Eros Moves Us

Eros is the vital energy that infuses all of existence with aliveness, vibrancy, and creativity. But eros is more than life force (or chi), for it carries a charge in relation to others. It wants to edge closer to its object of desire, to touch and be touched by the beloved other. This drive for union, or urge to merge, is the fundamental movement of the universe toward intimacy.

To long for intimacy we must first know separation, so we sample duality, such as day and night, right and wrong, transcendent and immanent. Life hands us experiences that are like juice squeezed from citrus, sometimes sweet and at other times sour, oranges and lemons. When we insist on more of one and less of another, we suffer, and this struggle over our preferences may lead us to discover the fruit of Being, which has but One Taste, and ultimately satiates our hunger.

Yet the cosmos is not only perfect and whole, it is also endlessly becoming. Eros has an evolutionary impulse, and our personal yearning points us toward our unique contribution to this project.

Here’s how: Eros simmers between chaos and order, communicating more than undifferentiated energy and less than articulated emotion. Rather than “happy” or “sad,” it signals a simple “yes” or “no.” When we assent to this wisdom and heed the daimon, we unfold the soul and participate in soulmaking. We serve as a conduit for a ceaselessly emergent, creative cosmos.