Love is so important, in all forms. Self-love is essential to our well-being. We also need to have Have you ever wondered why we hear the terms “soul mate,” “bosom partner,” “partner for life?” Well, according to legend, Plato once told a story of how he believed the humans came to be. The tale tells of why we, as humans in particular, look for “the perfect person.” Plato’s Symposium goes like this:
Humans used to be androgynous, meaning they had characteristics of both sexes, thus being both male and female. They had four arms, four legs, and two faces. Humans were very powerful, and this made the gods uneasy.
Because of this, Zeus, Greek king of the gods,wanted a way to weaken them. So he cut each in half and ordered Apollo to turn each head to face their wounds. This was so they could see the trauma done to their bodies and forever remember their place.If they continued to pose a threat, Zeus stated he would cut them in half again, thus leaving them to hop miserably.
This left the people in a wretched state. They were always trying to find their “other half” and would intertwine their bodies trying to come together again. Zeus, having a little pity, decided to turn their sexual organs around so they could at least get some satisfaction from embracing and coming together.
This fable was told to explain our deep love for each other; the deep desire to find our soul mates, our other halves, our completion. This alludes to the fact that two bodies share one soul.
Now, we are not saying that you always need another person to experience love. There are many different forms of love, but for now, we are focused on the love between two spiritually connected souls.
Love is freedom. It needs room to express itself. It needs to be able to make itself known in its own personal way.
Love never conforms or contorts to another’s way or vessel. It doesn’t mold itself to someone else’s form. It cannot be forced.
Love needs to be respected. It needs our reverence.