In the descendants of Oceanos (Oceanus) are the Oceanides and the great rivers such as the Scamander and the Acheloos
See Family tree 19
Herakles fighting the river-god Achelous for Deianeira – Musée du Louvre
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While the descendants of Iapetus and Clymene represent the efforts in the ‘ascension of the planes of consciousness’, those of Oceanos and Thetys describe an evolution through incarnation in accordance to nature. They imply both a ‘purification’ of the lower planes from the distortions originating from ignorance and the mixing of functions, and a ‘liberation’ from the elements necessary for their construction, including attachments, desires and ego, which must be progressively eliminated. This is why Oceanos ‘flows towards his origin’; the process of purification and liberation must be carried out till the origins of evolution.
The initiates of ancient times have therefore included here the currents of energy-consciousness which supports this evolution.
These are:
The Oceanides, forces supporting an evolution in accordance with nature and infinite modalities of the manifestation of the Absolute in creation. According to Hesiod they number three thousand, which is the figure of the Absolute (three) at the highest level (thousand).
Along with the rivers and with Apollo, they help raise young people. They are therefore aids or supporting forces for the seekers who have engaged themselves on the path.
Depicted as beautiful young women, they were erroneously associated with the Nymphs, spirits of nature including the Dryads, Naiads and Oreads, although neither Homer nor Hesiod had placed them in this category originally.
The ‘rivers and streams’, which describe the main directions of the tasks to be carried out. Through their descendants are exposed the teachings and experiences accompanying the different paths of evolution that are in accordance with nature. Amongst the most important are:
In the descendance of the river Inachos, ‘the progression of concentration’, known to be the most ancient river of Argolide and the origin of the lineage of the Inachides, are found the processes of purification and liberation, necessary preambles to any future evolution.
Amongst the descendants of the rivers Peneios and Asopos, origins of the Lapithian and Asopid lineages, are found the experiences of the most experienced of seekers.
According to Hesiod, there as many rivers as there are Oceanids, which is to say as many paths towards the Absolute as there are human beings.
The name Oceanos (Κ+Ν) represents ‘an expansion of consciousness in accordance to the evolutionary process of nature’. The character omega at the beginning of the word implies that the phases of this evolution always begin in the body.
His partner, the Titanide Tethys (Τ+Θ), seems to indicate an evolution in the depths of the being, while as a couple Iapetus and Clymene strive towards the heights. (Tethys must not be confused with Thetis (Θ+Τ), the daughter of Nereus and the mother of Achilles.)
Hesiod describes Oceanus as encircling ‘the limits of the all-nurturing earth’, thus forming an ethereal double of the body, and being the source of all the streams, salty or non-salty (Iliad 14.198). Just as the currents are divided into an unlimited number of rivers and streams, so the body is filled with innumerable currents of energy.
In several passages of the Iliad (Iliad 14.200; 14.244 ; 14.300), Oceanos is said to be the origin of all the other gods, a