In Greek mythology, Icarus was the son of the master craftsman Daedalus, who was suspected of committing treason against King Minos. Thus both were punished, imprisoned in a mighty tower, surrounded by a treacherous ocean. But Daedalus being the inventor he was, pioneered a means of escape, constructing wings, made from feathers and beeswax, which they could use to flee to liberty.
Importantly, before the escape, Daedalus warned his son, first of complacency, — “Be careful son, do not fly too low or else the humidity of the ocean will clog your wings, and you will plummet to your death…”. And then of arrogance — “...and do not fly too high, or else the sun will melt the wax in your wings, and you will fall to your death.”
Nodding, Icarus took off. But tasting the glory and greatness of flight, he flew higher and higher, until he flew too high. And fall he did, to his demise. For you see descent always follows arrogance. And Icarus’ flight too high is a metaphor or symbol for pride. No individual, whether in myth or in actuality has escaped such a fate. No human is exempt from the universal law — ’pride before fall.’
When intoxicated with pride you are rendered blind and ignorant to your faults. You become idle, believing that you know all that there is to know, that you are all that there is to be, which makes your fall inevitable. Because when the fated monster of life heads your way, you fail to see it. Furthermore, in occultic or esoteric traditions it is believed that the arrogant attract situations, such as illnesses, accidents, losses etc. in order to humble them. To remind them of their littleness, mortality, and humanity.
But be not hard on yourself, for your arrogance, for often forgetting your humanity. For you see forgetfulness characterises humans. The Arabs knew this, thus when coining the term for ‘human’ in Arabic, which is ‘insan’, they made sure it was derived from the word ‘nasiya’, which means to forget. Understand that it is in your nature to forget, but your duty to remember.
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