Bring the warmth of the sun into your heart and spread your love like silent golden sunbeams. Bring the light of the moon into your heart and let your love shine like silvery moonbeams. Bring awareness of yourself as part of the whole into your heart, one among many, and let that knowing stir you to compassion for all you share the planet with. Look upon the earth at your feet and the sky above your head and give thanks for this day and this time, for the privilege of walking upon the giving earth among the many, with the golden warmth of the sun and the silvery light of the moon always shining down upon you—riches indeed!
The wind, the breath of the Great Mother, is shared by all. The light of her sun shines upon all equally. The glow of her moon plays upon all of your dreams in the same way. Her stars guide you all with the same meaning. Why then do you think you are all so different? The Great Mother sees you only as her children, equal in her eyes, breathing her air, alive in her sunlight, dreaming beneath her moon, steering your way by her stars. She knows you all so well, for you are part of her, brothers and sisters of the Great Mother Earth. She loves you all, fully and equally. Is that not enough that you can love one another too? It’s that basic. Love.
A warrior knows that to be one with everything is the ultimate goal, but a warrior also knows that the only means of achieving such universal oneness is by taking the solo journey. And so a warrior does not fret over having or not having but works with what is to confront and dissolve all that stands in the way of achieving oneness with everything. For oneness is dissolution of all that is personal while at the same time still maintaining the inner wholeness of a solitary being.
A warrior is not greedy, even for that oneness, for a warrior knows that it is the journey and the experiences that teach the meaning of oneness, and so a warrior turns from greed to love, accepting love as the only means by which to achieve oneness. And what is love? It is oneness of everything!
No one can know the depths of another person’s heart or another person’s mind, but it is possible to connect deeply enough to have a sense of the depths of another being if they want to be known. The inner life is sometimes so secret that it is the only safety a person has, but the truth is that other people can be safe too. If one dares to be real, others dare to be real too. And then one deep heart finds another deep heart and then there is the possibility for real love to blossom. And then there is also the possibility to know the depths of another being and to reveal your own.
By one account, Eros is the son of Aphrodite, the goddess of love. Eros is frequently represented as the young, devilish Cupid who pierces his target with the arrow of desire. When Eros strikes, his victim is overcome with attraction and longing for a specific person.
This longing is frequently portrayed in images of blissful sexual union and ecstasy, a supreme state of wholeness and fulfillment. However, real union far transcends sexual intercourse. In fact, for sexual intercourse itself to result in complete union a meeting of spiritual nakedness must also take place, and this requires relatedness. Eros is really relatedness.
Relatedness means connection at a feeling level. To meet another at that level we must be willing to reveal who we really are behind the mask of our attractive persona. As well, we must be able to meet, accept, and value who our partner really is.
If we impose our needs, expectations, and appetites upon our partner we are not related, we are entitled, and our partner generally feels burdened, pressured, and not met. Entitlement breeds alienation, the opposite of Eros, which seeks deep connection.
When we share our fears, vulnerabilities, and weaknesses with our partner, as well as the pain and humor of our human cluelessness, Eros is activated. When we tune in with attention and sensitivity to our partner’s revelations of their felt flaws and guarded secrets, Eros draws us closer, deepening our connection.
When we acknowledge our carnal lust and desire but temper it to meet where it is truly possible to meet at this time, Eros rewards our restraint and sensitivity with deepening soul contact. This is the pathway to relatedness and genuine love.
It’s always been possible to overpower and take what one wants. This kind of exchange will never result in love. Love requires respect. Without respect the soul retreats, Eros flies out the window, and love dies.
Important in these times—when the ruling leaders of the world are of the entitled, grabbing what you want ilk—that the true tenets of love be reinforced. Eros is not sex. Eros is relatedness. Relatedness is the pathway to love, and that love might indeed open to blissful sexual communion. But blissful sexual union can never happen without Eros, the god of true relationship.
