Points of Reflection
Medea, the "Wise One", a
princess and goddess of Parthia, fell in love with the Greek prince Jason when he arrived
there to obtain the Golden Fleece that would allow him to claim his rightful place on the
throne of his father's kingdom, a throne that had been usurped by his uncle.
Jason agreed to marry Medea if she would use her considerable knowledge and powers to help
him defeat the armies and the dragons that guarded the fleece. And this she did.
No longer welcome at home for having
assisted Jason, Medea accompanied her husband back to his home and there she granted him
another favor and restored the youthfulness of Jason's father who had grown old and frail.
Medea was loving and faithful, never complaining about her own personal losses that
she faced when she acted to assure Jason's status as a hero. But Jason soon fell in love
with another and divorced Medea, who as a "foreigner" in his country had no
legal rights.
The distraught Medea was both
heartbroken and enraged. Killing their children, sparing them the shame of their
father's betrayal, she also took her revenge on her husband's new bride by sending her an
incredibly beautiful dress to be married in, a dress that was saturated with a poison that
would burn the one who wore it . . . literally, a dress of fire.
Jason's wedding was not to be, but
Medea eventually remarried and became a Queen.
Have you ever felt the searing pain of a
betrayal by one to whom you entrusted your innermost feelings, your hopes and dreams?
Are you a "survivor"? And what did you learn from the experience .
. . never to trust again, just to forgive and forget while hoping for better luck
"next time", or to be more cautious, perhaps moving a bit more
slowly when next you "give your heart away"?
Sometimes we ignore all the warning signs, the clues that "something is not
right", feeling only sick and "confused by the smell of that
perfume". Blinded by the light, still we can learn "how to be
careful". But how can we learn?
The experience of betrayal evokes
feelings of shame, helplessness (what can the likes of a mere mortal like me do about
it), and hopelessness (I am not a princess). Thoughts of revenge are entirely
human; fantasies of revenge are probably inevitable and are often healing, restoring a
sense of empowerment. . . but actually acting on them may have disastrous consequences.
Where do you draw the line?
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