O god, you are irresistible!
........Even with the
..........Scars that bent your will
..........Incendiary flash that forced you out
..........And the raging, raging deluge . . .

........................So? - you say -
........................How else to ripen these succulent fruits?
........................Rouse your appetite for the exquisite!

We do.

Even Mercury who soars on the four winds
Stands on the head of a pin for you

........................Here, taste. - you say -

We do.

The Sun sprawls across a turquoise sky
Grapes swell with their juice
The Moon swaddles us in its curative dew
........Mouthwatering dream of the Divine Child

Freedom's flavors burst upon the tongue
........We want more
................We are intoxicated

We jump into your triumphal procession
........Waving pine branches
........Tickling the Sun and the Moon

.........................Celebrate my resurrection! - you say -

We do.

For no matter what blows you suffer,
You rise again
.........Again
................And again.

O Spirit of Man!
........O Spirit of Nature!

You prick us with needles of pleasure
So that we gyrate and circle around
................The Tree
....that stands at the center of the world

Basking in the light
........Of the Sun
................And the Moon.

James: Here we challenge the traditional precept that homosexuality is "unnatural". Even though it has been practiced throughout history and is common even in the animal world, our androcratic dogma is threatened and would persecute homosexuals. Because Bacchus and Mercury are secure in their masculinity, they can accept their feminine natures. The caduceus of Mercury affirms this, with its two snakes (male and female) entwined. It is this feminine feel that makes the scene "soft" - lots of pillows, floral wallpaper. The two men are strong and masculine and yet have this softness about them, too. Venus is there to anchor and support the sharing of love among the participants. Mars is there to support and . . . who knows? The point is that loving can be sacred among all those that hold that space in their hearts.
.......All the characters, from Greco-Roman mythology, appear with their customary attributes: Mercury (Hermes) is silver-colored and wears his symbol, the golden caduceus; Bacchus (Dionysus) is purple and crowned in grapes; Mars (Ares) is red; and Venus (Aphrodite) is green. It's a sweet little ménage-à-quatre; the three gods were, according to myth, lovers of Venus. They all fathered children by her. In our updated presentation, we get a peek at what one of their liaisons might have looked like. They share mutual love and support.
.......We find the scene quite attractive, though in our sexually repressive society, it can be seen as shocking. When I showed the newly-finished painting to one of our friends, her mouth dropped. When she could speak, her first words were, "Nice wallpaper!" On the other hand, when we showed it to one of our gay friends, he grabbed his heart and exclaimed, "Wow! What are you doin' to me?!" Obviously the scene made his heart flutter.

