Why did she open it? Was it a box, a jar, or maybe something else? What flew out when she lifted the lid, unlocked the cage?

A mysterious story with so many permutations. Like most myths, the story is given in a bare-bones way. We never learn why Pandora opened the box, especially since there are at least two versions of what she let out. Either blessings flew out of the box, or the world's ills. (In both versions, Hope was the one thing that remained inside.) In any case she's gotten a bad rap for taking initiative, even though she was--just maybe--trying to help.

I've been "meditating in paint" on Pandora for a few months now. I find myself picturing her in many ways, befitting the shape-shifting nature of her story. What drew her to that box? Maybe smoke, or some mysterious light, or just her own girlish curiosity. Maybe she longed to free something or someone, or even herself. I found I couldn't paint Pandora without wondering what I myself am driven to find. Or to free. 

What draws us to a closed box, jar, cage? What prompts us to reach out and lift the lid, open the door? I'd love to start a dialog about curiosity, freedom, or anything else that Pandora's story inspires. Please leave a comment to join the conversation!

My Pandora imaginings are captured in paint in my Archetypal Imaginings collection. Click on "previous post" at the bottom of the page. There you'll find my musings on the young Sphinx, also part of this collection.