Hercules, or Heracles in Greek, was one of the greatest figures of the ancient mythic world. He was seen as an amalgamation of many different heroes, relying on brute strength and his trusty club, and was generally at a loss when a problem required more than simply force for its solution.

A quintessential solar hero, Hercules battles with the monsters of the world sent by the spiteful Hera who wants to crush him at every turn. And yet, the two of them, Hera and Heracles, are forever linked to each other. Heracles, after all, means 'Glory of Hera'.

In this episode we will use the opposition between these two to look at the astrological archetypal tension between the Sun: our shining golden light of the spirit in its quest for individuation, and Saturn: the blocks and limits that get in our way.

The exploration then moves into the first three labours of Hercules: Wrestling an enormous lion; becoming entangled in a swamp snake; and tracking a deer with golden antlers for a full calendar year. These tasks align with the Zodiac signs of Leo, Cancer and Virgo respectively and teach us about our own sacred process of individuation.

This is the first of a series of episodes on Hercules. His stories are vivd and filled with archetypal information, each monster representing elements of our consciousness that challenge us to move into the essence of who we are here to become.

Cover Art: Peter Paul Rubens

Podcast Musician: Marlia Coeur
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