Water Horse Writing Studio

X is for Xenia- Xenia is the concept of hospitality to strangers in Greek Mythology. Depression can feel like a stranger at your door. In Homer’s The Odyssey Xenia is a powerful phenomenon that propels Odysseus through his journey. In ancient Greece the stranger archetype was associated with divine mystery and good luck. In contrast the stranger in today’s world is often feared and thought of as a threat. There seems to be no middle ground when Xenia is represented in culture. Pema Chodron wrote a book called The Places that Scare You. In this book she writes that one always has the choice on how to respond to fear. You can let it harden you or let it soften and open your heart. Difficult circumstances can be transformative if you are able to consider the unknown as an angel in disguise instead of a ghost from the past.

https://www.shambhala.com/the-places-that-scare-you-1171.html