What was psyche not allowed to do

She was being taken into the air, over the rocky hill, to a soft meadow full of flowers. He did his best to make her forget her pain and put her to sleep. She then woke up by the sound of clear stream and when she opened her eyes she faced an imposing and magnificent castle.

It seemed destined to a god, with gold columns, silver walls and floors of inlaid precious stones. Absolute silence ruled. It seemed uninhabited and Psyche approached cautiously to admire its splendors. She remained suspicious at the threshold, where she heard a noise but could not see anyone.

However, she could clearly hear the words: The house is for you. Come in and do not be afraid. Take a bath and we will immediately honor you with a great dinner.

Never had she taken such a refreshing bath nor tasted such delicious dishes. While eating, she heard a soft music around her, like a harp accompanying a numerous choir. She heard it but she could not see it. The whole day she was alone, only accompanied by the voices.

But somehow she knew her husband would come at night. And so it was. When she felt he was close to her and heard his voice whispering sweetly in her ear, her fears disappeared.

Without even seeing him, she was certain that he was not a monster but the loving husband she had always been wishing for. The following days passed in full joy and Psyche could not remember any happier time of her life. However, day after day, she was feeling sadness that she could not see her husband. Moreover, she was left alone all day and boredom filled her heart.

Suddenly, she started missing her family. They must have been mourning for her and she was alive and happy. This was not fair and she didn't want her family to suffer. That night, she asked her mysterious husband to grant her a favor. She wanted her tow sisters to come up at the palace and make sure that she was fine. That would be a comfort for her old parents. At first, her husband refused but when Psyche turned out so sad, he told her.

OK, I will allow your sisters to come up here, but I am warning you, do not let them influence you. If they do, you will destroy our relationship and suffer a lot.

Next day, her two sisters, carried by the wind, they came up to Psyche. They were all happy to see each other and cried in happiness. However, when they entered the palace, the two older sisters were amazed by all those magnificent treasures.

During dinner, they heard a wonderful music and drank the most delicious of wines. Envy was flourishing in their heart and an irresistible curiosity to know the owner of such magnificence, the husband of Psyche.

They kept asking the poor girl questions on her husband, his look and his occupation. Psyche just said that he was a young hunter. But, they didn't believe her, of course. Could a simple hunter be so rich? He must be a prince or even a god , they thought. The two sisters knew that compared to Psyche, their own wealth and happiness were nothing at all and in total jealousy, they made a plan to hurt their sister. When, they were saying goodbye, they two evil women told Psyche that her husband must be the awful snake that the oracle of Delphi had told her husband.

That is why he doesn't allow you to see him. Because he knows that if you see him, you will disgust in his sight and leave him forever. Oh, poor Psyche, how can you sleep with such a horrible creature? From that day on, Psyche could think of nothing else but these words. Even nature, as the ants and eagle demonstrate, support true love. Of all the stories in the Greek mythology, none more clearly demonstrates that true love exists than this story. Moreover, Psyche reveals that true love is to be defended and supported no matter what the cost.

This part of the myth is beautifully retold by the modern author C. Lewis under the title Till We Have Faces. Psyche remains an unusual example of a female character who acts like a male hero. Although other female characters such as Artemis perform traditionally male activities, none so boldly acts as a hero might: overcoming seemingly impossible obstacles, fighting to win true love, achieving a status that is more than human.

Importantly, Psyche is a rare being who begins as a mortal and ends as a divinity. Her unique position raises questions about spirituality. Is the soul properly a thing of the earth or a thing of the heavens? How does Psyche's being change when she becomes immortal?

Was there something about Psyche that was more than human from the very beginning, and why did she win the attention of Cupid in the first place? The story continues to explore the distinction between humans and gods, as Venus is bitterly jealous of a mortal who draws other mortals away from her, a goddess. On earth, the soul, figured as Psyche, is amazingly beautiful but faces great trials. Order is restored when the soul reaches the heavens.

It seems that the decision is up to Zeus. Must a soul earn its place with help in the realm of divinity? Must there be an advocate, another god, who must bring the case to Zeus? Although such questions are left open, it seems clear that Psyche's determination, courage, and belief in true love help her achieve divine status. This myth also shows some of the interlocking storylines of the myths.

