Eye on the past, eye on the future

lessons from a Roman god

As we enter the month of January, we may have one foot edging into the future, while one lingers in the past. Janus, the namesake of the month of January, was the Roman god of transitions, doors, and gateways. I am inspired in two ways by Janus for how to view January and to approach the month of beginnings.

1. We do not have to leap into January with both feet. We can ease our way forward by taking time to reflect on the previous year and holding gratitude for what we have learned and what gifts we were given. This may lead us toward contemplating how we want to travel through the new year. Are there changes we want to make? New approaches we want to take? While it is easy to sneer at the online proclamations of ‘New Year New Me’, we should not mock anyone who seeks to improve their life nor stop ourselves from finding ways to live more intentionally. Janus, with his two faces, constantly has one eye on the past, while the other looks to the future. Perhaps January is best embraced in a similar way. No doubt, it is not an easy feat to do so in our current culture. It is increasingly difficult to wrestle our time and attention away from the constant demands of our work lives. Even our time for recreation moves at such a fast speed that it presents the notion that gazing at 15-second videos as they continually load in front of our eyes is a form of rejuvenation and not stress. This does not allow space for stillness, and introspection. Still, if we keep an image of Janus in our minds, we can attempt to create more space for contemplating what was and what could be…without our screens obscuring our vision.

2. It is not all quiet contemplation for January, oh no - Janus was a rambunctious god during the month. In medieval depictions of the god, he is seen partaking of feast and drink from both sides of his head. In the long ago past, the Christmas season did not end in the abrupt manner it does now. January itself was seen as a time for feasting. In the northern hemisphere, January can be a bleak month. Perhaps it is masochistic of us to tear the lights down and isolate ourselves during this long month.

   So, let’s lift a glass, or a mug of tea, and continue to offer cheers to the year that is passing, and to the one that is beginning.