Sunday, January 2, 2011

Janus

the new year is upon us. as i celebrated with loved ones and practiced traditional acts of good luck. i then began to wonder about the significance of this time of the year, which i found to be very interesting...

the month of January is named after Janus, the Roman god whose two heads face in opposite directions, thus signifying a reflection of the past year and the future to come. Janus' name stems from the latin root, ianua, meaning doors and so Janus is the god of doors and passageways, which symbolizes beginnings and ends.

during this transitional time of the year, a poetic term coined 'negative capability' by John Keats is appropriate, where he describes living your life with confidence and happiness while accepting that it is filled with uncertainty.