Romancing the Shadow by Connie Zweig & Steve Wolf

Author:Connie Zweig & Steve Wolf [Zweig, Connie & Wolf, Steve]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780307559487
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
Published: 2012-02-08T05:00:00+00:00

AN ARCHETYPAL PERSPECTIVE ON ROMANCE

Within our fantasies of romance there are timeless mythological images of sacred union. Aside from the personal aspects of our parents and our own missing parts, these archetypal forces shape our partnerships. They can reveal the nature of the Other as well the kinds of qualities that the Other may being forth in us. And they offer a glimpse into the nature of the relationship itself, the particular quality of the bond that may emerge as a result of the story that underlies it.

So, for people seeking a deeper look into their romantic relationships, we suggest exploring the myth at its core: You may be living an erotic bond like Psyche and Eros, which begins in blindness with a stranger and leads to an awareness of the divine. You may imagine living a complete spiritual union like Shiva and Shakti, whose ecstatic merger is all-consuming and overcomes their individuality. You may be struggling with a rivalrous battle for power like Zeus and Hera, whose marriage seems to feed on ongoing conflict, which permits them to remain together but feel separate. You may have forged a brother-sister marriage like Isis and Osiris, in which you feel that you belong together for the purpose of mutual reliance without dominance and with or without sexuality. You may have found an older man-younger woman alliance like Merlin and Vivianne in King Arthur’s Court, who mentor and caretake one another, respectively, awakening each other’s dormant gifts. Or you may have created an older woman-younger man alliance like Inanna, a mother-goddess, who initiates Dumuzi, her son-lover, revitalizing them both with life. Or you may have discovered an older man-younger man bond like Zeus, whose passion stirs the handsome mortal Ganymede to respond and, as a result of their love, he becomes a god. You may have found yourself, like Ariadne, abandoned by a hero-lover, dejected and alone, and later partnered with the god of ecstasy, Dionysus, who ironically becomes a faithful husband. You may be a single mother like Demeter, whose primary role is to care for children with an absent father. Or you may find yourself facing the death of your loved one, like Orpheus grieving inconsolably the loss of Eurydice.

Each of these stories, and many more, tell of a way to love and be loved. Each opens onto a vast expanse of possibilities, and each has its shadow side, its dangers and limitations.

In your myth, which gods are being honored? Which are being sacrificed? Do the gods or goddesses that are being expressed match the myth you desire to live?

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