Dionysus

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International

A Different Interpretation of the Legend of Dionysus

Dionysus

“ There are a number of stories in existence about Dionysus' birth. He is supposed to be the son of the Greco-Roman supreme God Zeus and his mistress Semele. … When just a baby. He was ripped to pieces by the Titans as an act of revenge. Only his heart was saved. … In any event, he was born again, thus fulfilling the criterion of the Divine Child. … He is usually pictured carrying a thyrsus—a staff covered in pine cones, ivy leaves and vines, which are all plants sacred to him. When Dionysus grew up he discovered how to cultivate the vine and how to extract the fruit's precious juice. … Rhea, mother of Zeus, taught him her religious rites, thus healing him; he then set out on a journey through Asia teaching people the cultivation of the vine.” ~Bernard Simon

Dionysus and Symbols

Dionysus is often considered to be a god of grapes and wine, but that is a superficial interpretation. His story is one full of spiritual symbolism, and understanding that symbolism gives us a very different story.

Dionysus: Birth and Rebirth

The tale of Dionysus being killed by the Titans, the evil gods that ruled before the Olympians, is symbolic of the death of the physical body.

Dionysus and the Soul

The fact that his heart was saved is symbolic of the survival of the eternal spirit and soul. Many ancient civilization related the heart with the soul, but the story is really saying that his soul survived.

Dionysus and Rebirth

Thus rebirth is not about zombies coming back to life in their physical bodies, but about the spirit and soul surviving physical death.

Dionysus and the Thyrsus

Dionysus is said to have carried a Thyrsus on his travels, but some artists depict him with a crown of vines, grapes, and pine cones instead. In both cases, the symbolism is the same.

Dionysus and Pine Cones

The pine cone is often used as a symbol of the pineal gland, which is associated with spiritual awakening and enlightenment. It is also a symbol of everlasting life.

Dionysus and Connections

Ivy and other vines are symbolic of connections because of the way the vines interweave with each other and wrap around other things. They are also symbolic of binding because it binds to trees, buildings, and other things.

We Are Connected

It is a teaching of most spiritual schools that we are all connected, all part of one whole. This belief conforms with modern theories of Quantum Physics.

Dionysus: Grapes and Wine

Grapes are symbols of fertility and abundance and wine made from grapes is symbolic of love, friendship, and most important of all: transformation.

Symbolism of Wine

Wine can also be a symbol of the divine light that awakens and nourishes the soul. A dream in which you are drinking wine may mean that you are soon to achieve a spiritual awakening.

Dionysus and Travel

Dionysus was reputed to have traveled a great deal. It was claimed that he traveled all over Asia and parts of Europe. This is symbolic of “The Seeker” one who seeks spiritual truth and wisdom.

Dionysus and Travel

It is also symbolic of the spiritual teacher who, having achieved a significant degree of enlightenment, seeks out others to be his students.

Dionysus Decoded

We now have a very different tale based on the symbols. Instead of a god of drunken partying, we have a spiritual man who achieved a significant degree of expanded consciousness (enlightenment), and sought to teach others how to do the same.

The Real Dionysus

So which is the real Dionysus? We may never know. But we do know that the ancient muses who often originated the tales of heros and gods hid spiritual meaning within them. Knowledge that couldn't be shared publicly at the time, but which they hoped

would be understood at some future date. Perhaps that time is now.

Dionysus Decoded

By Harold Boulette

Cosolargy® International

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