Becca: I thought I was going to write about gay love, but the poem centered on Dionysus (Bacchus). Maybe this result was inescapable: the weeks I worked on this one coincided with the autumn grape harvest. The feeling of the harvest is everywhere, as anyone who has gazed out over the ubiquitous Italian vineyards can imagine. As I watched the painting, our neighbor Bruno, two floors below, crushed his grapes. The smell of fermenting grape skins and pulp wafted up from his cantina and, I think, coaxed Dionysus off the canvas. The refreshing taste of the new wine (which Bruno offered us as he poured it from vat to vat) was still in my mouth when I picked up my pen to write. Mercury helped the words flow, as I wrote this one when the moon was trine Mercury, the most advantageous astrological aspect for Mercurial communication. Funny how it all worked out that way.
.......Also during this time there was a show entitled, "The Myth of Ganymede" in the Casa Buonarroti (Michelangelo's house) in Florence. Viewing the scene of Zeus abducting the Trojan boy Ganymede portrayed via vases and sculptures (Greek), a woman's hand mirror (Etruscan), mosaics and earrings (Roman), drawings, paintings, frescoes, and bronzes (Renaissance) made me realize what a popular theme it was. On display were Michelangelo's graphic Ganymede drawings, two of which he gave as a gift to a young Roman patrician named Tommaso in 1532; they added to the whispered speculations I had heard that Michelangelo was gay. James, on the other hand, whisked through the rooms, muttering about "all this artistic talent to depict a rape?!" and "gay love in the patriarchy!". Our work, "To Dionysus", is the opposite of the predatory Zeus-Ganymede relationship. The Mercury-Dionysus liaison is consensual and loving.
.......The poem considers the male archetype of phallos, of which Dionysus is a fine representation. Eugene Monick, in his book, Phallos - Sacred Image of the Masculine, argues that modern psychoanalysis, still trying to deal with the apparent primacy of the Great Mother, has overlooked what is behind masculinity ("sinew, determination, effectuality, penetration, straightforwardness, hardness, strength" - p.9). Monick asserts, "This is what makes phallos archetypal. No male has to learn phallos. It presents itself to him, as a god does." Certainly the power of phallos would inform any artwork on male homosexuality.
.......In addition to pressing the definition of the Divine Masculine, however, this piece willfully imposes the Divine Feminine. I use solar (male) and lunar (female) references for these two aspects. As I studied the painting, I was amazed at the juxtaposition of imagery: Mars is very male, Venus is very female, Mercury is not strongly one nor the other (as psychopomp, he unites the opposites), and Dionysus is clearly both (he was called arsenothelys, "man-womanish").
.......The worship of Dionysus in ancient Greece involved abandoning oneself to ecstasy as well as submitting to suffering. Like the vine that is pruned, the god bears "scars that bent your will". The element of fire - present in the sun that ripens the grapes and Zeus' thunderbolt ("incendiary flash") - is what killed his mother Semele while he was in the womb, forcing him out. "Out" is also a play on words for the often painful process of "coming out of the closet" which many gays face. The element of water ("deluge"), while nourishing to the vine, can also carry one away in madness/drunkenness. The maenads/baccantes were known for their "raging, raging". Dionysus accepts the paradoxical difficulties as necessary to "ripen these succulent fruits", and challenges us to prime our "appetites" for living with gusto.
.......When we taste of his fruit, we are transported to beautiful scenes: a hot sun lazily ripening grapes, a motherly moon wrapping us up in healing waters. The "swaddling" image leads into a reference to the Divine Child - an archetype manifested in Dionysus, Christ, and in this case, in each one of us. Tasting the freedom of our divinity intoxicates us, more sublimely than wine does. We celebrate the resurrection - and the strength of the life force - of our Divine Child. We unite with others in "triumphal procession" and delight in our masculine (sun) and feminine (moon) natures. By the end of the poem, we have united our dual natures in such a balanced way that we "bask in the light" of the two of them, no longer manipulated by their shadow influences.
.......Mercury, who was usually depicted under the influence of both the sun and the moon, is associated with the meeting of four elements, four seasons, and "four winds". Thus, herms (phallic monuments to Hermes) were erected at crossroads. Like quicksilver, he could never be pinned down. But here, his love of Dionysus (and Venus) stops him in his tracks.
...... The poem is written in free verse, and phallic and sexual symbolism underscore its masculine tone: "Rouse", "stands", "head", "pin", "swell", "juice", "dew", "mouthwatering", "burst upon the tongue", "resurrection" (=re-erection), "rise again", "prick", "needles", "pleasure". The definitive phallic symbol is the tree, which at the end is encircled (yonic shape) by revelers. The axis mundi - the Tree of Life, Cosmic Tree, pole, caduceus - connects the Underworld (by roots), the Earth/present moment (by trunk), and the Heavens (by branches). It is the penetrating force that stands at the center of the universe (the navel, the hole, the feminine), through which the secrets of the cosmos are revealed.
.......I chose to call Bacchus by his Greek name Dionysus as it is more closely associated with his mystical nature. I chose to call Hermes by his Roman name Mercury as it is more closely associated with the principal of Mercurius, which medieval alchemists studied to learn the secrets of transformation in Hermetic magic, astrology, and science.
.......The four lovers share their archetypal gifts with one another. The repetition of "We do" echoes the commitment made at marriage ceremonies. When a person commits to self-realization through the union of his/her inner aspects, transcendence into wholeness can result.

_____________________________

......Although the last god to enter Mt. Olympus, Dionysus appears in fragments of very early myths. Zeus, in the form of a snake, mates with his daughter Persephone (or perhaps Demeter), who gives birth to Dionysus in a cave. He is a horned child. Ever-jealous Hera sends the Titans to kill him: they tear him into seven pieces, throw him into a cauldron, and then proceed to roast his flesh on seven spits. Attracted by the smell of the barbecue, Zeus discovers the cannibalistic scene, drives the Titans into the Underworld with his thunderbolts, and rescues one piece of his son: his heart. Carried to safety in a basket, the heart is made into a potion, which Zeus gives to his mortal lover, Semele, who becomes pregnant. Hera gets wind of the imminent birth of Semele's child, and comes to her as an old nurse, goading her to extract a promise from Zeus. When they are next together, Semele asks him, "Would you grant me a wish?"

