Comment: The symbolism of the Chimera elucidates one of the principal problems of modern man -- his underdeveloped emotional centre. Boris Mouravieff discuss this in Volume 2 of his work Gnosis:
To make the proposed psychological study easier we believe that it will be useful to introduce an idea that goes back to Greek Mythology, where it appears in the guise of a fabulous monster: the Chimera.
In mythology, it appears to have the head of a lion, the body of a goat, the tail of a dragon, and it spews out vortexes of flame and fire. It was said that the Chimera's father was Typhon, the principle of evil and sterility, and his mother was Echidna, half woman and half serpent who was fathered by Chrisaor, born from the blood of Medusa. From Greek Mythology, the image of the Chimera passed into Christianity. We find it as an ornamental motif on certain Gothic cathedrals. For example, the gargoyles of Notre Dame in Paris were sculptured in the form of Chimerae with stylized lion's heads and only the upper part of the body. In certain orthodox cathedrals chimerae form the ornament of the bishop's throne. Sculptured in wood, they are shown complete, crouching on each side of the seat, where they serve as armrests.
The original esoteric significance of this monster has been lost, although its symbolic meaning is known and its name has passed into current language: by chimera we mean a false idea or a vain imagining. A chimeric mind sustains itself on illusions, and a chimeric project collapses when tested against facts, being groundless or unrealizable.
Let us try to rediscover the esoteric significance of the Chimera, hidden in Myth by initiatory tradition. We know that all beings in Nature are divided into three categories depending on the number of centres in their psyche. The first category is of beings having a psyche of only one centre: obviously the motor centre. Beings belonging to the second category have two centres: motor and emotional. Lastly, as beings possessing three centres, humans alone have a motor centre, an emotional centre, and an intellectual centre.
The fabulous Chimera is in animal of a higher type; with its lion's head and the body of a goat, it incontestably ranks in the second category, that of beings possessing two centres in the psyche. If it was a living being, because of this fact it would have motor and emotional centres. It does actually have two centres in the psyche, but these are the motor and the intellectual. Thus it can only have an unreal existence, chimeric in the true meaning of that word, as no bi-centred beings exist in Nature other than those with motor and emotional centres.
For what reason was this monster introduced into the Mythology of remote Antiquity which goes back to the very sources of Initiation?
The symbolism of the Chimera must be studied in both its aspects, and this will help us to better understand the condition of exterior man, who is dominated by the provisional 'I' of the incomplete Personality as well as by the times in which he spends his life, that is to say, (in which we spend) our lives.
Comment: As a beast with developed motor and intellectual centres, the Chimera is an excellent symbol for modern science. The head, divorced from contact with the heart, undertakes its work without regard for the consequences of its actions. The glory of the mind and its need to solve the puzzles of existence is all that concerns it. That the application of this one-sided knowledge -- for what is intellectual knowledge when it is not married to empathy? -- results in the misery of millions is unimportant. Marrying the genetics of different species is too much of a challenge to a mind unencumbered by concern over the consequences of its actions.
In the individual with a sleeping emotional centre, only a great shock can bring it back to life. Our society has had any number of shocks over the last century, from world wars to on-going colonial wars, massacres of millions of people coupled with starvation brought on by famine and the general neglect of the former colonies when it is not a question of exploiting their resources. One would have thought that these shocks would have been enough to stir us from our lethargy.
Evidently not.
What shocks will it take, if it is even possible, to awaken our sleeping world?
That's just my opinion though, don't let me put you off!