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~ Pandora ~

Pandora means all-giving.

According to Greek mythology, as recorded by the most misogynist Hesiod, She was the first woman. Hesiod claimed Zeus sent Pandora to earth to punish men, who had offended him. She bore with her a vase, which was supposedly filled with curse, strife, pain, death, sickness, and all other afflictions. Pandora, as curious as any one of us might be, opened the vase as Zeus predicted she would even against his cunning wish that she not do so. These evils were released on all mankind. However, as a finally gesture of cruelty, Zeus also enclosed hope, to prevent humans from taking their own lives in despair and escaping his wrath. Thus the expression ÒPandoraÕs BoxÓ for something that appears innocent but is actually capable of unleashing unknown evils. Sounds much like the story of Eve, making one woman responsible for all the suffering we as humans experience.

Of great interest to us, was that her vessel was a pithos, or honey-vase, from which she poured out blessings. It has a womb-like shape, and is sometimes used to hold wine, oil, and other supplies. One could see that if there were angry bees also enclosed in the pithos, one might find oneself suffering the pain of their revenge, while still having hope that the honey could be consumed!

PandoraÕs Vase became PandoraÕs Box only in the late medieval period, when Erasmus mistakenly translated pithos as pyxis.

I think she must have been an Aquarius.

Although, not known as a Goddess or Queen, Pandora is so worthy of mention, not just because Her pithos has significance to us as candle makers, but because Her actions were so human.