Hydra - Christopher Moonlight

The Hydra (in this case shown as an octopus) is used as a Freudian representation of the male half of the psyche. It is everywhere, backing the feminine, or creative side of the psyche (represented by a nude mermaid) into a corner and menacing her for simply being as she is. The feminine and the masculine must find a balance and support each other. Otherwise one overrides the other and there is no perspective to be gained by a different point of view. We live in a society where the patriarchy often discourages the nurturing of the feminine side. Children are made to feel ashamed of their creative nature because it (for some reason) threatens the masculine drive to hunt, gather, make money, make war... The result is  a culture (women and men alike, because we all have these two sides) which tries to stamp out the creative drive which is represented by the feminine. Women are frowned upon for *gasp* looking like women. In extremist cultures, women have their noses and ears cut off, are beaten, or stoned to death for even presuming to show any part of themselves that they are a woman. We should always keep these things in mind when we feel threatened by any self expression, whether it be artistic or sexual. We have seen the consequences in the past. They are the witch burnings, concentration camps, diminished children, and beaten wives.