The human ego has been much-maligned throughout history. Christianity tells us that the seven deadly sins are based on the pursuit of selfish motives or ego. Buddhism reminds us that ego's attachments are the cause for our suffering. From the Course in Miracles we learn that the ego's projection of being separated from God causes us shame, guilt and pain. Contemporary writers such as Deepak Chopra and Eckhart Tolle seek to enlighten us about the pitfalls of eco-centric ways of thinking and acting. None of us likes an egocentric or egomaniac person. But why do we have an ego? Is it really all bad? In Latin language the word ego simply means "I", myself. When we are born we do not yet have a sense of identity. We learn what is other than I through separation and distinction. This is a necessary stage of human development. Later in life, a well-balanced ego helps us to strive and achieve our goals and dreams. It is only when the ego is out of control that it becomes a problem. The ego is then like a fearful child that projects the worst, lives in the past or the future, criticizes and condemns and is rarely ever satisfied. Basically, it wants to protect us from harm, but often doesn't know how to go about it.

The invitation is not to find fault, but to examine your own soul’s architecture and that of your partner. Asking the questions below may not always result in clear and concise answers, but you will gain deeper understanding about the level of resonance between the two of you.

1. Do we feel physically attracted to each other, is there an erotic spark between us?
This first one seems to be an easy one, especially when we have just ‘fallen in love’. Erotic attraction can be all-consuming, even blinding us to other factors that will become more important once this initial spark has quieted down. In long-lasting healthy relationships physical attraction often takes backstage to other characteristics of your love connection. However, if eroticism has become dormant or even absent over the years, one or both of the partners may feel a need to seek erotic polarity outside of the relationship.

The Earth wobbles, the Solar System wobbles, and so do we!

Did you know that the Earth's whirling through space actually create cycles in the cosmic realm, moving us through the different ages?  This cycle causes the Precession of the Equinoxes. Hence we talk about the "Age of Pisces", or more recently, the "Age of Aquarius". There are cycles within cycles, rhythms within greater harmonics. The entire Solar System wobbles in a dance of celestial bodies who catch and swing each other. Earth - Moon - Sun - Galaxy: dancers that invisibly "clasp hands" on their cosmic journey through space. Why would we humans be excluded from that dance? It isn't always fun though to feel like we are being tossed around in space, subject to forces unknown.