How Mythology Reflects Our Lives: The Goddesses Behind Celebrities
Hera rocks with Cardi B--which goddess walks with you?
Mythology is often treated as something distant and ancient—stories belonging to marble temples and dusty libraries.
But the truth is that myths never disappeared...
The old gods still live through human stories.
That is, in fact, always the purpose of mythological stories: they're roadmaps that outline common human trials and tribulations.
Psychological theorists like Carl Jung used mythological stories to explore the human psyche and spiritual journey more deeply, in what he called Analytical Psychology.
Unfortunately, as is the case with Abrahamic religions--and especially for those in toxic families– contemporary religions function more like cults engaged in by people in spiritual psychosis, even as their mythological stories--and even morals (at times)--have much to teach us.
Just look how often our headlines reveal pastors and priests to be predators.
But these are not the only myths passed down and enduring for millennia, and understanding the more ancient and diverse myths can help us better understand our lives.
There are uncountable spiritual myths and gods and goddesses across human history, but one that I focus on heavily is the Greeks. As a literature major, this was simply an inescapable part of my education, and I feel like I'm constantly watching these myths play out in my own life and the life of others.
For example, the myth in which Narcissistic Personality Disorder was named after--Narcissus--is arguably one of the best sources of information about the disorder that you can find, and the story of Echo's tragic fate, the nymph who loved him, foreshadows what happens to every poor soul who refuses to leave a narcissist.
The trials that define our lives—betrayal, exile, rape, transformation, infidelity, power, survival—are the same trials told in Greek mythology thousands of years ago.
The Greeks understood something profound: the human psyche repeats patterns. Myth isn't fantasy. It's a roadmap.
We each end up living out certain myths.
Some people embody the story of Athena—driven by intellect and strategy. Others follow Aphrodite’s path of beauty, love, and public fascination. Some live the darker cycles of Persephone, Hecate, or Medusa—stories of descent, survival, and transformation.
In modern culture, celebrities often mirror these mythic roles because their lives unfold on a dramatic stage large enough for archetypal narratives.
And sometimes, the myths aren't just symbolic.
Often they're painfully real. Even tragic.