The Dioscuri Part 2

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Introduction to Part 2

This is the second installment of our investigation of the Gemini constellation. In Part 1, we examined the formation’s astronomical, astrological, and etymological aspects. Astronomically, we discussed Gemini’s position in the sky, and the names and characteristics of it’s two main stars, Castor and Pollux. Astrologically, we discussed its months, the names of its two stars, and established the meaning of Gemini. As we began, we realized that the astrological and etymological meanings of Gemini go HAND IN HAND, with the entire purpose of this article. Therefore, a whole section was dedicated to the meaning of the word. The fact that Gemini means “twins,” or “two,” or “double,” or “to repeat,” etc., is of great interest to us, and, the astrological meaning also apprehends our attention. Are they connected? If so, what is the outcome in the human mind? Is the Gemini etymology applied to the minds/brains of the ones born under its sun? Or is it just fable and hopeful divination? Let us read about Castor and Pollux and find out.

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The opening paragraph of Part 1 discusses how one of our newer operatives had brilliantly intercepted the communications of the fatuous revolutionaries when they tried to hijack the zodiac. Here is a section of a letter from myself, to the commanding officer of one of our nearby detachments (we cannot name said officer or detachment).

…………While being a brilliant and creative individual, and a good fit for the team, he did display some behaviors that would would warrant him to be “looked into.” The information we received, about his mental health, which he “forgot” to disclose to recruiting, utterly fascinated us. Everything we have observed about his temperament, high intelligence, and creativity, makes perfect sense now, and we know exactly what to do with him. Thank you, Sir, for everything you’ve done to support us. We have his permission to publish this section of the letter, though, he wishes the rest of the letter and the data points therein to remain unreleased. Like you, Sir, we wish the Author was finished and fully operational. Is there any way we can help wi…………

See “About”—>The Author; the opening paragraph of The Dioscuri Part 1

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Part 2

As we already know, Castor and Pollux are the names given to the two main stars of Gemini, in Greek (which is the precursor to western) astrology. Castor and Pollux are a pair of twins (one mortal and one immortal) who attained divinity through certain circumstances that happened towards the end of their saga. In Greek, they are known as Kastor and Polydeukes; in French, they are Castor and Polydeuces. The names were Latinized to Castor and Pollux, and they are known, collectively, as the Dioscuri, which came from the Greek, Dioskouroi, which means “the youths of Zeus,” or, “the sons of Zeus.”

The Dioscuri, collectively, were half immortal. Castor, being born of Leda and Tyndareus, King of Sparta, was mortal, while Pollux, born of Leda and Zeus, was immortal. Legend has it, on the same night Castor was conceived (Leda and King Tyndareus), Zeus, in the form of a swan, seduced Leah, conceiving Pollux. They were born in an egg in one famous version of the story. The twins were also skilled horsemen, and Pollux an unmatched boxer, though, some sources state CASTOR was the skilled horseman, versus the two, collectively.

Castor and Pollux were the patron gods of many aspects, until their Christianization over the first few centuries CE. They were the gods of horses and equitation, sailing, and warfare. In ancient Greece, the twins’ iconography often depicted the pair, or just Castor, on a horseback. Sailors would often check the visibility of their stars in the sky prior to embarking, determining favorable or contrary winds. Warriors in battle, in very dangerous, life-threatening situations (same for sailors at sea), would pray to the Dioscuri. The lives being spared in battle, or the winds being calmed at sea would be credited to the twins. At times they would appear to people in person, in the the form of St. Elmo’s fire.

The Dioscuri had their place in ancient Greek literature. They accompanied Meleager in the hunt for the Calydonian boar. They helped Jason and the Argonauts in their successful search for the golden fleece, and, in this tale, Pollux outboxes the famously strong King of Berbyces. Arriving back to Greece, the twins aided Jason in taking revenge against Pelias, King of Iolcus, by destroying the city.

Following, are the events that caused the twins to become gods. These are the “precursors before the precursors” of the Trojan War, as this tale takes place before the scope of Homer’s Iliad. Helen (Helen of Troy), sister to the Dioscuri, daughter of King Tyndareus, was abducted by the King of Attica, Theseus. The twins invaded Attica, recovered Helen, and also apprehended the king’s mother, making her a slave to Helen. Castor and Pollux fell in love with the nieces (or daughters, depending on what source you read) of Leucippus, Phoebe and Hilaeira, the consorts of their cousins, Ida and Lynceus. The two nieces were collectively known as the the Leucippides. The twins abducted them, starting a family feud, and brought them back to Sparta. The cousins of the twins attacked Arcadia, to recover the Leucippides, and stole a herd of cattle from the Dioscuri. At a later point, the cousins were visiting their uncle, and the Dioscuri, Helen, and Paris were there. The twins, seeing the opportunity to reclaim their cattle, left their uncle’s. A time later, the cousins departed, leaving Helen and Paris alone (this eventually led to the Trojan War), to confront the twins. The cousins caught the twins reclaiming their cattle, and Idas (we found two versions of this account) mortally wounded Castor, while Pollux killed Lynceus. As Idas was about to kill Pollux (he’s immortal…..???), Zeus saved him by killing Idas with a thunderbolt. Pollux, afterwards, asked Zeus to grant half his immortality to Castor, thus, turning them into the Gemini constellation, together, alternating between Olympus and Hades.

