When you’re happy with somebody, it’s easy to say you have strong love compatibility with them but what would you do for love when things aren’t exactly great? Most people agree that love is more than an emotion or whim when everything is perfect, but what is love, on a spiritual level that is? Read on to learn the spiritual meaning of love.
“I love you!” What does that really mean on a soul level? Does it mean somebody turns you on or does and says all the perfect things? Is love something that is temporary when things are the best, or is true love something you feel deep down in your soul, and nothing can make you stop loving someone? What would you do for love when your relationship is disrupting the road to happiness? Is it true that love always finds a way to make things better and is there any such thing as loving someone too much?
We have discussed romantic love, love compatibility between zodiac signs, how to break up with someone you love, and even how to get back together with them. We have defined love, and even written about self-love, but the spiritual definition of love is quite another topic. Many different people have views about what love symbolizes and what represents love, and all of these things can be defined by actions.
Anybody can say they love you, but what things they do show whether that is true or not. What would you do for love if there are problems, or if your loved one is having issues? What happens when you are loving someone more than they love you? What happens when you are bitter or think love is a lie? Are barriers to love enough to split lovers apart? How do you attract love? Join us as we define the spiritual meaning of love and discuss what love looks like when times are tough in your relationships.
What is Spiritual Love?
Some people believe love is fleeting and based on whether you are happy with somebody or not, but spiritual people disagree. Love is defined as a permanent thing, not just a temporary feeling, and it governs our behavior even in times when we are hurting. Love is defined as forever, and not based on things people do or say. Love just is. Read on to see what some spiritual people have had to say about love.
The Bible
Many rely on the Bible to guide them spiritually, and that book has a whole lot to say about the spiritual meaning of love. For example, 1 Corinthians 4-8 famously states “ 4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.”
Also in Corinthians, 16:14, it says, “Let all that you do be done in love.” In the Gospel of John, 4:7, it says, “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.” Still more was said by Jesus himself inJohn 13:34-35- “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. “
All of this means that love is concerned with treating other people well. We are to protect the people we love and hope for good things for them. We won’t brag to them about how great we think we are, and we won’t be selfish with the people we love at all. We won’t “keep score” of things they did wrong but are sorry for and we will forgive the people we love who have messed up but are sorry and have righted the wrongs. If we truly love someone, we will stick with them and we will not fail them, no matter what happens and how long of time passes.
The most sacred thing Jesus said we can do is to truly love one another, and this is what he commands of his followers. He did not command they reject things like pork, shrimp, or premarital sex, as was said to make one impure in the Old Testament. His greatest commandment was to love human beings. Holiness to him was how we treat people and what comes out of us in the form of our words and deeds and how we treat people as opposed to the things we wear, eat, or practice on our own. Love one another is what he asked of his followers.
Wicca
A much more modern religion, Wicca venerates the Mother Goddess and Father God as dual creators of all things in the Universe. Devotees practice magic and observe the seasons together, growing spiritually with other members of their Coven. One of the leaders of Wicca, Sibyl Leek, ascribed seven guidelines for Wiccans, and one is called the Tenet of Trust. In Coven Circle, Wiccans say they come to the Circle in Perfect Love and Perfect Trust, and this is one way they unite, showing their kinship and love for one another. What does this “ Perfect Love and Perfect Trust” mean?
Some would say it means you can be assured that you are safe in your Coven and in magical working Circle with the members of said Coven, but others insist Perfect love and Perfect trust has a deeper meaning. It refers to having complete and total trust and faith in the Mother Goddess and the Father God and in yourself to know what they say to you in your own heart. It means you trust their guidance as you walk your own spiritual path, and you understand that no Priestess or Priest stands between you and your deities.
You will trust your clergy persons of the Craft to guide you, but you trust no voice over the one of your own Spiritual Self when it comes to listening to the divine Mother and Father. Your love and faith in the Goddess and God should be unshakable, or perfect, and your love of them should be deep and undying. Some people read a few magical books and call themselves Wiccan for a time while they are searching for what religion or magical tradition they call home, but true Wiccans are Wiccans for life and their love for their faith and their Goddess and God are timeless and strengthens over the years. Their love and trust in their own path and deities is therefore perfect. That is Perfect Love and Perfect Trust.
Buddhism
Buddhism has something else to say about love. The Buddha said we should “Radiate boundless love towards the entire world.” He is also quoted as saying, “Love the whole world as a mother loves her only child.” The Noble Eightfold Path spells out things we are all called to do by Buddhism to live a good life. One of the eight ways is the way of Right Intention. It calls us to move into a lifestyle that bears no ill will toward any living creature and also gives loving kindness. Another is the act of Right Action where you not only won’t engage in misconduct, but you will not kill or injure any living being.
In Section III.248, the Majjhima Nikaya says: “And what is right resolve? Being resolved on renunciation, on freedom from ill will, on harmlessness: This is called right resolve.” Also the Pali Canon says: And what is right action? Abstaining from killing, abstaining from stealing, abstaining from sexual misconduct. This is called right action.” Buddhism asks you to look at what you want to do for love, and then find ways to be caring, and giving to all living beings.
