HERMES Poetry Journal
is looking for well-crafted poems that are effective and memorable; poems that present new ways of seeing ourselves and the world.
Editor:
Janice Morgan
Assistant and advisory editors:
Davie Smyth
Sarah Crowley
Send no more than five poems at a time with a brief bio
to Janice Morgan at: hermespoetry@yahoo.com
We prefer the submission to be in the body of the email.
Turn around time is between one day and one month.
Submission deadlines:
May 15th to June 15th ;
and November 15th to December 15th
We're open to all poems, but will favor poems about an epithet,
no matter how ambiguous, relating to Hermes.
We're more interested in the modern expression rather
than a retelling of classical stories.
We accept any theme; but are more likely to accept work that relate
to Hermes.
Below are some ideas to draw from:
Epithets of Hermes:
messenger and guide, messenger divine and herald of the gods, patron of wayfarers, conductor of dreams, shepherd of men, conveyor or conductor of souls (psychopompos), conductor or leader of souls in (or through) the underworld (psychogogue);
belonging to the market, patron of gymnasia and athletes, trickster, master of thieves, guardian of flocks, giver of wealth (inventor of fire), guardian of the gate, protector of the door
HERMES was the great Olympian God of animal husbandry, roads, travel, hospitality, heralds, diplomacy, trade, thievery, language, writing, persuasion, cunning wiles, athletic contests, gymnasiums, astronomy, and astrology.
His attributes included the herald's wand or kerykeion (Latin caduceus), winged boots, and sometimes a winged travellers cap and chlamys cloak.
Carl Jung often speaks of Hermes as psycho pomp, spiritual friend, or personal guide.
Jung says: From the earliest times, Hermes was the mystagogue and psycho pomp of the alchemists, their friend and counselor, who leads them to the goal of their work. He is “like a teacher mediating between the stone and the disciple.”
This spiritual friend reflects an inner voice or inner guidance. Jung says:
“The alchemists projected the inner event into an outer figure, so for them the inner friend appeared in the form of the “Stone,” of which the Tractatus aureus : “Understand, ye sons of the wise, what this exceeding precious Stone crieth out to you: Protect me and I will protect thee. Give me what is mine that I may help thee.” To this a scholiast adds: “The seeker after truth hears both the Stone and the Philosopher speaking as if out of one mouth.” The Philosopher is Hermes, and the Stone is identical with Mercurius, the Latin Hermes.”
According to Daryl Sharp the animus sometimes takes the form of Hermes.
He says: “In mythology this aspect of the animus appears as Hermes, messenger of the gods;
in dreams he is a helpful guide.”
The following information came from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:
Hermes was a god of transitions and boundaries. He was quick and cunning, and moved freely between the worlds of the mortal and divine, as emissary and messenger of the gods, intercessor between mortals and the divine, and conductor of souls into the afterlife. He was protector and patron of travelers, herdsmen, thieves, orators and wit, literature and poets, athletics and sports, invention and trade. In some myths he is a trickster, and outwits other gods for his own satisfaction or the sake of humankind.
His attributes and symbols include: the herma, the rooster and the tortoise, purse or pouch, winged sandals, winged cap, the lyre, and his main symbol was the herald's staff, the Greek kerykeion or Latin caduceus which consisted of two snakes wrapped around a winged staff.