When I think of "passion," I think of the primal impetus to make something happen- a kind of need, where if you don't get to do this or pursue your true course your entire body vibrates with anger at the denial.
I think of Mars. I've mentioned his origin story here before, but it was mostly about Juno and how She brought Him into the world. Basically: Juno wanted a child, she took a certain flower, inseminated herself with it, and Mars was born. Tonight is more about Mars Himself.
In Roman lore, He was more bent on bloodshed than on war itself, the latter was just a means to achieve the former. However, He started out as a God of the land and fertility. I think that within his origin story we find something akin to what I'm talking about: His "father" was a flower, therefore He was a God of vegetation. Makes sense. But if we go deeper into the symbolism of the story, we find that Juno, in her drive to conceive a child, makes it happen (for the most part) on Her own. Her drive, Her need, Her passion was so great, that Mars was born out of will power and desire. He is the embodiment of this drive.
He is the embodiment of that which makes the seed seek the light. He is represented in the first sign of the zodiac- the beginning, the drive to live. The first house of the zodiac is about early childhood and establishing roots, just like the seed. Also similar to the first chakra, which is about survival and the right to be and to have. It also correlates to the color red, a color associated with Mars. Some say the red is for the bloodshed He enjoys. I think it is the same red of Passion. The kind that gets your blood going.
Looks like I'm not the only one of this opinion. Aside from wiki conjecture, evidence remains of pre-Roman practices regarding this fertility deity and the will to be: The Brotherhood of Arvales sang and danced the following to ensure the health and prosperity of their people (Note that is a name associated with Mars, or at least His Sabine counterpart)
Oh! Help us, ye Household Gods!
Oh! Help us, ye Household Gods!
Oh! Help us, ye Household Gods!
And let not bane and bale, O Marmor, assail more folk!
And let not bane and bale, O Marmor, assail more folk!
And let not bane and bale, O Marmor, assail more folk!
Be full satisfied, fierce Mars, Leap the threshold! Halt! Beat the ground!
Be full satisfied, fierce Mars, Leap the threshold! Halt! Beat the ground!
Be full satisfied, fierce Mars, Leap the threshold! Halt! Beat the ground!
By turns address all the Half-Gods.
By turns address all the Half-Gods.
By turns address all the Half-Gods.
Oh! Help us, Marmor!
Oh! Help us, Marmor!
Oh! Help us, Marmor!
Bound, Bound, and Bound again!
Bound, Bound, and Bound again!
Translated by Frances Bernstein
This dovetails nicely with my recent Hail to Venus! While searching for a picture of this pair, the 80s song "Don't disturb this groove" popped into my head and I just didn't know how this could ever be a theme song for Them. Of course, I had to listen to it and right there in the lyrics we find this:On a mountain, by a fountain
Flowers blooming everywhere
With Venus and Cupid the picture's very clear....
LOL! Yes! Wisdom from the 80s! Hope you enjoy this divinely inspired song virus!
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