[2021] - Acid Of Love

In ancient alchemy, acids were used to purify metals—to strip away the "dross" or impurities to find the gold beneath. The "acid of love" works similarly on our character.

Handle it carefully. Wear gloves if you must. But know that the only things that have ever truly been purified have passed through the fire—or the acid.

This chemical bath alters our perception of reality. Time stretches or vanishes. Risks that seemed terrifying suddenly seem trivial. Like an acid reaction in a lab, the introduction of a new element (the beloved) causes a total change in the state of the original matter (you). 4. Purification Through Fire acid of love

However, acid left unchecked consumes the container. This is the shadow side of the metaphor: Acidic love .

If love is an acid that creates, it is also an acid that etches. In the world of art, etching is a process where acid is used to bite into the unprotected parts of a metal surface to create a lasting image. In ancient alchemy, acids were used to purify

In its most potent form, love acts as an . It is a solvent that strips away the lacquer of our ego, leaving something raw, new, and permanent in its wake. 1. The Solvent of the Ego

The metaphor isn't just poetic; it’s physiological. When we are in the throes of new love, our brains are bathed in a potent cocktail of neurochemicals that function much like a psychoactive substance. provides the euphoric high. Oxytocin creates the "glue" of attachment. Cortisol adds the "burn" of anxiety and longing. Wear gloves if you must

The first thing acid does is strip away the outer layer. In the context of love—whether romantic, platonic, or divine—the ego is the first victim. The polished surface of "who you think you are" begins to bubble and peel.