Janus isn’t just for January

Get Started...Again!

Dr. Sue Fisher at The Lukeion Project

It’s that time of the year again – a few weeks into January and the glow of a new beginning is starting to wane. Perhaps you have already broken your New Year’s resolutions or have missed that first assignment or even that first class and are feeling a little glum. This year, the semester was going to be different after all, but now it feels like some of the same old same old is creeping back in.

This year more than ever before there has been a preponderance of articles in the news and online about why it’s okay, perhaps even healthy, to break your New Year’s resolutions. Things are a bit crazy after all, so why shouldn’t we give ourselves a break. There is some wisdom in this, since beating yourself up can be counterproductive, but is it truly healthy to throw in the towel this early into the year or the semester? Is all truly lost because of one set back? Even just asking yourself the question can make you realize how silly this line of thinking is. Perhaps a healthier way of looking at resolutions and new beginnings is to look at the Roman god for whom the month of January was named.

The god Janus is one of the oldest gods in the Roman pantheon, dating back before the founding of Rome in 753 B.C. He was the first god invoked in religious ceremonies – even before the Jupiter, the king of the gods. He was kind of a big deal. Janus was the god of beginnings and from that, thresholds, and doorways. What many people don’t know, though, is that not only was the beginning of the year sacred to Janus, but so was any beginning – the beginning of a month and even the beginning of the day. 

In short, every morning is a new January. You blew your New Year’s resolution? According to Janus you have today and every day beyond to start again. Are you going to argue with the wisdom of the one who out-ranked Jupiter? I didn’t think so.

The god Janus doesn’t just stop with letting us know that new beginnings are plentiful, but he shows us how to walk into them – how to cross those thresholds into a new way of being. This is seen in how Janus is portrayed in art. He is generally shown with two faces – one that looks forward and one that looks back. To move forward you often need to examine where you have come from and what mistakes you have made. Identify these things but don’t stay there feeling glum and looking backward. Use what you have learned to face forward and step into a new beginning where you leave those mistakes behind.

As for the occasional four-faced Janus sculpture, well I’ll leave those other two heads to your imagination. Those two extra heads can be parents, teachers, or friends who help you make the step from past troubles to future successes. Or perhaps they are voices of pros and cons as you weigh out the best way forward on your own. Or maybe something else.

The important part is recognizing that what is behind you is behind and the future you face is yours to step into and every day is New Year’s Day.