2.7.10 Stage 10, Gadolinium: the PhaiaksOdysseus reaches the island Scheria (Corfu), the island of the Phaiaks. Here reign king Alkinoos and queen Arete. Their daughter Nausikaa is told by Athena in a dream that she has to go to the beach and wash her clothes. She goes and then meets Odysseus who hides his nakedness behind a branch with leaves. Odysseus gets some clothes from the beautiful Nausikaa and having washed and clothed himself he is beautiful too. Odysseus goes alone to the city and Athena wraps Odysseus in a mist so that the Phaiaks who hate strangers won’t see him. Odysseus arrives in the palace and there he embraces the knees of queen Arete on the advice of Athena and asks her to help him to come home. At that moment the mist disappears and all the Phaiaks can see him and think he’s a God. Arete grants Odysseus the help for his return home.
Scheria is like a fairy tale country, immeasurably rich and blessed with everything a human being can want. The city and harbor with their ships are beautiful. The palace is exquisite with a lot of silver and golden statues, delicate embroideries and two wells. The reign of Alkinoos and Arete brings justice and virtue and lets everything be peaceful and harmonious.
A party is arranged with beautiful songs, athletic games, dance and stories. The next day a ship is summoned that will take Odysseus to Ithaca with a lot of gifts from Alkinoos and the Phaiaks.
The story of Phaiaks is about justice, virtue, harmony and peace. Balance and harmony are all qualities of Gadolinium.
Stage 10 has the idea of everything being in full development, everything being at its best. This is the description of the land of the Phaiaks. But there’s something missing: it’s not home yet. It’s still duality, symbolized by the two wells. There’s still a split into two, between good and bad, beautiful and ugly. This split into two is very symbolic of Gadolinium with atomic number 64, which is 2*2*2*2*2*2.