The Symbolism of January

The name for the first month of the year, January, was derived from the Roman god, Janus, whose name in Latin means "gate." He was the god of beginnings, doors and passageways and was portrayed in art as having two faces that looked in opposite directions.

That was an appropriate symbol for representing the close of one year and the beginning of the next. However, the real significance of this lies in the fact that he was also a symbol representing the psychic nature.

Vitvan describes the psychic nature as an ensemble of desire-thought-forms that begin when value is given to the 'objective' world. The emphasis is one the quality of the energy that went into that value and then the accumulation and retention of those values in the consciousness.

"The energy by which the value was given and which constitutes the force or strength of the value, was drawn out of the energy world. When, in the value giving process, an individual reaches the stage of desire, then these colors or qualities given to the energy become cherished, that is, he preserves and holds on to them. This energy is stored up until the time arrives when it can function independently of even the sense faculties which gave it birth; and then we label it the psychic nature" ~ Vitvan

So, why was the symbol of the two-faced Janus used? When in the self-development process the force that had heretofore sustained the phantasmal creations of the psychic nature is withdrawn and then oriented to a 'higher' level, instead of the ensembles of desire-thought-forms it had previously, then comes the conversion of the psychic nature. It turns and begins to reflect the light.

What January represents then - and the work to be done - is something to think about when we're making out New Year's resolutions. ~ Jerry Barnes 12/1990