Psyche visits Persephone in the underworld it must be winter. We will see the River Styx again, too, not to mention Zeus and Venus. Psyche was abandoned on the mountaintop to wait for her husband. As she sat alone and cried, Zephyrus, the West Wind, began to blow around her.

The wind wrapped around her until it carried her off the ground. Gently, Zephyrus took the girl down the mountain and into a lush, peaceful valley. In a grove of trees, she saw a splendid palace. When she entered it, she found that it was full of every type of riches she could imagine. She saw no one in the palace but could hear the whispered voices of the servants.

When she wished for anything, whether it was food or music, it was brought to her as if by air. Her new husband was invisible as well. He visited her at night and spoke to her in the dark, but was always gone by morning. Eros knew that misfortune would befall them both if Psyche were to know his identity, so he made her swear that she would never try to see his face.

While Psyche was content, she began to feel lonely. She knew her family believed her dead, or worse, and she wanted nothing more than to see her sisters. Zephyrus carried them to the palace. The sisters were amazed that not only was Psyche happy and healthy, but that she lived in such a grand place.

Compared to their own marriages, which had been arranged to unkind men who were much older, Psyche seemed to be very lucky. He must have been a monster after all. Psyche tried to ignore them, but after they left she began to grow more suspicious herself. Fueled by jealousy and greed, the sisters had managed to put doubt in her mind. Psyche decided that she would see the truth for herself. That night, she hid a lantern and a knife near her bed. After her husband had fallen asleep next to her, Psyche lit the flame.

She held the knife close by prepared to kill him if he was a monster after all. She also saw the quiver of arrows he kept at the foot of the bed. Examining them, she pricked her finger on one, causing to fall more deeply in love than she already had.

Eros was furious. His wife had not only disobeyed his warning, but had been prepared to kill him in his sleep. They had never been convinced that Psyche had truly married a monster. Instead, certain that her mysterious husband would have turned her out when she tried to kill him, both sisters attempted to offer themselves as replacements. They each climbed a cliff, asking Zephyrus to take them to the palace as he had before. Each were ignored, though, and fell to their death.

The wound had burned so deeply that the servants claimed his life was in danger. When Aphrodite heard that her son had been in the country with a girl, she was amused, thinking he had simply been having fun with one of the nymphs. When she learned, however, that he had actually been spending his nights with the very girl she had sworn to destroy, the goddess was furious. She threatened to strip Eros of his divinity and renounce him as her son for the betrayal. Hera and Demeter heard her shouts.

Aphrodite, however, ignored their advice. She ordered her servants and followers to search everywhere until they found Psyche. Psyche, meanwhile, had been wandering the earth searching for her husband. She was so distraught she even considered throwing herself off a cliff, but Pan happened to be passing by and advised her not to throw her life away. Demeter appeared to her, along with Hera. They warned her that Aphrodite was searching for her but they could offer no help without upsetting the goddess themselves.

Psyche knew it was only a matter of time before Aphrodite caught up to her. The angry goddess had enlisted the help of Hermes and promised a reward to any human who brought news of her whereabouts.

A non-human woman is ravished by a god - it makes sense; they marry and live happy in his heaven's palace. Psyche was exchanging messages with her sisters and as she started missing them a lot, they were allowed to visit her at the palace. They got to know that Psyche was not allowed to see her god-husband: it was the only condition he placed on their marital vows. Jealousy, envy, fear, so often buried inside and flourishing in the shadow, came to do their part and stimulate Psyche to go forward in her self-knowledge process.

So, she had two initiators in consciousness: Goddess Aphrodite and the shadow - or only one, the Goddess, using darkness to teach what Love is. And also, Eros, of course! Then, the blindness ceases and we begin to see What do you do? Dealing with reality is a maturing process. Better than living always in Neverland with Peter Pan and the lost boys lost for consciousness and a functional, responsible grown up life. If the other as sufficient human quality to be in our lives, then we must show the courage to face their darker selves, along the way.

The love story between the Beauty and the Beast transforms both by the courage to face their demons.