Twin Angels of Death

[sdi]

I have often seen it said in both occult texts and descriptions of NDEs that souls, when born into a body, are given not a single death-date, but two, which they may choose between during their mortal life. I've always wondered where the doctrine came from.

It occurs to me just now that maybe it comes from the mysteries, after all:

μήτηρ γάρ τέ μέ φησι θεὰ Θέτις ἀργυρόπεζα
διχθαδίας κῆρας φερέμεν θανάτοιο τέλος δέ.
εἰ μέν κ’ αὖθι μένων Τρώων πόλιν ἀμφιμάχωμαι,
ὤλετο μέν μοι νόστος, ἀτὰρ κλέος ἄφθιτον ἔσται:
εἰ δέ κεν οἴκαδ’ ἵκωμι φίλην ἐς πατρίδα γαῖαν,
ὤλετό μοι κλέος ἐσθλόν, ἐπὶ δηρὸν δέ μοι αἰὼν
ἔσσεται, οὐδέ κέ μ’ ὦκα τέλος θανάτοιο κιχείη.

For my mother, the goddess Thetis of the silver feet, says
that I bear twin angels of death with me to my fate:
if I stay here and besiege the city of the Troians,
then my return is lost, but my name will live forever;
but if I go home to the beloved land of my fathers,
then my noble name is lost, but my life will long
endure, and my fated death will not soon reach me.

(Akhilles speaking. Homer, Iliad IX 410–416, as translated—hopefully not too badly!—by yours truly.)

Personally, I would take this to describe how an initiate must decide whether to spend their efforts on material accomplishments or spiritual accomplishments, since the two are mutually exclusive, but I can see how one might take it otherwise.

Comments

NDEs

[neptunesdolphins]

Gee, I was just finishing a blog on NDEs using the "Myth of Er" by Plato. Could be something in the air?

Re: NDEs

[sdi]

Good question, the energy crackling around lately is certainly intense.

Regarding the Myth of Er, that's good, I'll look forward to it! Have you seen Proclus's commentary on it? He mentions a few more pretty textbook NDEs.