On Love and Transformation

Reflections on the unbelievably profound tale of Cupid and Psyche from The Golden Ass by Apuleius

1. Book IV: Fatal beauty - The story begins with Psyche’s beauty calling on worshippers from far and wide, which in turn, invokes the wrath of Venus, whose temples lay bare and in want of devotees. This is characteristic of the tussle between infatuation (immature, romantic and impulsive affection) with love (mature, enduring and stable affection). As have been the ways of man, the allure of the former overshadows the more meaningful latter. The former requires indulgence and instant gratification, and the latter requires taking responsibility and willingness to grow. The charm of infatuation often causes the hero to stray from the more difficult path of choosing love. What makes this resemblance even more striking is that Psyche is described as a “mere mortal” who is doomed to death (as infatuation is inevitably short-lived) while Venus is an immortal goddess (aptly analogous to love).

“People journeyed from far countries, and sailed the deep  sea in swelling throngs, to witness the sight of the age. Venus’s shrines in Paphos, Cnidos, and even Cythera itself were no longer their destinations. Her rites were neglected, her temples abandoned, her cushions were trodden underfoot, the ceremonies uncelebrated, the statues un-garlanded, the altars cold  with forsaken ashes. The  girl it was, that people  worshipped, seeking to propitiate the goddess’ great power in a human face.”                      

2. Book V: The sisters’ scheme - At this point, Psyche meets her two evil sisters, disregarding her husband’s repeated warnings, falls prey to their manipulative tactics and conspires with them to bring about her own downfall as well as that of her husband’s. This is characteristic of the many occasions in which we respond to the call of the malevolence in us, and bring about our own destruction by means of the web of lies, deceit and chaos that we weave. The story is a lesson that seeks to teach us how we must not give in to the malevolent sub-personalities that work within us, each vying for a singular dominance over our being, and how we not give in to the temptations of impulsivity.

“Then poor little Psyche, naive and vulnerable, was seized with terror at their dark words. Beyond reason, she forgot all the warnings her husband had issued, and her own pledge, and plunged headlong to ruin.”

3. Book V: Revelation - At this juncture in the story, Psyche, having given in to her “insatiable curiosity” (a perpetually appearing motif in Greek mythology), gazes upon her husband while he sleeps, toeing the line that separates Order and Chaos, until with one fatal move, she oversteps it. Two moments are of utmost relevance in this scene:

i) The pricking of Psyche’s fingers with Cupid’s arrows while she explores his weapons, which causes her to fall further in love with her husband. This takes place moments before the discovery of her error, suggesting that her desires are exaggerated at first, to make her fall appear even more tragic. This is characteristic to the sudden rush of impetus we experience at the last moment, that spurs us with renewed vigour headlong into our doom.

“She drew an arrow from the quiver, testing the point against her thumb-tip, but her hand was still trembling and pressing too hard she pricked the surface, so that tiny drops of crimson blood moistened the skin. Thus without  knowing it Psyche fell further in love with Love himself, so that now inflamed with desire for Desire, she leaned over Cupid, desperate for him.”

ii) Of particular significance is the lamp - a source of light. Light represents knowledge or consciousness. It is the lamp that rouses Cupid from his slumber as it drips hot oil onto his body. This moment is characteristic to that blinding flash of clarity one has when one commits a damning error.

“Then as her wounded heart beat with the tremor of such bliss, the lamp, in wicked treachery, or malicious jealousy, or simply longing to touch and kiss, in some fashion, that wondrous body, shed a drop of hot oil from the depths of its flame on to the god’s right shoulder. O bold and careless lamp, a poor servant to Love, scorching the god of  flame himself, though a lover it was who first invented you so as to enjoy, even at night, an endless sight of his beloved!”

4. Book V: The sisters’ fate - Cupid forsakes Psyche, who laments his loss and wanders in search of him. As in the previous scene, two moments are of particular significance:

i) She meets Pan, the god of the wilderness, who advises her to find solace in deference to save herself from love’s extremes. This is characteristic of the stage, where the hero swears off carnal desire not long after he makes a desperate attempt to wilfully quell his agony after suffering the vagaries of love.

