Have you met your soulmate yet?

DESIRE (trad. VII The Chariot)

What lovers better symolise the pure force of unquenchable desire than Tristan and Isolde, who unwittingly drank of the love potion Isolde's mother had prepared for her to ensure a happy marriage to king Mark. Thus they became slaves to love. Isn't it remarkable that almost all the great love stories of this world are about ill-fated lovers? Could understanding the nature of desire perhaps help us understand why this is?

We are born into this world with amnesia, not remembering who we truly are and perhaps even less who are true soulmates are. Yet we catch glimpses of our true nature in moments of pure and simple joy when our hearts overflow with love, light and laughter. There are also moments of recognition of the Other when our eyes meet the gaze of someone we know in the spirit world, our eternal home.

Yet we forget to let this natural recognition work in our favour and let ourselves become driven by worldly desires even when it comes to love. Growing up, I knew I had one true love and that he was waiting for me like I was waiting for him. Then fear of being alone induced a deeper state of amnesia, and for a long time I went through life thinking that I want my love to look like this, think like this, have these qualities etc.

In reality I settled for pretty much the first person who came along who fancied me; I really couldn't believe that I was worthy of the real thing. Being a little bit older and having been relieved of my memory block through a long series of hard knocks, I have only one desire: to be reunited with my soulmate.

I pray for the grace to accept that this will happen when the time is right. I don't ask to recognise him when I see him - I know I will. The White Dove of True Love has whispered his soul essence in my ear, infusing me with a desire that is aligned with Divine Will - a much lighter burden, for with it comes trust.

Just knowing that he is out there, longing for me, getting ready to be reunited with me fills me with peace. How different is this from the desire that pulls the heart asunder! And yet every cell of my body writhes in anticipation of his touch. The body has a mind of its own and I'm better off accepting it than trying to sublimate it endlessly. I am human. I am a woman. In fact, I love being a woman!

I trust that all my desires are of divine origin. I trust that they serve the purpose of educating me. I trust that when I'm aligned with Divine Will, the desire that leads me to my Beloved is the one that will win.