No Wild Man At The Bottom Of The Pool

ו' באב תשס"ז

It is interesting that in my multi-layered dream last night, I saw both a dry pool bed with nothing in it and later, a trident-like symbol similar to Poseidon's trident. The archetype of Poseidon has been described in terms of a "wild man at the bottom of the pool" -

His symbols were the oceans and horses, both symbols of the unconscious, the sea’s powerful moods: turbulent, indiscriminate, tremendous destructive force, flood-bringer and earth-shaker, “the undersea is the realm of repressed personal feelings and instincts, and the emotional realm we humans share collectively.” The patriarchal culture allowed fathers as lord and master of their household to unleash fury there. They were trained, in a world ruled by Zeus, to devaluate and submerge their feelings and instincts.

Poseidon’s temperament was his most characteristic feature. Bad-tempered, violent, vindictive, destructive, and dangerous, not content with his lot, lost out to others, plotted unsuccessfully against them, philanderer, rapist, fiercely loyal to his children, grudge holder, a placid sea which might erupt in fury, not a good loser, strived to be important (if not in the world, then in his home), sexually potent, indiscriminate and promiscuous, made no distinctions between young and old women, “the wild man at the bottom of the pool”, felt deeply and intensely, spontaneous, directly in touch with his feelings, physically demonstrative, didn’t plan (“It wasn’t raining when Noah built his Ark.”), academic achievement had little meaning, patriarchal attitude and emotionally powerful, capacity for loyalty and emotional depth, insensitive (he actually raped Demeter while she searched for Persephone), and vengeful (“an eye for an eye”). Poseidon wanted to achieve positions with status and power that would be the envy of others, only to find that the power was personally meaningless. Poseidon was Zeus’ shadow -- the emotional aspect of the father archetype that was repressed or buried, undeveloped and inaccessible in a man whose conscious identification was with Zeus.

There is no wild man at the bottom of my pool. ז