Why Pandora's Compass?

I decided for my very first blog post to shed some light on why I chose the name, "Pandora's Compass." I know you were all wondering anyway :-)

I am currently a graphic designer and have been for thirteen years but in the past two years I have completed a holistic health practitioner certification (life coach) and Level II Reiki practitioner training. I am also exploring and training in crystal healing therapy and aromatherapy among others. I wanted to find a name that represented the kind of life that I was beginning to grow into.

I have always had a fascination with the name "Pandora." After recently looking it up, I found that originally, Pandora actually means "all giving" and that, according to Wikipedia, an alternate name for Pandora is Anesidora which means "she who sends up gifts." Additionally, it says, "Pandora/Anesidora would have taken on aspects of Gaea and Demeter. She would embody the fertility of the earth and its capacity to bear grain and fruits for the benefit of humankind." Very different from the mythic figure most of us historically know her to be. Simply a woman who unleashed the evils of the world. But even from that darker side of the myth, the opening of the box (or jar) was out of curiosity and not from a desire to fill the world with misery.

The more I thought about it, the more I liked this woman.
1. She didn't blindly listen to what others told her to do.
2. She had a relentless curiosity that could not be suppressed.
3. She gave the world the gift of being able to experience a more richly lived life.

You can't experience joy without knowing sorrow.
You can't experience love without knowing fear. Etc. Etc.

I am not an expert on mythology, by any stretch of the imagination, but that is what I happily took from it.

So, to me, Pandora represents, nature and a giver of beneficial gifts. She was a free spirit full of curiosity who decided not to follow the rules of others.

The compass part of course represents your inner compass. The intuitive side of yourself that you must learn to reconnect with and honor. This is the side that knows your true north. The direction you should move toward to create your highest and best self. Often this side is shrouded in the daily tasks and stresses you encounter but it's always with you. The most important thing you can do is develop that intuition. Because ultimately no one else can truly know what your path should be but you. But we can talk about all of that another day.

For now, share your natural gifts, walk your own path, stay curious and...
Live Life with the Lid Off!