The minute we think, “That’s all there is, folks,” it’s game over. It’s as simple as that with eros.
People may be confused about a lot of different things, but most of us are somewhat confused about love. And sex. And then there’s that erotic spark. What gives? The forces of love, eros and sex are actually three distinct forces, or principles. And they show up, or don’t, differently on all the various levels. Let’s see if we can sort them out.
When it comes to bang for the buck, the erotic force is the most potent. It’s got momentum on its side and it creates impact. If we have done a lot of spiritual development work already, the erotic force will carry us from the short-lived erotic experience into the mighty and permanent state of pure love. So it’s to be the bridge that takes us from sex to love. But it rarely does. After all, eros can only do so much.
Its momentum will carry a soul just so far and no further. It’s up to the personality to learn how to love. Without this, eros is destined to dissolve. But if one has learned to love, then voilà, the spark of the erotic force lives on. Left all on its own, however, without love to keep it company, it will burn itself out. Pffft. So goes the way of so many marriages.
In many ways, eros looks a lot like love. It conjures up impulses in people that might not surface otherwise. Bursts of unselfishness and affection surge into existence that were unrealized before. So we get confused. Isn’t this love? But eros also looks a lot like the great urge of the sex instinct. Yet it’s not quite the same thing.
Let’s dig a little deeper into the purpose and spiritual meaning of the erotic force. For surely, without eros, many of us would not get a taste of the marvelous feeling and beauty contained in real love. Fear would trump desire and down we’d go in flames.
Jill Loree grew up in northern Wisconsin with parents who embraced their Norwegian, Swedish and German heritage. Foods like lutefisk, lefse and krumkaka were prepared every Christmas. And of course there was plenty of beer, bratwurst and cheese all year round.
She would go on to throw pizzas and bartend while attending college at the University of Wisconsin, and then moved into a career in technical sales and marketing. She would settle in Atlanta in 1989 and discover that the sweet spot of her career would be in marketing communications. A true Gemini, she has a degree in chemistry and a flair for writing.
One of Jill’s greatest passions in life has been her spiritual path. Raised in the Lutheran faith, she became a more deeply spiritual person in the rooms of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) starting in 1989. In 1997, she was introduced to the wisdom of the Pathwork Guide, which she describes as “having walked through the doorway of a fourth step and found the whole library.”
In 2007, she completed four years of training to become a Pathwork Helper, and stepped fully into her Helpership in 2011. In addition to offering individual and group sessions, she has been a teacher in the Transformation Program offered by Mid-Atlantic Pathwork. She also led marketing activities for Sevenoaks Retreat Center in Madison, Virginia and served on their Board of Trustees.
In 2012, Jill completed four years of kabbalah training and became certified for hands-on healing using the energies embodied in the tree of life. She began dedicating her life to writing and teaching about personal self-development in 2014.
Today, Jill is the proud mom of two adult children, Charlie and Jackson, and is delighted to be married to Scott Wisler. She’s had more than one last name along the way and now happily uses her middle name as her last. It’s pronounced loh-REE. In 2022, Scott joined her full time in their mission to spread the teachings of the Pathwork Guide far and wide.
