The Phoenix Myth: The Wonderful Power Of Resilience
Carl Gustav Jung explained to us in his book “Symbols of Transformation” that the human being and the Phoenix bird have many things in common. This iconic fire creature capable of majestically rising from the ashes of its own destruction also symbolizes the power of resilience, this unparalleled ability to transform ourselves into stronger, braver, and more enlightened beings.
If there is a myth that has nurtured virtually all the doctrines, cultures and legendary roots of our countries, it is without a doubt the myth that makes reference to the Phoenix. It was said that her tears were medicinal, that she had great physical strength, control over fire, and infinite wisdom. She was, in essence, one of the most powerful archetypes for Jung because her fire embraced both creation and destruction, life and death…
At the same time, it is interesting to know that we find ancient references to its mythology both in Arabic poetry and in Greco-Roman culture, and even in much of the historical legacy of the East. In China, for example, the Phoenix or Feng Huang symbolizes not only the greatest virtue, power, or prosperity, but it also represents yin and yang, the duality that constitutes everything in the universe.
However, and it is worth remembering this, it was in Ancient Egypt that the first cultural and religious testimonies about this figure appeared, and it was in this place that, in turn, this image that we have today about the resilience. Every detail, nuance and symbol that outlines this myth undoubtedly offers us a good exercise to reflect on.
The Phoenix and the power to be reborn from our ashes
Viktor Frankl, neuropsychiatrist and founder of logotherapy, survived torture in concentration camps. As he explained in many of his books, a traumatic experience is always negative, but what happens after it depends on each one. It is up to us to lift ourselves up again, to recover our life once more from our ashes in an unparalleled triumph or, on the contrary, to limit ourselves to vegetating, to remain fallen…
This admirable ability to renew ourselves, to catch our breath, will and strength from our miseries and our broken crystals first goes through a really dark phase that many will have lived in their own skin: we talk about “death”. When we go through a traumatic moment, we all “die a little”, we all let go of a part of ourselves that will never come back, that will never be the same.
So, and among all the myths surrounding this figure, it is the Egyptian myth that offers us the key points we should focus on to better understand the relationship between the Phoenix bird and resilience. Let’s look at this myth next.
The Phoenix Bird in Egypt
Ovid explained in his texts that, in Egypt, the Phoenix bird died and was reborn once every 500 years. For the Egyptians, this majestic heron was Benu, a bird associated with the Nile floods, the sun and death and that, according to explanations, had been born under the tree of Good and Evil. This fantastic creature understood that it was necessary to renew itself from time to time to acquire more wisdom, and for that I followed a very meticulous process.
She flew all over Egypt to build a nest with the most beautiful elements: cinnamon branches, oak branches, spikenards and myrrh. Then, settling in her nest, she would sing one of the most beautiful songs the Egyptians had ever heard, then let the flames consume her completely. Three days later, the Phoenix bird was reborn full of strength and power. Afterwards, he took his nest and left it in Heliopolis, in the temple of the Sun to start a new cycle, offering inspiration to the people of Egypt.
Resilience and our “nest” of transformation
As we could see, the Egyptian myth of the Phoenix bird is a beautiful story. However, let’s look at some of its details. Let’s look, for example, at how the phoenix builds its nest. She seeks the richest materials in her land, those that combine delicacy and strength and that will help her in her transformation, in her ascension.
If you think about it, this process is very similar to what constitutes the psychological dimension of resilience. Because we also look for those magical elements with which to build a very strong nest to gather our forces.
All these components will help you in your ascension, but not before being aware that there is an end, that a part of us will also go away, will turn to ashes, the remnants of a past that will never come back.
However, these ashes will not be blown away, quite the contrary. They will be part of us to shape a being who is reborn from the fire much stronger, bigger, wiser… Someone who may be an inspiration to others, but who, above all, allows us to move forward with our heads held high and the wings open.
