I remember reading a biography a long time ago where the author said, “Socrates has been thought of as the wisest man on Earth, but he had a primitive mind because he prayed to Pan”. I rejected that statement right off and decided that Socrates was the wisest man on earth and if he prayed to Pan there must be a good reason. So I decided to learn all about Pan. I found out that Socrates was praying to nature; to what is real.
The reason I love the ancient Greeks is that they apply an image and a narrative to people and events. Since studying the ancient Greeks, I have always looked for the gods hidden in events that happen in our world. The Covid19 virus had me stumped until I saw a headline that said “Chinese attempt to spread panic through social media around the covid19 pandemic”. DUH! So it’s my ole friend Pan raising his ugly head. Pan has become translated as all nature. Panic and pandemic are words associated with Pan
There is a Christian tradition that when the heavenly host told the shepherds at Bethlehem of the birth of Christ, there was a deep groan heard through all the isles of Greece that told that the great God Pan was dead and that all the royalty of Olympus was dethroned and that several deities were sent wandering in the cold and darkness. With Pan gone, nature had been deprived of its creative voice.
We have been repressing Pan ever since. Pan represents unbridled nature and we believe it has no place in our so-called civilized world. The virus also represents unbridled nature. There is nothing foreign about this virus. It belongs here on earth with us. But because we have set ourselves against nature it has turned into a powerful enemy. Pan has brought us to our knees wanting us to stop the carnage of his earth. So what is the best way to deal with this Pandemic? How do we honor Pan?
Stopping pollution and becoming more conscious of the earth will satisfy Pan. I think a more earth-friendly humanity is what Pan wants to see.
There are pictures on the internet about how clean the air is now and how the animals are entering into cities. Pan is happy with all of that. Don’t for one minute think the gods have been dethroned. They are stronger than ever because they now reside in our unconscious. As C. G. Jung stated, the gods have become our diseases. So let’s bring all the gods of Olympus back to be honored.
Let’s honor Pan by growing gardens, taking care of the animals, and appreciating the natural beauty around us.
Stay well,
Janet Kane