FAMILY TREE 2 – THE EVOLUTION OF LIFE
The family tree represented above comes from Pontus “the sea stream”, symbol of Life. It is explained in the page “The offspring of Pontus“.
Pontus is a son of Gaia whom she fathered alone (See the board of Origins).
United with his mother Gaia, to the principle of Existence, Pontus fathered five children who represent the five stages of vital growth which applies to both the plant and animal kingdoms and to the human kingdom. Man indeed keeps within him the memories of evolution.
The first child is Nereus called “the old man from the sea”. It indeed represents the emergence of Life out of matter, from the first living cells to multi-cellular animals. He is united to Doris “the Gifts of Life”.
The second is Thaumas “admirable, amazing, marvelous” which characterize animals for which there is not yet a center where sensations are reported, no brain. The senses “think” independently of each other.
Thaumas had two children:
-Iris, “the messenger of the gods”, that is to say what makes the link between bodily consciousness and the highest of mental consciousness.
-The Harpies, symbols of the principle of homeostasis or its reverse, the disruption of balance, which are the basic processes of evolution: stability and setting in motion.
The next two children are related to the formation of the animal ego (not the human ego). The first Phorcys embodies the dissociation process while the second Keto the principle of fusion. They united and had several children:
-The Graeae which represent the rudiments of consciousness and memory (the three of them have only one eye and one tooth).
-The Gorgons including Medusa who embodies fear.
-Echidna, the symbol of a perversion that appears in evolution.
When Perseus slices the neck of the Gorgon Medusa, then Chrysaor “the man with the golden sword” and Geryon “the powers of life” can appear, as well as the winged horse Pegasus, symbol of a free vital.
Pontus’ last child is Eurybie “the large Life”, that is to say without limitations.
These five children of Pontus are therefore associated with states of consciousness that the seeker of Truth explores in reverse as he progresses.