......Zeus, who is madly in love with the mortal, answers, "Anything, my love."

......"Do you promise?" she asks.

......"By the River Styx, I swear, I will grant you whatever you want."

......"Then, I wish to see you as you truly are - King of the Gods - in all your glory."

......Zeus is mortified but must comply, for he has sworn by the River Styx. When he reveals his divine brilliance, the lightning strikes Semele dead. Zeus snatches the unborn baby and hides him in his thigh. When the baby is delivered, Zeus entrusts him to the nymphs of the green, fertile valleys of Nysa. They lovingly raise the boy, who thereafter will always prefer the company of women. He is emotional and impulsive, trusting his feelings over reasoning. Dionysus grows into a strikingly handsome man, with curly hair and delicate features. He spends more and more time in the woods, for he loves the perfect beauty of Nature.

......Eventually Hera finds him out, and strikes him with madness. Thus begin the driven wanderings of Dionysus. Obsessed with his discovery of the art of the vine and the magic of wine, Dionysus gains new converts by seducing the women or killing the men who oppose him. His rites (bacchanalia to the Romans) give rise to spontaneous orgies among females (maenads/bacchantes) and males (satrys, centaurs). He brings viniculture to Egypt, then heads east, crossing the Tigris on a tiger, until he reaches India. After establishing his worship there, he feels confident enough to return to Europe. On the way, he stops in Phrygia, to visit his grandmother Rhea. Rhea cures him of his madness, absolves him of the atrocities he has committed, and initiates him into her Mysteries. So, as this long tale goes: after suffering physical annhilation, battles and persecution, and inner torments, Dionysus now returns to Greece.

......He enters Thebes, the city of his mother Semele, with his unruly entourage. The women of Thebes especially respond to his message of freedom, Nature, and the divine vision possible through ecstatic trance. King Pentheus, alarmed at the breakdown of civil order, arrests Dionysus and the maenads, his wild women companions. But the ropes holding them untie themselves, the doors of the prison unbolt themselves. The maenads cavort off into the mountains, followed by townspeople who are also seized with bacchanalian delirium. Pentheus' soldiers, who can see that magic is afoot, know better than to pursue them. Pentheus, however, grows enraged that he cannot control the situation.

......Standing calmly before the king, Dionysus offers his worship to Pentheus. "Let your people follow their joy. Let your people taste divinity."

......"Divinity?!" Pentheus asks incredulously. "What do you know of divinity?"

......"I know suffering, and I know ecstasy," Dionysus answers. "If you look at me, you will realize you look into the face of a god."

......"God! You are no god! You are a charlatan that defies a king! Why, I should tear you limb from limb!" With these words, Pentheus seals his fate.

......Since he cannot be restrained, Dionysus leaves the palace and joins the revelers on the mountain. A furious Pentheus follows and climbs a tree to spy on them. Dionysus sees him, of course, and with a nod raises the level of frenzy. Thinking Pentheus is a wild animal in a tree, the women go beserk, tearing him to pieces. His own mother tears his head off.

......Once his worship is established on Earth, Dionysus ascends to Heaven, usurping Hestia's place among the twelve deities of Olympus. It was said: "he sits at the right hand of Zeus." He marries Ariadne, and courts Aphrodite, who both bear him children. Then using his divine powers, he travels to the Underworld, where he makes a deal with Persephone to release Semele, the mother he never knew. Hera by now acquiesces, and allows mother and son to dwell peacefully on Mt. Olympus.

......The worship of Dionysus taught the dangers of excess in a world of duality. Just as drinking a glass of wine can induce goodwill and drinking a bottle of wine can bring out the brute, Dionysus reveals human divinity as well as savagery. Comedy and tragedy actualize these concepts for us, and Dionysus is regarded as the founder of Greek theater. His worship was celebrated in theater festivals, and poets, actors, and singers did his sacred work. In this way, he is also known as the God of Holy Inspiration.

......Dionysus shares common elements with other savior-gods, such as Tammuz, Adonis, and especially Christ. The Divine Child/Son of God, immaculately conceived, is layed in a basket/manger. He is sacrificed/torn apart for other's sins, taking the form of the Horned One/scapegoat. He triumphs over death and finds the way to travel between Heaven and the Underworld. His death and resurrection is commemorated by ritually eating his body (grain) and drinking his blood (wine). His rites, the bacchanalia as well as the Eucharist, transport the participant into a mystical, altered state.