“If I surmise rightly, though wise men call it not surmise but rather divination, by your weak and wandering footsteps, your deathly pale complexion, your constant sighs and those sad eyes, you are  suffering from  love’s  extremes. But listen  to  what I say, don’t try to find death again by a suicidal leap or in some other way. Cease your mourning, end this sorrow. Rather pray to Cupid greatest of the gods, worship him and earn his favour through blandishments and deference, for he’s a pleasure-seeking, tender-hearted youth.”           

ii) The death of both her evil sisters - this is characteristic of the immediate subduing of the malevolent spirit once it has succeeded in acting out its design through the hero. 

“And she took a headlong leap. Yet even in death she could not reach her goal. Her body was broken and  torn on the jagged rocks, as she deserved, and her lacerated corpse provided a ready banquet for the wild beasts and carrion birds.”

5. Book V: Venus is angered - Venus, learns that Cupid has been burned. 

i) Enraged at her son’s disobedience, she gives us a picture of the total collapse of meaningful structures that is bound to occur when love is indulged in, without taking on responsibility.

“People said that they’d both abandoned their post, he to dally in the mountains, she to sport in the sea; that all delight, grace and charm was gone; that all was boorish, rough, unkempt; no nuptial rites, no friendly gatherings, no love of children; only a vast confusion, and a squalid disregard for the chafing bonds of marriage.”

ii) Venus rants about how Cupid mocks his mother as “a widow”, and lives not in fear of his father, Mars (Ares), the god of War. This is characteristic of modern times, where love is scorned, and impulsive, instant-gratification seeking infatuation receives acceptance. An interesting tangent that springs to mind from the reading of this scene is that Venus is married to Mars; perhaps there is some link between this and the popular axiom“Women are from Venus and men are from Mars.” 

iii) Venus debates whether she should approach her enemy, Moderation, for help, who is increasingly displeased with Cupid’s excesses and wishes to see him tamed.

6. Book VI: Ceres and Juno - Psyche wanders alone, steeped in her misfortunes, seeking to escape the wrath of Venus, and approaches the two goddesses, Ceres (Demeter), the goddess of maternity, agriculture and fertility, and Juno (Hera), the goddess of marriage and childbirth, both of whom refuse to help or harbour her. This is characteristic of the moment at which the hero so desperately yearns that which is meaningful, and seeks to find solace and nourishment at the breast of the mother. However, a good mother must not take in an erring child, it is her moral responsibility to further the transformation of the hero without shielding him from the depths that will deliver him.

7. Book VI: Brought to account - A key moment in the transformation of the psyche, our character Psyche, now makes up her mind to submit willingly to Venus. This is characteristic of the moment that the soul takes up arms to confront the chaos willingly rather than be subject to its cruel whims. 

“What roof can conceal me, what darkness can hide me from the all-penetrating eyes of powerful Venus? Why not pluck up courage, as a man would, and abandon idle hope? Go to your mistress willingly, though late, and by yielding to her furious pursuit mollify her. Besides, who knows that you may not find the one you’ve long searched for, there, in his mother’s house?” So, ready to risk the unknown consequences of surrender, even destruction itself,  she  pondered  how  she should commence her imminent appeal.” 

8. Book VI: The first task - Psyche is brought to Venus, who hands her over to her attendants, Anxiety and Sorrow to be tortured. This is characteristic of the penance that love brings with it. 

Venus then sets her to the first task - sorting out grains from heap, instructing her that only her industriousness can attract her lover, now that she has lost her good looks. This is remarkably characteristic of the moment of realisation in a young lover who realises that love needs more than just superficial beauty to survive. It is the first step of the transcendence of infatuation into love. 

As Psyche sits in front of the heap of grains, daunted and distraught, an army of ants take pity on her and finish up the task.

“You look such a hideous creature you’ll only attract a lover by hard work. So I’ll test out your industriousness myself. Sort that pile into separate kinds, each in its own heap, finish it all by this evening, and show it to me for approval.”

9. Book VI: The second task - Venus returns to find the task completed by Psyche and is unsatisfied as she suspects foul play. She sets her to the second task, for which Psyche has to bring back the wool from the golden fleeced sheep that graze in the pastures at the edge of a far-off wood. This time, she is helped by a reed. As she returns with the fleece, Venus is suspicious once more. The second task (stealing of the golden fleece) is characteristic of the moment when the lovers often have to strive to steal happy moments from the perpetually hectic and pain-stricken drama that is life. It can also be interpreted as the determination that the lovers must have, to remember the good things about their marriage amidst the chaos that strives to tear them asunder. 

