by Myth is the game of the creative imagination enlightening the divine in the human
The theme of planetary mythological attributions has always been considered an essential element to understanding the personal meaning that the planet expresses for the individual. Unfortunately, the data lacks any information to enlighten us as to what links the Olympic events to the procession of the planets.
The study of mythology cannot fail to take into consideration the etymology of the word itself, the μῦϑος (mythos), narration or word handed down orally. According to Plato, myth reveals to us an approximation of reality but made out of the need to make poetic, symbolic and aesthetic what exceeds the possibilities of human vision. One cannot dwell on the historical derivations and borrowings to which Greek mythology is linked – think of the Indo-European origin of many linguistic roots. But what is essential to observe is that a culture bearing the title of “traditional” has constantly developed a series of narratives, following its specific way of expressing itself, which all refer to making available most of those concepts that go beyond immanent experience. Greek mythology is no exception, and, for obvious historical and geographical reasons, it is the one that has established itself in a pre-eminent way on the horizon of Western thought.
A conception of astrology that seeks to demonstrate its scientific accuracy does not go very far towards the solution of our argument since it presupposes a separation between the observer and the phenomenon, making objective a fact that is instead an integral part of a unitary process. Astrology is based on the pure intuition of a reality in which tangible vision – in this case, the celestial sphere as it appears from the terrestrial observatory – and subjective perception combined with mental processes help build the foundations of our experiential reality. Then it becomes possible to affirm that the sky (what is above) is none other than our internal organisation (what is below), which appears outside because we live in a dualistic environment. It does not mean that there is no reality, but that the observer’s awareness is an integral part of reality itself.
The astrological sky is made up of rhythms and relationships between the different planetary actors. And it is precisely this dance that, far from having a meaning of its own, becomes the show on which our interiority, supported by creative imagination, weaves the plot of divine adventures, plays in giving the world a sense formed by relationships embodied in the Olympic events. With its range of celestial representations, myth finds in astrology an ordering principle that allows it to project itself – and therefore to unite in essence – to the contents of our consciousness. Astrology thus becomes a sign, a symbol – a fabulous tale – which explores reality no longer in a distinct and one-sided way but as part of a representation of which we are both interpreters and creators.
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