Sun, Calypso,
and the Phaeacians

On the Island of the Sun, Odysseus’s companions disobey him and eat the Sun’s cattle. As they depart, a thunderbolt strikes the ship, killing everyone except Odysseus. Having now lost all his companions—representing the lower aspects of his own self—he washes up as a castaway on Calypso’s island, where she detains him for seven long years (thus, alone and without companions, Odysseus remains on Calypso’s island for a full life cycle: seven years).

After the seventh year, Calypso helps him build a raft (the sail shown in image 10) and depart. He arrives among the Phaeacians, a hospitable people who welcome him warmly and to whom he recounts all his adventures. They listen without judgment—as a true friend should—thereby symbolizing friendship. They also help him reach his goal (just as any real friend does when we face a problem; note the handshake in the image—this marks the first time such a greeting is mentioned in a written text: Rhapsody U, line 197).