This scene is also a lesson about how man is incapable of grasping the ultimate reality, and human limitation demands that he sees but a reflection of it. This necessitates a policy of the use of minimal necessary force, as we are no match that can contend with the ultimate.

“Don’t go near those dreadful sheep right now, as they soak up heat from the burning sun and burst out in wild fits of madness, venting their fury on passers-by with those sharp horns set in stony foreheads and their venomous bite.”

An echo of this sentiment can be found in the second part of Faust: 

“So it is, when to the thing we yearn for 

The highest wish so intimately rehearsed, 

We find fulfilment opening wide the door: 

And then, from eternal space, there breaks 

A flood of flame, we stand amazed before: 

We wished to set the torch of life ablaze, 

A sea of fire consumes us, and such fire! 

Love, is it, then? Or hate? This fierce embrace, 

The joy and pain of alternating pyres, 

So that, gazing back to earth again, 

We seek to veil ourselves in youth’s desire.

...

And in lone splendour, through the tumult there, 

The rainbow’s arch of colour, bending brightly,

Is clearly marked, and then dissolved in air, 

Around it the cool showers, falling lightly. 

There the efforts of mankind they mirror. 

Reflect on it, you’ll understand precisely: 

We live our life amongst refracted colour.”

10. Book VI: The third task - Venus sets Psyche to an even more daunting task - to bring back a vial of water from the falls of the river Styx. Jupiter’s eagle comes to her rescue this time, and brings back a vial of the water with itself. The third task characteristic of the many times that the lover is called upon to tame chaos to make order out of it, without which love should wilt and die.

11. Book VI: The underworld - Still displeased with Psyche’s mastery over the three tasks (characterising the trials and tribulations that love demands from us), Venus assigns her the final and most daunting task of all - to venture down into the Underworld itself, approach the queen of the dead Proserpine (Persephone) and bring back a jar of her beauty for Venus. This task is characteristic of the soul’s journey into the Underworld, which it often takes in the journey of love, and the need to transform death to beauty, without which love would indeed lose its lustre. This time she is guided by the highest turret, which she climbs to fling herself from, in despair. It gives her explicit instructions to be followed on her journey into Hades. It is only sensible that in order to voluntarily step into the Underworld, Psyche will need the wisdom of the summit (symbolised by the high turret). The turret tells her that she must carry with herself two coins to give to the ferryman, Charon and two barley cakes for the three-headed dog, Cerberus, who guards hell. The turret tells her that numerous traps have been laid by Venus to foil her success, and she must successfully avoid each, and demand plain bread from Proserpine and eat it on the ground like a commoner. This is characteristic of the simplicity and discipline that love demands. Finally, the turret warns Psyche to return, but without glancing into the jar of beauty. This is characteristic of the many times where a lover must sacrifice the joys of the present and practice restraint in order to reap a sweeter fruit in the future. 

12. Book VI: The jar of sleep - Psyche follows all of the turret’s instructions, except the last. Once again, her curiosity gets the better of her and she opens the jar, only to find no beauty, but Stygian sleep, which, at once, plunges her into the deepest slumber. This is characteristic of how the flaws and malevolence in us rears its ugly head in the worst of our times, as if only to prevent us from grasping true meaning that is almost within our clasp. Cupid, who was imprisoned by his mother, is no longer able to bear the absence of his beloved and leaps from the window. He flies to Psyche, rouses her from her sleep, and bids her complete the final task. He then flies to Jove (Zeus) and entreats his assistance to be united with his love. Zeus assents after rebuking Cupid for having flouted the laws of public order and for having sullied the names of the Gods.

13. Book VI: The marriage - The final scene, wherein Jupiter (Zeus) calls forth all the deities for uniting Cupid and Psyche. He grants Psyche the gift of immortality, which makes their union that of equals. This scene is crucial in its moral - when love and the soul unite, pleasure is born (for that is the name of their daughter). The story preaches indulgence and passion, but only within the bounds of holy matrimony. 

“O deities, inscribed in the roll-call of the Muses, you all know it to be true that I raised this lad with my own hands. I’ve decided the impulses of his hot youth need curbing in some manner. We must take away the opportunity; restrain his childish indulgence with the bonds of matrimony. He’s found a girl, he’s taken her virginity. Let him have her, hold her, and in Psyche’s arms indulge his passions forever.”

Explore more: 
1. The Golden Ass - Apuleius.
2. Faust, Parts I and II - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.