Maryrose Bennett

Courtship, the Lost Art Maryrose Bennett

Courtship, The Lost Art revivifies the concept of courtship, derived from the mystical tradition of the fraternities of love and explores a deeper understanding of the relationship phenomena one encounters in society today by bringing the psychological to the door of the spiritual. Dr. Bennett examines the challenges one meets in seeking love: the personal and cultural mythologies that mold our psyches, the archetypal figures one encounters, the biochemical surges that enrapture and confuse, and the inner work necessary to clear away obstacles to love. This leads to an exploration of alternative approaches to relationship, the interplay of love and security, of desire and romance, sacred sexuality, imagining realities together, soul-making in the world, dialogue with the beloved, alchemical marriage, and spousal mysticism, circling around the contemplation of courtship of the beloved in the modern world. Courtship, The Lost Art is a gentle and respectful inquiry into the nature of love, approaching the presence of love from many perspectives, engaging the reader in an exploratory conversation, a dialogue, which is based on clinical experience, scholarship, and reflection. The reader is encouraged to increase self-awareness rather than looking for answers outside oneself. It is a living text that initiates and ignites the reader to examine, reflect, locate, and expand his or her own experience.