Why Learning about Greek Mythology is Important by Emma Bova

Whether you're learning, or just going about every day life, Greek culture always seems to pop up everywhere we look. A lot of our English culture is based upon the ways of the ancient Greeks and Greek mythology, and some people may ask "why? They're just some silly myths." Greek myths are epic tales about Gods and Goddesses. They are meant to reveal a lesson, moral, or even warning in the end. They often reflect on humanity in the form of a parable. Rarely do they have a happy ending, and they are not exactly written for entertainment. They are written for a higher more important purpose, and are used to pass down lessons without being boring.

          Greeks myths were often told to people to help them realize what is right versus what is wrong. They are meant to help people control or influence their decisions. They are meant to serve as a warning and to inspire the reader not to make the same mistake as of the character in the myth. They may not be the most realistic, but they still portray a message and reflect on human life; then and now. The irony is, people often still choose the wrong thing to do and have to learn their lesson the hard way.

         By learning Greek mythology, one is not only learning about the culture of another country, but they can also apply this information and compare and contrast it to the cultural ideas of their own country. After all, a lot of our language and culture is based off of the Greeks. For example, government, art, many worldly languages, and ways of every day life. From a behavioral standpoint, it is interesting because even thought these myths were written thousands and thousands of years ago, by writers like Sophocles and Euripides, they still are an accurate representation of how humans act in the present day, and they captured humanity very well to the point where an abundance of stories are still relevant today.

The Way In Which Beauty Is Perceived by Owen Welsh

You've heard it all before, "beauty is in the eye of the beholder" or "everyone has different tastes" or "why are you asking me all these questions." Most people just take these to mean that people's ideas of beauty differ from other's preferences, but I propose that this saying stems from the idea of Siren's Song. The Siren's Song is in essence a song in which the Siren convince the listener, usually a sailor, that they're unique and a hero to the Siren and thus convinces the listener to go and try to find them, drowning in the process. Now I like being called a hero as much as the next guy, but I don't think I'd be willing to dive into the ocean for someone I can't even see, so I must imagine that the Sirens were in full view of the sailors. These sailors were all ruffians and scoundrels, but everyone varies in taste about looks so I doubt that one single Siren would be able to woo over many men, unless that Siren's appearance changed in accordance with the viewers tastes.

So if the Siren does change her looks to be more appealing doesn't that mean her beauty is in the eye of the beholder? But what is beauty in it's most raw form? Going off of the Greek idea, Aphrodite would be the most beautiful person in existence, and Paris of Troy confirms that by choosing her as the most beautiful person. But if you take people's personal tastes into account does that mean Aphrodite also shifted looks much like the Siren's, or did she stay in a form that every single person found universally appealing? I would guess that since she is a deity after all, that she appears to be the same to each person, but everyone can agree that her form is beautiful even if they aren't attracted to it.

Now it comes to decision time, is there a universally appealing form or does taste always factor in, I would say that there must be someone that is recognizable as the most beautiful but that does not mean every person is attracted to her/him. Perhaps that's what the Greeks thought about Aphrodite, that she is by far the most beautiful but not the most appealing to someone's particular tastes. But then a conundrum comes up, if a Siren disguises herself to look amazing, does that not mean what Aphrodite may have done by changing her form makes her as low as mere monster? Imagine a god being reduced to using the tactics of a mere monster, just to sway some man over to her side, using the same tricks as a succubus. I doubt that Aphrodite would ever be able to face the other Gods if she did that for every single one of her romantic endeavors, so it's more likely that she retains the same appearance for the most part. While I believe each person has their own opinion on how the perfect person would look, I do believe that their probably is someone out there that I could justifiably say is more beautiful than anyone else in the world.

An Artist's rendition of a Siren.

The Alchemical and Rosicrucian Compendium and Rosicrucian Mythology by Simon Levien

The Rosicrucian order is an organization that spans nearly 20 languages and operates internationally--you would assume by its intercontinental nature it's an NGO. Instead, this organization is among the unconventional and the bizarre. The Rosicrucians are members of a fraternity/secret society known as Rosicrucianism. The fraternity, Rosicrucianism, is a philosophical and religious group sharing elements of mythology, alchemy, Christianity, and of course, with all secret societies, a relation to the Freemasons. Their symbol is the rosy cross (pictured below) and is designed in the drift of hermeticism--a series of esoteric religious beliefs founded upon the writings of Hermes Trismegistus, a mystic who is responsible for studying and expanding astrology. However unlike other modern clandestine fraternities, Rosicrucianism places a heavier emphasis on mythology. Rosicrucians focus on the idea of self in their religious studies along with the spiritual combination of mythological creatures and their influence in life. At its core, Rosicrucianism is a syncrestic religion, meaning it draws from multiple other religious beliefs. However, the monsters the traditional Rosicrucians believe in are original to the Rosicrucianism.

The Rosicrucian mythology is held within a 1760 manuscript-anthology known as The Alchemical and Rosicrucian Compendium crafted by an unknown author in the transient period before the French Revolution where Robespierre's Cult of the Supreme Being, an enlightenment-era philosophical and religious movement (if anyone still remembers from world history last year), would take inspiration from.
The manuscript contains colored sketches of two-tailed lions, a dissected dragon, three-headed mystical pythons, etc. Its difficult to put into words the nature of these beings. Pictured below are four of these bizarre creatures. 

Most people are accustomed to traditional mythologies (Greek, Roman, Egyptian, etc.) however upon viewing of the mythological creatures in this compendium, the differences between esoteric cultures and more studied and practiced religions become definite. Take Hercules' Hydra in Roman mythology for example. Everyone has heard of the Lernean Hydra and how it was one of Hercules' (or Heracles as the Achaeans referred to him) 12 labors. Hydra, the multi-headed, fire-breathing dragon is a classic and simple myth. In contrast the occult Rosicrucian "python" (see picture) is completely absurd (and that is certainly the most ridiculous of the images in the compendium that I could find). It looks as if a child drew it taking inspiration from his/her creative daydreams. However, these absurd other-worldly creatures have yet to be substantiated by the Rosicrucian Order for the knowledge of nonbelievers looking in. Instead, the Rosicrucians that remain (there are few in number, Rosicrucianism's hay day of the 18th century is long gone) point towards the Rosicrucian sacred texts such as The Alchemical and Rosicrucian Compendium. These Rosicrucian writings open a Pandora's box of arcane and outlandish beasts. Many of these monsters and myths have fallen away into the obscurity of an obscure cult. Yet, these monsters still hold to be venerable and historic symbols for thriving Rosicrucians today. 


(Sorry for how the pictures are strewn, I can't seem to format the pictures properly.)