After some time of unusual introspection and restraint, Hercules sets off on his fourth task: tracking down the Erymanthion Boar. The boar is the wild and uncontrollable side of nature. By taking a side road and visiting the centaur Pholus on the way to the boar, Hercules convinces the centaur to open a sealed jar of Dionysian wine. And with that, all hell breaks loose.

This sets off the chain of events that leads to the wounding of our beloved healer, centaur and guide, Chiron. His animal side now wounded, he reflects our current state in the civilised world. And our current quest - to rediscover the beauty of animal consciousness.

The movement from the deer to the boar also brings into focus the tension between Artemis (goddess of the hunt) and Aphrodite (goddess of sensual pleasure). Although both deer and boar are sacred to Artemis, the boar is associated with Aphrodite due to her tragic love affair with Adonis who was speared by a boar (who was actually Apollo, Artemis' twin (yes the Greek myths are like this!)).

The jar of Dionysian wine is symbolic of delighting in the senses. Sealed for four generations, once it's opened the animal side that has been repressed breaks free and causes absolute chaos. So what are we to do? Keep the jar sealed and stay safe but overly controlled? Or open it up and take the consequences of unbridled wildness?

It brings forth a conversation around addictive processes. Something that I discuss with Brice Hancock from Mile High Recovery in Colorado. That conversation is coming soon to the podcast.

Episode Artwork: Hercules fighting against the Centaurs, 1542 by Hans Beham

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