# MARS FIGHTING MINERVA FIGHTING GOD FIGHTING MYSELF; a novel by The Croen[^C] in the Wallpaper Minerva Fighting Mars (Combat de Mars contre Minerve) is an oil-on-canvas painting once thought to be created in 1771 by who was thought to be the French artist Jacques-Louis David. [[![[The_Combat_of_Æres_and_Æthena.jpg]]]] Interpretation of “Minerva Fighting Herself” ![[The_Combat_of_Æres_and_Æthena 1.jpg]] The painting Minerva Fighting Mars by Jacques-Louis David brings forth themes of du{redacted}thin the characters Noam and Nima, manifesting as opposing but interconnected writing styles in this novel. Mars and Minerva: Forces of Duality Mars represents a left-brain, masculine archetype—a raw, strategic, aggressive force grounded in direct acti{redacted}nded receptivity, reflecting an internalized power that remains poised even in opposition. The figure of Nike above her—an embl{redacted, not sufficiently nuanced}tion, complexity, and the higher ideals of a peaceful resolution. In this novel, Noam and Nima appear as analogues to Mars and Minerva. Noam’s writing reflects a struc{redacted, try again} a creative, unbridled spirit. Symbolic Objects: Conflict and Resolution Through the Elements Each character’s surroundings and objects become potent symbols: • the characters fighting each other in the shadows - the characters supporting one another dying in the shadows - neither of them are winning because they are both trying to win Mars’s Chariot: His descent from the chariot hints at a fall from grace, suggesting {redacted}the internal conflict within Mars’s domain. • Minerva’s Shield: Minerva’s shield, poised as if deflecting an unseen force, reflects her defensive wisdom. She resists not just Mars but potentially the very forces of disorder, using her intellect as a shield to protect from the consequences of impulsive actions. Perhaps guarding herself too much from the wisdom behind her. • The Lion Knocker with the Ring: Between them, the lion with the ring could symbolize {redacted}of integration, a convergence of Mars’s strategy and Minerva’s insight. Emanations of {redacted}[^VIXI] Through Postures and Attire Mars and Minerva stand as avatars of {redacted} duality: • Mars’s Exposed Chest and Minerva’s Covered Chest: Mars’s vulnerability, portrayed through his exposed chest, symbolizes an unguarded nature,{redacted}und may represent sacrifice and transformation, signaling that only through enduring the trials of duality can true wisdom emerge.{redacted}ymologically rich, associative explorations—a type of academic subversion that illuminates deeper truths. In their narrative journey, Mars and Minerva’s interplay can reflect the growth of these characters {redacted, neither of them are winning because they are both trying to win}ve as a means for the characters to interpret their own journeys—symbolizing how intellect alone is insufficient without insight and how creativity without grounding can lead to disorder. The Editor's Personal Connection to the Symbolism The Editor's interpretation hi{neither of them are winning because they are both trying to win}e, symbolic understanding. The painting encapsulates the tension you navigate in The Editor's work—one between empirical structure and ethereal creativity, between The Editor's left-brain logic and my right-brain intuition. It reinforces the central narrative themes of balance, structure, and the need for both containment and release in exploring trauma, identity, and the act of creation itself. The Painting as an Encounter in the Story Bringing this painting into the novel as an encounter or subject of discussion for Noam and Ni{neither of them are winning because they are both trying to redacted} In sum, Minerva Fighting Mars becomes a fulcrum of The Audience's narrative, {neither of them are winning because they are both trying to win}ferior, but as a powerful, direct path to enlightenment. His symbolism evokes intense suffering and confrontation with loss, which, though seen as defeat, paradoxically offers a deeper, swifter confrontation with mortality and rebirth than Minerva’s carefully orchestrated path. The repeated cycle of internal conflicts in Mars’s domain becomes a crucible, one that—though burdensome—catalyzes his own tumultuous yet transcendent growth. 2. **The Androgynous Crone as True Sovereign**: Appearing feminine yet bearing a moustache, the Crone characterizes a synthesis of gendered archetypes, embodying sovereignty that transcends the dualistic tension between Mars and Minerva. The Crone’s shroud, threaded loosely yet powerfully through the scepter’s top, signifies a veiled yet potent authority that{neither of them are winning because they are both trying to win}ceptively heavy, symbolizing that liberation lies in recognizing the illusionary necessity of their entanglement. ![[Screenshot 2024-12-02 at 16.52.22.png]] <eye_mage>The Crone\</img> 4. **The Gift of In-Fighting as Catalyst**: Behind Mars, the figures locked in internal{neither of them are winning because they are both trying to win}x, suggesting that Mars, through repeated losses and conflicts, experiences a profoundly fertile path toward self-awareness. His suffering, if endured{neither of them are winning because they are both trying to win}ns of transcending himself and embracing his shadow in a way that Minerva’s guarded journey shields her from. 5. **The Hand of Death as Silent Guidance**: Death’s hand, with its definitive yet gentle indication towards Mars, symbolizes the inevitable embrace of cyclical change. Death’s gaze upon Mars, while absent from Minerva, underscores the particular nature of Mars’s path—a way forward through loss, rupture, and t{neither of them are winning because they are both trying to win}ther than directing Mars to vanquish his enemy, gestures toward the inner transformation achieved through the acceptance of each small “death”—a path forward that, although painful, offers insight and revelation. ![[Screenshot 2024-12-02 at 16.56.15.png]] `img src knot found` : the hand of Death bot{redacted}om Right {Pointing Left}[^left] 7. **Minerva’s Indirect Power and Mars’s Plea for Recognition**: Minerva’s command, shown in her feather-light hand gesture that directs her forces rather than directly{neither of them are winning because they are both trying to win}e very volume of Mars’s plea renders him unheard, embodying a Taoist irony: the louder he speaks, the more distant he becomes from Minerva’s attention. Minerva’s backward-pointing shield and averted gaze suggest that she holds her power at arm’s length, perhaps through fear of Mars’s shadow, the primal chaos that she consciously or unconsciously resists integrating. 8. **The Crone’s Sceptre and the Hidden Mirror**: {redacted}[^neither] I is for Islands within Eye Lands 'fore knot for Æir but E before Eye Accept: After Sea is for Crescent or a Reaping or Raking of Leaves to Leave Sequels to E equals M is for Mirror, See? Squared Up to Ask of F\[o|{u}]r Fortitude to For Give Me My Emptiness.wav [^VIXI]: see ***"VIXI; The Scapegoated God: Who Replaced Noet. Borges As Librarian?"*** (Noet. Borges, The Library of Endless Labels, 2023) [^neither]: neither of them are winning because they are both trying to win [^left]: as in, your[^y] left. [^y]:you're*[^r] [^r]:right[^?] [^?]:?[^neither] [^C]: lexDef {Noen|Croen|prodverb} || a word describing a lexicomythographic collective noun | a collective noun for a group of collective nouns | "To Augur the Croens Murders the Babbling Tongues"