Spiritual Childhood
The aim of conscious love is to bring about rebirth, or spiritual childhood. Everybody with perceptions beyond those of male and female must be aware of the change that comes over the man or woman, however old in years, who loves.
It is usually instinctive; yet it symbolizes the still more marvelous change occurring when a man or woman loves consciously or is aware of being consciously loved. The youth in such cases has all the air of eternity, and it is, indeed, the divine youth.
The creations of such a spiritual child in each of the two lovers is the peculiar function of conscious love; and it depends neither upon marriage nor upon children. There are other creations proper to still higher degrees of love, but they must remain until we have become as little children.
A R Orage, Psychological Exercises, Love
The truth about love is shown in the order in which religion has been introduced into the world. First came the religion of Power, then came the religion of Knowledge, and last came the religion of love.
Why this order_ because love without the former qualities is dangerous. But this is not to say that the succession has been anything more than discretion; since power alone, like knowledge alone, is only less dangerous than love alone. Perfection demands simultaneously place of succession. The order is only evidence that since succession was imperative (man being subject to the dimension of time which is succession(, it was better to begin with the less dangerous dictators and leave Love to the last.
A certain prudent man, when he felt himself to be in love, hung a little bell round his neck to caution women that he was dangerous. Unfortunately for themselves they took too much notice of it; and he suffered accordingly. Until you have wisdom and power equal to your love, be ashamed, my sons and daughters, to avow that you are in love. Or, since you cannot conceal it, love humbly and study to be wise and strong. Aim to be worth to be in love.
All true lovers are invulnerable to everybody but their beloved. This comes ab out not by wish or effort but by the fact of true, ie, whole, love alone. Temptation has not to be overcome, it is not experienced. The invulnerability is magical.
A. R. Orage, Love