.......With his broad-brimmed hat, caduceus, and winged sandals, Mercury may be the most recognized ancient god to modern eyes (florists and doctors having commandeered his symbols). He has always been hard to miss. When only one day old, he crawls out of his cradle to the edge of the cave where he was born and plays with a tortoise. Out of the tortoise shell he cleverly fashions the first lyre, and proceeds to sing of the love affair of his parents: his father Zeus and his mother Maia, a nymph of the night and one of the Pleiades. So enchanting is the music, it lulls Maia to sleep. Young Mercury goes out to explore the world. Coming upon Apollo's herd of cows, he decides to steal them. In order to make them hard to track, he invents sandals from oak bark for himself and drives the cattle backwards so their hoofprints appear to be going the opposite way. Sure enough, Apollo is confused by the strange tracks, so that it takes him awhile to find the young cattle rustler. When he finally does, he beholds an unprecedented scene: the newborn child has heaved two of the cows onto a roaring bonfire and is roasting them (Move over, Hulk Hogan!). By rubbing a laurel stick into the center of a circular grooved stick (in lingam-yoni fashion), little Mercury has discovered the secret of fire! And he has divided the beef into twelve portions, as an offering to the gods. Apollo seizes the boy and demands explanations. "Why twelve offerings? Who is the twelfth god?"

......."I am!" Mercury impudently replies.

.......Apollo has heard enough. "Thief!" he shouts, grabbing him and whisking him off to Mt. Olympus.

.......Before the throne of Zeus, Apollo states his case, charging the godling with stealing. Zeus has a belly laugh over his infant son's escapades but then grows stern, ordering the return of the stolen cows. Mercury complies, and in addition, gives Apollo the lyre as a gift. So thrilled with the musical instrument is Apollo, he gives his cunning little brother his staff, which eventually becomes the caduceus (two copulating serpents entwined on a winged, golden rod), symbol of healing, kundalini, and the union of dualities.

.......Mercury's quick genius does not escape Zeus, and he welcomes him on Olympus as the twelfth god, assigning him the duty of divine messenger. His prowess and ingenuity soon rule over many domains: wealth, commerce, thievery, traveling, oratory, writing, and magic. Swift and graceful, Mercury conducts the souls of the dead to the Underworld. This role of psychopomp also manifests as trickster; to deal with him, you had better be shrewd! In his sexual relationship with Venus, he fathers Eros and then Hermaphrodite (the union of Hermes + Aphrodite), who is double-sexed and renown for her/his beauty.

.......So slippery is he that Mercury is the one ancient deity that escaped oblivion after the fall of the Roman Empire. While the rest of the pantheon would not be resuscitated until the Renaissance, Mercury cloistered himself (literally) among alchemists and monk-scientists of the Middle Ages. We could call them "herm-its" (little Hermes)! Associated with Thoth, Egyptian God of Magic, and the Enlightened One, Buddha (also born of Maya), he was referred to as Hermes Trismegistus, "thrice-great Hermes". Through their study of metallurgy, medieval alchemists endeavored to change base metals into gold, and in the process, transform their lower natures into purity and divinity. They detected in Mercurius, the alchemical form of Mercury, the secrets of transmutation of spirit and matter. Mercury, his element both metal and liquid, was always depicted with the sun (male) and moon (female), for within him all opposites could be resolved. Arab scientists also studied Hermetic magic. The symbol of Hermes, the cross, became the Arabic numeral 4.

.......Lurking in the Hermetic legacy of secret societies through the Ages of Reason and Science, Mercury then emerged more openly through the work of a 20th-century psychologist. Carl G. Jung noticed that the language of alchemy - snakes, dragons, lions, planets, trees, metals, elements, and others - were the symbols appearing in the dreams of his patients, with their corresponding traits and relationships. Jung recognized the process of the alchemist as related to the psychological process of individuation, and wrote about it in his work, Psychology and Alchemy.

.......We still honor Mercury on a weekly basis. The Germanic Teutons (Thoth's followers) set aside a day to worship Thoth/Hermes/Woden. In English we know this as Wednesday. In Dutch it is Woensdag. In Spanish it is miércoles, in French mercredi, in Italian mercoledì: all from the Latin dies Mercurii . . . Mercury's Day.