Hermes, the Divine Messenger
I have always felt fascinated by Greek mythology. One of the most impressive Olympians is Hermes, the son of Zeus, king of the gods, and Maia, one of the Pleiades. He was renowned for his ability to traverse between different realms. As the messenger of the gods, he acted as a link between the divine and the human, carrying messages between the gods and mortals on earth. In his role as the psychopomp, or guide of souls, he escorted the dead on the hazardous journey from the world of the living to the realm of the dead.
Lately, I find myself thinking about Hermes and his ability to move seamlessly between realms. In today’s society, things feel more polarized than ever, especially in the United States as the presidential elections approach. We find ourselves trapped in echo chambers that create divisions as deep and overwhelming as the Styx, the river that separates the living from the realm of the dead. This is why, when someone has the extraordinary ability to communicate effectively with those holding differing viewpoints, it’s so refreshing and rare—like being in the presence of a divine messenger.
Finding inspiration in Hermes, we can navigate the challenges of our time by becoming more like him—moving across the heavens, the earth, and the underworld—bridging gaps with intelligence, diplomacy, and negotiation.
