Quotes of Wisdom
If I have seen further than others, it is by standing upon the shoulders of giants.
(Isaac Newton)
Ah, but a man’s reach should exceed his grasp, Or what’s a heaven for?
(Robert Browning)
Psyche’s Kiss
To touch upon the soul,
Love moves to exquisite bliss.
To give and sink within,
Lies the darkness of abyss.
Touch its even killed water,
& watch it ebb and flow.
Engage in its beauty,
and there you will know
The soul's Guide to sink below
The beauty of Heaven's kiss.
Psyche & the Call Within
The definition of psyche is often confounded with modern-day scientific approaches to psychology, the practical application of methods used to study how the human mind works and its influence on behavior and character (“PSYCHOLOGY | definition in the Cambridge English Dictionary”). However, the term psyche has a rich past that doesn’t necessarily confine itself to the person or the prison held in that most beautiful organ found between the ears: the human brain.
Like much of our linguistic heritage, the psyche and its logos originate in Ancient Greece. As with many of my explorations into the human psyche, we should start with the tale’s origins. Let us examine the beautiful love affair, its trials, and tribulations, as told in the story of Cupid and Psyche in Lucius Apuleius’s The Golden Asse.
Psyche, the Goddess of the soul, was one of three beautiful daughters born mortal to a king and queen. But Psyche had an unsurpassed beauty that rivaled Aphrodite’s (Mark and Edinger). Because of this, Aphrodite sent her son, Eros (Cupid), to strike her with an arrow so she may fall in love with the most despicable beings.
Yet, Eros (Cupid), fearsome as he was with passion’s embrace, could not carry out his mother’s wicked deed. Yet, Eros could not carry out his mother’s jealous sentence. Instead, he took her to his palace and allowed her to live with any desire she sought, with only one warning: when she was to visit him, it had to be in the guise of total darkness.
To make deals in the darkness is to be called within. The dark seat of the soul exists in that sacred space, the bed-chamber where loving the loving intent dreams exist, let alone the secret passions externally and internally held. Psyche, that element of soul, is all so human. Psyche, engulfed by the elements of passion, may be subject to flights of fancy. However, like all mortal beings, she is also prone to the fall those inner curiosities create.
Psyche and Eros
Who comes to me at night
to embrace a lover's kiss?
To this simple question,
even the soul cannot resist.
But to light the lamp,
and steal a kiss.
Is it knowledge within
which brings our bliss?
Kneel forward, maiden,
and let light find your mark.
Oil falls like teardrops
from an innocent heart.
Thus awoke
the sleeping Eros.
Passion embraces the pain
of those heartfelt Arrows.
With a heavy heart,
guilt as present,
The trials begin, yet
they end with repentance.
Find your mark
Evolved from might
From your darkest recess
Shine upon me so bright
What once was a dream
Is now my plight
To know within, that inner light.
That which I call Soul.
Our Human Spirit
It is interesting how all deals start in darkness. The void between our heads, that dark space where planted seeds may spring into something new, is an invitational presence for archetypal images to find material presence from the ethereal beginnings. The idea comes from nothing yet creates a passion of spirit within that can lift even the heaviest of downtrodden spirits to realize the new heights and horizons expanded. A muse in action, the idea is a ripe seed, awaiting the presence of a readied field to find its mark to realize fruition.
What does this mean? Outside of the poetic reveries possible, growth is present when we engage in the dream states of life. However, this growth only occurs when the psyche (soul) and Eros (love) unite in passion to create the field of possibility to nurture those ideas into reality. The soul may need to be grounded, but the spirit allows it to ascend, maybe even to the realm of possibility of a dream yet to be attained.
Engaging the human spirit honors the psyche through its nurturing source, love. Furthermore, honoring the soul is to celebrate its presence in love. What storyline will we leave behind when we breathe in our last breath and release its presence? Psyche as breath, a soul to transcend, or a love affair with our life enacted. What mythic journey do you want to leave behind for your life’s work? What has yet to be determined?
Final Blessings
I hope you enjoyed this poetic yet philosophical exploration into the depths of the soul and its lover. Until our next journey together, my friends, I wish you many blessings. May peace, happiness, health, and wealth find you on your journey to envision, chart a course, and advance confidently in the direction of your dreams.
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It is our choice to believe in the beauty of dreams unfolding. When we direct our mind’s eye to belief, faith guides us in the direction necessary to realize our Self as it unfolds into its most optimal being.
Are you being your best possible Self? Dr. Thomas Maples explores our personal and collective journey to realize our ultimate potential through the lens of psychology, personal development, and the myths that drive our journey forward.
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- Fill Your Glass: The Disciplined Practice of Loving-Kindness
- The Architecture of Joy: Navigating Darkness to Find Your Light
- How to Find Spiritual Grounding: Healing a Fractured Soul through Integrity
- The Unshakable Anchor: Building Hope in a Fractured World
- Finding Grace in the Messy: Catholic Wisdom and the Psychology of Intentional Parenting
References
“Isaac Newton Quotes – BrainyQuote.” Brainy Quote, https://www.brainyquote.com/authors/isaac-newton-quotes. Accessed 23 March 2024.
Mark, Harrison W., and Edward F. Edinger. “Psyche.” World History Encyclopedia, 21 January 2022, https://www.worldhistory.org/Psyche/#. Accessed 23 March 2024.
“Robert Browning Quotes – BrainyQuote.” Brainy Quote, https://www.brainyquote.com/authors/robert-browning-quotes. Accessed 23 March 2024.
“PSYCHOLOGY | definition in the Cambridge English Dictionary.” Cambridge Dictionary, https://dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/psychology. Accessed 23 March 2024.