Another version of the saga has virtually the same series of events, but with a different ending. During the final battle between the cousins and the Dioscuri, Idas KILLS Castor, Pollux kills Lynceus, and Zeus, out of vengeance, kills Idas with a thunderbolt. After being asked by Pollux to bring Castor back to life, Zeus gives the former a choice: he can either fully keep his immortality and fully dwell in Mt. Olympus, or, he can grant half his immortality to Castor, thus, them alternating between Olympus, and Hades.

One of our sources alludes to a sort of “confusion,” as to the mortal/immortal status of the Dioscori. In Homer’s Iliad, they are referred to as the Tyndaridae. Tyndaridae, as we know, is taken from the name, Tyndareus, who, is the father of Castor, the mortal one of the two. It seems odd that that title would be ascribed to the twins collectively, knowing Pollux’s immortality. In Homer’s Odyssey, they alternate each day one alive, one dead. Pindar says they share their immortality, alternating, one on Mt. Olympus, one in Hades.

The mental disorder that confirmed the temperament of our beloved, genius, new, operative is manic-depressive illness, or, bipolar disorder. Having little to no knowledge or experience with this illness of mind, we set ourselves to do some research on this matter. Possessing a generic understanding about this disease of the mind, we went off to handle the “zodiac chaos” the sophomoric rebels had stirred up. With the constellations in mind, and the genius of our newer colleague, we had an “epiphany” of sorts. The little we had learned about bipolar disorder, along with the “stock” knowledge of the Gemini constellation (twins), our minds were set alight, to learn more about this mental disease, Gemini, and the ones born under its sun.

As most of us know (subjective as to who believes), according to all the generic astrology definitions, Geminis are known to be high energy, talkative, intense, passionate like fire, two natures, perhaps, very intelligent, mind on overdrive at all times, intellectual, etc. They seem to be of the type of extreme experiencing of moods. When they feel happy, they are elated; when they feel sad, they are utterly in the blackness; when they feel a sense of awe towards a beauty of some kind, they want to take it with them, be a part of it, recreate it (artists are in this class, we believe). When the Gemini receives inspiration about something, like an artistic endeavor, business endeavor, ANY kind of venture, usually as the result of learning something about a particular aspect that causes them to learn the value of said aspect, their passion ignites, sending them full board into the subject, learning, and spending the needed money, to fulfill this new venture. It seems this can be detrimental to the Gemini. They can be too intelligent and too intense for most. Their minds being in constant motion and their unending flood of ideas can be very copious, leaving them to often feel alienated, hurt, misunderstood, and confused as to what the condition of their minds could actually be.

The whole of Part 1 and Part 2 had been a culmination leading up to this moment. We know the “Gemini traits” detailed above and in Part 1 dont apply to every soul born under Gemini. It would be ludicrous to think that and to attempt to generalize one specific group of people. Tamarins on the other hand, we can generalize all we want. They must be stopped. Them and their little mustaches.

Did anything go through your mind as you read the paragraph before last? Perhaps, as you were apprehending those words, your thoughts were saying, “they’re describing bipolar disorder!” The culmination of all the traits of Geminis we have learned about over the years; the information and the misinformation, as one has a balanced sense of saving what makes sense, throwing out what doesn’t; it seems the description of the Gemini, and the saga of Castor and Pollux, is a metaphorical description of the bipolar mind.

The wonderful, terrible, brilliant, fierce, wildly passionate, inspiring highs. The horrible, sordid, blackened, all engulfing, all enveloping, melancholic, death just a step away lows. They are a force to be reckoned with. Mix the two mood states together (mixed episode), and you have a concoction of disaster. Its often talked about, in poetry and literature, spiritual and secular, the contrast of the highs and lows, and the comparing them to day and night. Light and darkness; life and death. We hear about fire representing mania; ice, then, must refer to depression, which makes sense.

Castor and Pollux, being twins, represent the “twin personalities” within us. One conceived of earth (two humans) versus one conceived of spirit (human and spirit), can be a representation of the two different “poles.” Maybe one is the mania/depression, and the other is the normal state? We hear that people with the “bipolar mind” are sensitive to the spirit world. Can that be the manic side? Could that be represented by Pollux, him being spirit, or born of spirit? The final battle, and their destiny is obvious. Both of them alternating between Mt. Olympus (mania; high) and Hades (depression; darkness; underworld). We also see the “death” and “resurrection” of Castor, after that final battle. If death equals depressive episode, then what do the other elements of the story represent?

There are other stories and aspects of life that touch on how these moods work: The death and resurrection (rebirth) cycle: Jesus Christ, the phoenix, and the story of Osiris. Jesus Christ spends three days in the underworld before resurrecting. The phoenix spends three days charred, and as a worm before rising from the ashes in its new form. Osiris is raised from the dead by the hand of his wife Isis, to conceive Horus. Osiris is associated with death, resurrection, and the rebirth cycle, along with the cycle of the seasons, which, have that same death/resurrection, rebirth paradigm. There is also the poem by St. John of the Cross, The Dark Night of the Soul. Its often said that the dark night refers to lowness of moods, or the terrible depressive episodes. In the ancient writings of the Apostle John, Nicodemus approaches Jesus IN THE NIGHT to receive information, or knowledge.

The whole cycle and meaning of life, as articulated by nature, is fully contained, experienced, and expressed, in the bipolar mind. If winter, with its longer “darknesses” and shorter days; its terrible frigidness and death of the land, represents the depressive episodes, then summer must represent full blown mania with its fire, and heat and beauty. The spring is the “rebirth.” Does that mean that there is a regular rebirth in the bipolar mind no one speaks of? If all of this “spiritual algebra” is true, what does fall represent? We would love to see everyone’s thoughts in the comments. Thank you for reading!

-TMR

Bibliography

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