A Love Full of Secrets

Cephalus and Procris describes how a love full of secrets and poor communication can lead to an unforgettable mistake. When Aurora is tempted by Cephalus’ beauty can be seen as the first secret that causes fissures between Cephalus and Pocris (who is already doubtful of his love). Greek mythology incorporates Aurora’s revenge for him to be unhappy with his wife as message of the lasting effect of one’s appetites and poor ability to accept rejection and the non-fulfillment of one’s passions. “Go, ungrateful mortal, keep your wife, whom, if I am not much mistaken, you will one day be very sorry you ever saw again.” I think this event shows how even Gods and super powers are nor exempt from behaving like fools. No matter how secure and powerful we can become, we will be at the mercy of our appetites, our attractions and “wanting” to possess more and more. If we do not learn how to control our desires and insatiable appetites and do not start living by some balanced, moral self-imposed rules, all we will do is create more chaos and suffering for ourselves and others. It is a real balancing act between living fully and taking intelligent, moral risks and learning to say “interesting how much I feel or want this or that BUT no, I’ll pass on this one”. One innately knows when something is headed the wrong path…

Procris is tempted to believe her husbands betrayal but she is not fully convinced by her messenger. “It cannot be true; I will not believe it unless I myself am a witness to it.” If their love was well based in the first place, she would be able to talk to her husband instead of trying to witness him betraying her. We can also see how humans are convinced by what they see but aren’t able to trust by word. Procris’ death and last words give us a special message which tells us to believe in our loved ones. “I implore you, if you have ever loved me, if I have ever deserved kindness at your hands, my husband, grant me this last request; do not marry that odious Breeze!” Procris teaches us that we shouldn’t be friends with doubtfulness and to not try to test a friendship or a marriage because you’ll end up alone. Instead you should learn to have a healthy relationship with yourself where you put limits on your own shadow behavior and also limits in what you will accept from others.

Another example of this message is how Cephalus ends with no company because of testing his dog, Lelaps who is turned into stone. “In the very attitude of life and action they were turned into stone. So lifelike and natural did they look, you would have thought, as you looked at them, that one was going to bark, the other to leap forward.” In a way Lelaps death marks the beginning of Cephalus’ lonely end.

One interesting last note is that the word cephalus means brain, so basically living too much planning and plotting and judging and testing with your head without giving any voice to your heart, your soul, your intuition may create a very lonely, joyless life.