Mythologically, Eros is the Greek God of love and sex. In the Greek language, eros, is one of the seven types of love ascribed to romance, lust, sexual attraction, and physical love.
The Roman deity counterpart for Eros, is Cupid, the God of love and desire. In present day culture, Valentine's Day goes hand-in-hand with Cupid's presence. Thus, the symbology of being "struck by Cupid's arrow" is synonymous with eros activating the body.
With that, I'd love to take this auspicious moment to introduce the new era of our Yoni Wanderland blog: Eros in Wanderland. A successor to our more prominently astrologically-oriented blog Venus in Wanderland, Eros in Wanderland shifts the focus of the blog to discussing all things eros: what it means, how to activate eros, how to embrace eros, how to live eros, how to love eros.
While Valentine's Day has in many ways been appropriated for the capitalist world we live in, I'd like to turn our focus to the positive aspects of the invitation that this "day of love" brings through a closer look of eros.
So, what is eros?
Back to mythology for a bit. The God Eros was the son of Aphrodite, the Goddess of love and beauty, and Ares, the God of war. Aphrodite’s Roman counterpart deity is Venus, and Ares’ is Mars. So not only are both of these energies, love and war, inherent in eros, it’s also poignant that Venus in Wanderland would give birth to Eros in Wanderland…
Analyzing the lineage of these gods informs us about eros itself. Its energy encompasses aspects of both parents: beautiful alluring attraction (Aphrodite/Venus) in tandem with passionate aggressive fiery (Ares/Mars) inseparability.
Eros is the frequency you experience when you are turned on, really turned on… It's (hopefully) present during moments of sexual intimacy with a lover or lovers. But sexual context isn't the only place for eros. If you've ever been turned on in public or in "inappropriate" places, you know exactly what I'm talking about.
Eros can also be subtle. It's present when you're out on a night in town and you spot that cute guy or girl and your entire system flushes, the room suddenly grows hot, blood rushes to your lips and yoni or lingam, plumping them, and face softens. Your fuck-me-eyes engage. Eros entices the senses.
Eros is the gateway to connection. Without eros, there's no sex. And without sex, there's no experience of the profound and expansive embodiment of the Divine energy of Creation. Sexual energy, when nurtured and consciously cultivated, has the capacity to catapult us into the sublime of Divinity that few other experiences are able to take us to. When we activate eros, we activate our full potential of creation. It keeps the seed alive.
Most of us initiate new connections from this activated eros place. We are drawn to connect with those to whom we experience a sexual attraction. It's human nature. Eros primes our nervous system for more with others…
And this is exactly where we are prone to get stuck. Instead of allowing eros to be the initial point of movement forward in connection with a potential new lover, we get stuck in the lust, in the desire. That new connection, without more, becomes a one-night stand (which there’s nothing inherently wrong with). But when we desire deeper connections, it's imperative to move into other forms of love, intimacy, and vulnerability with this new connection. Without these latter qualities, the eros spark dies out just as quickly as it ignited.
So even though Eros in Wanderland is about exploring eros, it's important to begin this journey with understanding that lust and corporal desires, as juicy and seductive as they are, serve an evolutionary purpose to invite you to more with that object of your lust and desire.
When eros runs rampant, it can fall into the shadow aspect of the Ares-Mars energy of aggression, disruption, and chaos. It distorts, creating the potential for harm upon those who come into contact with the unbridled eros in another. The magic lies in alchemizing the lust of eros into the love of eros.
We all want to be loved. Feel love. We all quest for that deep intimate connection with the mates of our souls. But the depth of connection to another human can only be cemented when the eros shared is elevated into compassion and profound heart-care for our partners.
May the lust you experience in your body be the catalyst for the juiciness that's available to your human experience when your soul dictates the corporal movement. As delicious as eros is, it’s important to temper our passionate desires with authentic connection. With intimacy. With depth. Remember its role as the spark of the Divine.
It’s time to reclaim the abuse and misuse of eros.