Such radical love that leaders like Jesus and the Buddha called for as well as the radical concept of giving full love and trust to your personal self and your deities the Wiccans believe in say nothing about love being only for romance or sexual partners. Love is something that is everlasting and something we are called upon to give selflessly in life. However, loving other people doesn’t mean we don’t love ourselves. The Buddha said, “ You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.” And he also said “ If you truly loved yourself, you could never hurt another.”
What People Do for Love
What shows love? What would you do for love questions how much we have it in us to truly love fully and our actions speak louder than words. For example, a loving woman would make sure not to antagonize you about something that breaks your heart, whereas someone who did not care about you might use that as a way to tease you for their own enjoyment. What we do says more about our feelings than what we state aloud that our feelings are.
In the Gospel of Matthew 7:19-20, Jesus was speaking of false prophets and he said “ 19 Every tree that doesn’t grow good fruit is cut down, and thrown into the fire. 20 Therefore by their fruits you will know them. “ This scriptural passage can be applied to the people who we are in relationships with. By their deeds, we know their true intentions and feelings. Someone who time and again insists on doing and saying things that are hurtful to us are not behaving in loving ways. They can say “I love you” all they want, but their actions, or “fruits” demonstrate otherwise.
Father Jerome Cummings said “ Love is shown in your deeds, not in your words.” If someone says they love you, but cheats on you, lies to you, insults your appearance, belittles the things that matter to you, blows you off a lot when they would rather go do something else, or otherwise just isn’t nice to you, they are not behaving in loving ways. Love finds its way to prove itself in our actions and in how we treat one another. What do you do to demonstrate that you love people?
How to Overcome Being a Woman Who Loves Too Much
Is it true that loving too much hurts or is it more true that not being loved enough is what hurts? Being too available to people who don’t value spending time with you is what hurts, not the fact that you love, let alone that you love completely. Love is not a contest where we seek to see who can give the least amount of love but get the maximum amount of love out of other people. That’s not actually love but selfishness. We should never worry that we feel too much love, but that we balance love of ourselves with love of others.
Loving ourselves means we won’t continue to make plans with people who cancel plans with us constantly and it means we won’t be in relationships with people who don’t treat us with love. You can still love someone who doesn’t show you love in return but loving someone should not dictate that we allow ourselves to be put into situations that hurt us. The problem is not loving too much, but other people loving too little. If somebody doesn’t love you, it’s okay to step away and channel all of the wonderful love in your heart to other people who will love you in return.
Are You Negative About Love?
Attracting love isn’t easy when you are bitter or have attitudes against love. If a man once broke your heart, to say “All men are pigs who break all women’s hearts” is not going to win you boyfriends. It’s okay to grieve broken heartedness and take all the time you need to work through anger and heal but something someone else did is not in any way the fault of all the other people in the world. No, not all men or women are exactly the same. No, not everyone you love is going to hurt you, thankfully.
Identifying what went wrong and accepting that you did not deserve to be hurt is the first step in your healing. Then, remind yourself that there are plenty of wonderful people who are in successful, loving relationships. Finally, tell yourself that you are just as deserving of good relationships and that good ones WILL happen for you. Take what you learned from the person who you loved who hurt you, and instead of letting it make you be anti-love, let it make you more loving, and pledge to never hurt people the way you have been hurt.
Attracting love starts once you put aside negative attitudes about love, and just open your heart to give love to other people. People love to be loved, and healthy people will react to your loving attitude by being attracted to your positive love energy. They will reciprocate by behaving in loving ways towards you and they will be shocked there was someone who failed to love you in the past. The more love you have to share, the more people will share love with you.
What if You are Angry?
Do you know what to say to someone you love when you are fighting or even if you are just upset with them? Anger in a healthy relationship doesn’t have to form one of the barriers to love. You will still celebrate their birthday with them even if you have had a fight. You will still pick up the phone if they call asking for your help with an emergency, and most of all, even if you are upset with someone, you won’t strike out to try and get revenge or seek to punish them if you truly love them. This is because anger passes, but true love is forever.
Will Barriers Split You Apart?
One of the scariest things to happen in a relationship is when problems arise that could come between you and somebody who you love. If they have to move out of State for a time and you can’t see each other, you might be worried that your relationship will dissolve. It doesn’t have to, though. This and other things like a change in work schedule that means you see each other less, or even something like crippling illness that stresses you both, can make things difficult, but nothing like this has to break you apart unless one or both of you let it. Love doesn’t solve every problem, but if you love each other enough to work on solving the problems, you will get through bad times together.
Love is forever and it’s something you can give when you have nothing else to offer. Riches and fame make people happy, but love makes people happier. If you love somebody with the fullness of your soul, you will have the greatest gift to offer them- your devoted love for life. Lucky them!
Do you have some love myths that need to be dispelled or want to know what to do if you’re in love with someone? Would you just like to chat about relationships? Contact one of hundreds of psychics at our love hotline to get started on a reading on love in chat, on a video call, or by telephone. As a bonus, you can get a free love forecast with free minutes we give you when you sign up with us. Join us today!
About the Author: Lady Saoirse has studied magic and lore for most of her life but started walking her own Magical Path after being spiritually reborn in the desert. Today is a Priestess for the Temple of the Goddess and she shares her gifts as a Psychic and Content Writer for SpiritualBlossom and she writes for Pagan Pages emag.
