Zeus (known as Jupiter to the Romans) wasn’t just the god of lightning—he was the god of the sky itself! Greco-Roman myth actually has several Sky Gods, and Zeus is the lord of the *fiery* aspects of the sky: the stars, the Sun, the spirit, and yes—lightning.
Most ancients didn’t think of him as a literal dude with a rad beard on top of a mountain; he was seen as the specific, brilliant feeling of going to the highest place, and looking out upon the land—with the sky above and below you.
This is in part why the eagle was his symbol. The eagle’s not just the king of birds, but it’s also the highest and the most attentive—eagles fly incredibly high, yet they see everything. They can catch prey from 10,000 feet. This attentiveness was a major theme for many ancient mythological king gods, including Marduk, Osiris, Horus, Odin, and more—this is the symbolism of the eye.
Zeus was the king of the gods, and the god of kings. He was considered the father of all, and his, uh, “paternal exploits” were legendary. Like the rains of the sky fertilizing the earth, Zeus made a LOT of babies in myth. This contributed to his “stormy” relationship with his wife Hera (Juno), who was, among other things, goddess of the air. And what is a thunderstorm but the mounting friction between heat and the air?
Personally, I think Zeus is also the god of individual consciousness. Not necessarily the mind, or intellect, or ego (depending on your terms), but consciousness: the part of you that “hears” the thoughts you think, not the part that thinks them. Thoughts are to consciousness as clouds are to the sky. Consciousness is pure experience, being fully in the moment—we might call it flow. We might see that as the ruler of the mind (or at least, maybe we should).
Zeus was the great father, and the great king, and this makes sense: the father was seen as the “king” of the family, and the king was seen as the “father” of the state. Zeus is also the one who strikes the proper balance between order and chaos. That too makes him the model leader—too strict with your power, you become the tyrant. Too loose, and things fall to pieces. Zeus is juuuuuuust right.
Not everyone agrees with that, of course; the rule of Zeus is challenged several times. Kronos and the Titans, the Gigantes, Typhon—even Poseidon and Hera make a grab for the throne (while Zeus was asleep, of course). We can see that particular myth as the unconscious parts of us rising up when we’re not paying attention—the greatest error a king can make. Even Kratos himself proclaims that “No one is free, but Zeus.”
But we’re all smart enough not to take things too literally—the myths hide their true meaning behind the details we find bizarre. So what else? Well, aside from the symbolism, let’s just say that the ancients were really lucky guessers: Zeus certainly was associated with both lightning and mind; and we now know that our minds run on electricity, so… that’s pretty cool.
And the planet Jupiter was named for Zeus, and the parallels there are pretty interesting: Jupiter is the largest planet in our solar system, and as such its electromagnetic field actually does protect the other planets from being constantly barraged by asteroids. Zeus’s colors were blue and gold, and the surface of Jupiter is… blue and gold. Zeus was often accused of being full of hot air, and well… Jupiter’s a gas giant. Ahem.
So it’s reductive to say that Zeus is the god of lightning, or even that he’s the god of the sky. He’s not the god of eagles, or oak trees, or of consciousness or kings. Perhaps it’s better to say that he’s the god of whatever those things all point to. Vision, abundance, balance, perspective; whatever’s highest. What many people don’t realize is that the King and the Dragon are archetypal opposites. The Dragon rules with fear, and hoards that which is good for the land: virgins, treasure, and property. But the archetypal King, exemplified by Zeus-Jupiter, is the antithesis of the dragon. He symbolizes aiming at what’s generous, abundant, expansive, welcoming, and that which protects.
What about you guys? What are your thoughts on Zeus-Jupiter, and what he represents?!
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One more thing—I’m excited to announce the Stand Up for the Gods podcast! We’ll be talking about the deeper meanings behind myth and symbol, and how it can actually apply to our lives.
I talk to experts, artists, poets, magicians, and everyone in between in my quest to understand why it is that these stories matter. And I think you’ll be surprised with what we find.
We all live out one or more personal myths—and coming to understand them can be incredibly powerful. I hope you’ll join us! I’ve started recording the first batch of episodes, and I’m planning to launch in April. Stay tuned!
And if mythology has played a big part in your life, please reach out—I’d absolutely love to talk with you!
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Bonus factoid for anyone who actually reads this far!
Did you know that several early Christian theologians thought Zeus was the same exact dude as the fallen angel Lucifer? They suggested that when Lucifer and his fallen angels were banished to Earth, they changed their names and started ruling across the ancient world—Lucifer and his fallen angels, and Zeus and his Olympians, were one and the same.
It makes some sense:
- Lucifer’s crime was trying to “outshine” God, just as the individual mind tries to put itself above creation, or as the King so often puts himself above the state he’s supposed to lead.
- Zeus takes power by rebelling against his godly dad Kronos.
- The New Testament says that Jesus saw Satan “fall like lightning.”
- Revelation suggests that the throne of Satan is in Pergamum, where there was a massive temple to Jupiter.
- The fallen angels were said to mix with the “daughters of men,” and boy, Zeus sure did do that.
- Other stories describe how those same angels gave humans all sorts of forbidden technology: weapons (Mars), cosmetics (Venus), astrology (Mercury), divination (Prometheus), and so on.
- And of course, Zeus was god of the sky, and Lucifer was referred to as the “prince of the power of the air.” Personally, I think that line makes a lot more sense in this context
NEAT! ⚡️