So, as I have tried to meditate on him, on the one God in our pantheon that is, perhaps, best known of all to those who do not worship him, I have come to understand a few things. All of this personal gnosis, of course, as is this whole blog...
One, that the king of Gods is like a conduit. That we perceive him as king, law giver, and ruler because, in a way, he actually does these things. He is the conduit between the divine sphere, eternal and infinite, with the mortal world, which is limited, finite, and temporary.
That his effect on the world is to cause turmoil. I suspect all the Gods, if they manifest too strong a presence in our mortal universe cause turmoil and chaos. That is to say, they are the pebble thrown into the still pond, or perhaps boulder. But that Zeus' effect is of such that it throws our atmosphere into turmoil, and hence why we associate him (and his manifestations in other cultures and religions) with the storms, the lightning, and the rumbling thunder.
That Zeus, along with the other Gods, is indirectly responsible for life. That the Gods affect the universe in such a way that their very presence is partly what we refer to as natural forces and that those natural forces, interacting as they will under the confining and limiting influences of the universe in which they exist, are responsible for spawning us.
I have not touched upon this, I don't think, but it is part of how I have come to understand the Gods, and through this idea that Zeus is a conduit, it made more sense to me. We tend to think of Gods as beings capable of doing anything, and while that may be true, it is also relative. The gods can do anything, but in relation to the tools at their disposal. The Gods can't turn me into Superman because our universe does not allow for that possibility. In a universe that allows for such a possibility, though, they certainly could, and maybe in one of those universes, they have. Our universe, and every universe, then, is guarded, if you will, by the power of Zeus, by the laws governing its nature, and the Gods are limited, perhaps due to the intervention of Zeus, by the laws the law giver puts in place.
I have also learned to be careful. Personal gnosis is an important part of our evolving religious system, both as Hellenistai and as Pagans, but it is important to not become so arrogant in my personal revelations that Im refuse to listen to others, and perhaps in this, Zeus has been most helpful, for rule is not about being a tyrant, but about hearing what is necessary and acting wisely.
Zeus is often portrayed as something of a tyrant, but I am convinced that is simply not the case.
In the coming week I want to try to explore that, to think on what it means that Zeus, as conduit and King, is not a tyrant, but rather a kindly emperor who allows us our dominion over ourselves, and the freedom to act according to our own conscience and will. But kindly emperor should not be confused with soft touch.
