Blavatsky Blogger
Taking Theosophical
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Dionysus
Dionysus
is the god of the vine. He invented wine and spread the art of tending grapes.
He has a dual nature. On the one hand bringing joy and divine ecstasy.
On the
other brutal, unthinking, rage. Thus, reflecting both sides of wines nature. If
he chooses Dionysus can drive a man mad. No normal fetters can hold him or his
followers.
Dionysus
is the son of Zeus and Semele. He is the only god to have a mortal parent. Zeus
came to Semele in the night, invisible, felt only as a divine
presence.
Semele was pleased to be a lover of a god, even though she did not know which
one. Word soon got around and Hera quickly assumed who was responsible. Hera
went to Semele in disguise and convinced her she should see her lover as he
really was. When Zeus next came to her she made him promise to grant her one
wish. She went so far as to make him swear on the River
he would
grant her request. Zeus was madly in love and agreed. She then asked him to
show her his true form. Zeus, was unhappy, and knew what would happen but,
having sworn he had no choice. He appeared in his true form and Semele was
instantly
burnt to a crisp by the sight of his glory.
Zeus did
manage to rescue Dionysus and stitched him into his thigh to hold him until he
was ready to be born. His birth from Zeus alone conferred immortality upon him.
Dionysus
problems with Hera were not yet over. She was still jealous and arranged for
the Titans to kill him. The Titans ripped him into to pieces.
However,
Rhea brought him back to life. After this Zeus arranged for his protection and
turned him over the mountain nymphs to be raised.
Dionysus
wandered the world actively encouraging his cult. He was accompanied by the
Maenads, wild women, flush with wine, shoulders draped with a fawn skin, carrying
rods tipped with pine cones.
While
other gods had temples the followers of Dionysus worshipped him in the woods.
Here they might go into mad states where they would rip apart and eat raw any
animal they came upon.
Dionysus
is also one of the very few that was able to bring a dead person out of the
underworld. Even though he had never seen Semele he was concerned for her.
Eventually
he journeyed into the underworld to find her. He faced down Thanatos and
brought her back to
Dionysus
became one of the most important gods in everyday life. He became associated
with several key concepts. One was rebirth after death. Here his
dismemberment
by the Titans and return to life is symbolically echoed in tending vines, where
the vines must be pruned back sharply, and then become dormant in winter for
them to bear fruit. The other is the idea that under the influence of
wine, one
could feel possessed by a greater power. Unlike the other gods Dionysus was not
only outside his believers but, also within them. At these
times a
man might be greater then himself and do works he otherwise could not.
The festival
for Dionysus is in the spring when the leaves begin to reappear on the vine. It
became one of the most important events of the year. Its focus
became the
theater. Most of the great Greek plays were initially written to be performed
at the feast of Dionysus. All who took part writers, actors,
spectators
were regarded as scared servants of Dionysus during the festival.
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Taking Theosophical
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