come from Mars rather than another planet or a different god?
Spirit: Because Mars is closer to humanity than the other western gods. They tend to be more transcendent and fixed in their nature
And if you look deeply, you can see that Mar’s career is evocative of male history in general: Originally, Mars was worshiped as a fertility god; and later – with the development of agriculture – he also became known as the protector of cattle. It wasn’t until the Roman Empire began to take shape that Mars became the God of War.
Of course, men’s gift of fertility was built into their physical design, as well as their role as providers and protectors of the species.
Yet, it wasn’t until the beginning of civilization that they evolved from hunters to warriors. Then, as chiefs of state, they brought forth their gift of ‘Ethos’ – or group ethical behavior in the form of law and order. The way Mars ruled his army – which included the ritual purification of weapons – is an example of this.
Jane Ellen: What was the spiritual significance of the weapons ritual?
Spirit: It meant that the men were to cleanse their heart of any previous bloodshed, and strengthen it once again to face the Enemy.
Jane Ellen: That is a fascinating description of why men connect with Mars. Yet, wasn’t he also a notorious philanderer and egotist?
Spirit: He was those things also. And he does carry the archetype of the Eternal Youth. Eternal Youths generally hold onto their brash sense of entitlement that says they don’t really need to grow up.
Jane Ellen: What about Mars relationship with Venus? And why has it come to symbolize the relationship between men and women?
Spirit: He was her Conquering Hero; and she was his Goddess of Love. That’s what attracted them to one another – and still does.
The Mars in men is still looking for the Goddess of Love in the woman he partnered with; and the Venus in women is still looking for the Hero she fell for in her man.
Jane Ellen wrote in:
Why are women said to come from Venus rather than a different goddess?
Spirit: Not unlike Mars, Venus’s career is closer to women’s history under the rule of patriarchy than that of other goddesses. In fact, her role as a goddess began to take shape during the time of Julius Caesar. Before then, her domain was limited to cultivated plants and gardens. Caesar elevated her status by connecting her to Aphrodite, the Greek Goddess of Love. He also increased women’s status by elevating them to the level of true partnership with men – not in a civil sense – but in the home. So, Venus – as the symbol of feminine identity, evolved into the goddess of domestic life in addition to her other roles.
Under Christian influence, her body style evolved from the voluptuous women portrayed in classical art to the image of the slender maiden portrayed with such eloquence in Botticelli’s famous work: “The Birth of Venus”.
Jane Ellen: Why did the Christian church care what size women were?
Spirit: They wanted women to be more chaste; and to look up to men in the way a Youthful Maiden would, rather than embody the Great Mother archetype whose size and weight suggested greater authority.
Though no longer chaste, the ideal feminine in contemporary culture is still associated with the beauty of the Youthful Maiden; while the Eternal Youth in men is typically associated with his attitude toward life more than his age.
Jane Ellen: Isn’t that unfair to women?
Spirit: Yes; it’s a holdover from chauvinism that needs revising.
Jane Ellen: How do these archetypes impact the overall relationship between men and women?
Spirit: It makes the ideal relationship more youth oriented: In a positive sense, that can mean remaining young at heart. In a negative sense, it can create an undertow of immature expectations and disappointment in one another that can destroy their love connection.
Jane Ellen: How do we evolve beyond the limitations of these archetypes?
Spirit: By honoring what they have to teach us; by coming to terms with their shadow; and by creating a New Mythology of Love based on the return to Source.