The royal line of Arcadia illustrates the liberation from all attachment and the achievement of equality through endurance, equality embodied by Atalanta.
Atalanta fighting with Peleus – Staatliche Antikensammlungen
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As with Tantalus and Ulysses, it is not possible to determine with certainty the genealogical lineage of the Arcadian Lycaon, especially as several elements converge to suggest that there were actually two characters named Lycaon who were often confused with one another.
The first was a Pelasgian Lycaon linked to the beginnings of the path, son of Pelasgus and grandson of Zeus and Niobe. He offered the flesh of his son Arcas to Zeus as part of a feast, but Zeus brought him back to life. Then Zeus struck Lycaon and his other fifty sons to death with lightening as a punishment for their pride. This Lycaon founded the most ancient city in Greece, Lycosura, which brought together dispersed members of the population.
This symbolises a seeker who has begun to gather his energies towards a single direction (Lycosura, ‘that which flows from the nascent light’), but who offers to the Absolute the realisation resulting from a first luminous opening, erroneously believing that it can ‘nourish’ non duality, which is to say to be of the same nature. The supraconscient puts an end to this mad presumption.
The second Lycaon was the father of Callisto ‘the most beautiful’, a follower of Artemis. He was also the founder of the royal lineage of Arcadia, a province symbolic of the progression on the path which we situate between Thessaly (the province of ordinary seekers), and Elis (the acquisition of Union), which was founded by either Endymion or Aethlius. It must be remembered that the Centaurs had sought refuge in Arcadia after having been driven out of Thessaly; driven out of their usual province, the current state of consciousness, the unpurified vital energies seek refuge within a deeper layer of consciousness, from which they will again be ousted in a more advanced stage of yoga.
See Family tree 27
Several elements can be used to distinguish between the two Lycaons, including the presence of Auge, wife of Heracles, and of Atalanta in this lineage, and that of Arcas in the lineage of Taygete. Additionally, the three grandsons of the Pelasgian Arcas were Lapiths (from Thessaly). According to some sources the Pelasgian Lycaon had also fathered a son named Arcas who taught his people how to cultivate wheat (a work on the perfecting of nature), how to prepare bread (making it fruitful), and how to spin wool (preparing the accomplishment of the task, for dress is a symbol of function).
However, in a number of sources Callisto is not related to Lycaon. According to Hesiod she was a nymph, a daughter of Nycteus ‘originating from night’ according to Asius, and a daughter of Ceteus according to Pherecydes. Ceteus signifies ‘the opening of consciousness to a higher level’ which allows a descent into the depths, hence also the sense ‘sea monster’ attributed to his name.
This Callisto would therefore symbolise the results of a deepened work on consciousness.
The name Lycaon means ‘nascent light, that which is obtained by the lower nature as a result of purification. Let us remember that this name is built from the archaic term λυγ, which means ‘the light which appears before dawn’. Associated with the character omega, it indicates an irruption of light in the outer nature rather than in the spirit.
Several versions of the legend of Callisto’s transformation exist, but in this study we will follow the one given by Apollodorus.
Callisto had chosen to hunt the wild animals of Arcadia with Artemis, but Zeus fell in love with her and coupled with her against her will, for she had sworn to remain a virgin. Artemis understood that she was pregnant during their bathing, and turned her into a bear, although it has also been said that it was Zeus who did so to hide his disloyalty from Hera. It is under this form that she gave birth to Arcas.
Hera then convinced Artemis to