Jealousy – The Shadow of Hera

One of the shadow traits associated with the goddess Hera is jealousy.

Yet, the gods are not mere characters—but eternal, cosmic forces. Myth, through its symbols, speaks of the soul, of nature, and of the Cosmos.

As the wife of Zeus, Hera often appears jealous. She is angered by his constant infidelities, chases his lovers, and punishes his offspring.

But the Neoplatonic philosopher Proclus, in his Commentaries on Plato, explains:

Zeus represents the Nous (Divine Mind) of the universe—the creative principle that diffuses life everywhere.
When the cosmic Mind desires to create, it transforms into Eros.

Hera, on the other hand, is the unifying force, the cosmic law that restores and maintains harmony.
She is the return to our center.

Her name, Hera (Η + Ρέω), can be interpreted as the energy that flows up and down in balance.

Jealousy, love, pain, betrayal—all the things we read about in myths—are not petty emotions of gods, but symbols of psychic and cosmic forces.

Every god expresses an aspect of Being. Every passion is a universal energy disguised as a human feeling.

Hera does not feel jealous because she is a wounded woman.
She expresses jealousy because she is the principle of unity—and unity fears the loss of measure.
She represents the universe’s inherent need to return to itself.

Proclus teaches us to look at the ancient gods not as heroes of fairy tales, but as mirrors of our inner world and the world around us.

In psychotherapy, jealousy often stems from insecurity.
We become jealous when we feel we are not smart enough, attractive enough, successful enough—compared to others.

We forget that the goal of every incarnation is self-evolution—to confront and overcome our own inner monsters...

Each person’s path is unique, solitary, and heroic.

The Greek word for jealousy, Zilia, comes from zeō (ζέω)—meaning “to boil,” “to be hot.”
It has its root in heat and passion.

According to Socrates, jealousy is the “fervent motion of the soul” toward something it admires—or fears it may lose.

Therefore, this passionate energy—whether desire or competition—can become a driving force for us
to become the best version of ourselves.