to be LOVE STRUCK

on being LOVE STRUCK and the myth CUPID & PSYCHE:

In the myth of Cupid and Psyche, Psyche is a mortal whose beauty is said to rival that of Athena, the Goddess of Love, so Athena orders her son Cupid to shoot his arrow at Psyche and have her fall in love with the most hideous of all creatures, but when Cupid gazes upon Psyche, he himself is struck by her beauty, and his arrow slips and nicks his leg, and Cupid falls in love with Psyche as he gazes upon her, and their love story ensues.

Valentine's Day presents us with the idea of being Love Struck; to be struck by an all encompassing and powerful immersion into the field of love; and yes, it's likely to change our lives, because little ole cupid there aims for the heart, just ask Bon Jovi . . .

(The imagined testimonial from Bon Jovi).

Yes Bon Jovi, we are listening . . .

. . . . "Yes, yes U.B., that's right, I was shot through the heart. I was laying alone in the dark, and this gosh darn winged man thing - well it shot me right through the heart! Through the heart!! (((shakes head))) I guess it's all part of the game we call love. . ."

. . . . thank you Bon Jovi . . .

To be love struck may be with a person, but it may also be with an idea. To take a literal glance at names, Cupid, is also known as, Eros, or love, and Pysche relates to the Mind. To be love struck may be an awakening in the heart to an idea that illuminates our mind and compels our actions and our path. I imagine love struck to be a singular drop of water that touches the seed of a rose and suddenly it awakens to life. This "seed of change" may be so disruptive it asks us to blaze a path we were never on before, but has always lived inside us, waiting for the right moment.

The myth of Cupid and Pysche also reminds us to find the quiet moments. Cupid would not allow Pysche to see him in the daytime for he feared he was a disgusting monster, (because he was told so, letting other's opinions of him form his own, which also reminds us to tell people to fudge off, cause one may just have wonderful wings and be amazing archer - I digress), so it was at night, in the quiet, that the heart and mind found each other. It is said that "the heart has its reasons that reason itself cannot know."

Every ROSE has it's THORN:

Why do we so associate Valentine's Day with roses? Why the act of giving a rose to those we love? Some say it is because a ROSE contains all the letters to spell EROS, and therefore ROSE is a symbol of EROS.

Some say other things about EROS AND ROSES.

Let's ask Bette Midler . . .

"Why yes U.B., I know a thing or two about love. Some say love is a razor, or a hunger, an endless aching need, but I agree with EROS that it is a flower, and after winter, with the sun's love, in the spring, it becomes a ROSE!"

What about you Brett Michaels, any thoughts about Roses?

"Why yes U.B., every rose has a thorn! Hey, want me to sing you a sad sad song about it? Let me get my guitar and cowboy hat."

When I think of all the difficulties and life's heartbreaks, I imagine them as the thorns of Roses, and these thorns, so amazingly placed in alternating ascension, provide a ladder to climb to reach and appreciate the blossoming bud. Perhaps the trick, the lesson, or the remembering, is to not get stuck on any particular thorn, but understand the purpose of the thorn, and climb from pain to beauty.

So from Bon Jovi, Bette Midler, Bret Michaels, (just pretend, really, just go with it), and myself, WE wish you a Happy Valentine's Day.

Okay Cupid, spotlight is yours, let's shuffle!

are you shuffling? I don't hear any shuffles? You better be doing some Valentine Day shuffles. As Peter Gabriel said, "the book of love is filled with facts and figures, and instructions for dancing." Pretty sure it was the cupid shuffle, soooooo - SHUFFLE!