What Does it Mean to Know Thyself? | Dr Butterfield & Dr Blackwood discuss Ralston's MA Program

Apuleius’ *Metamorphoses* frames the myth of *Cupid and Psyche* as a profound, multi-layered exploration of the soul’s journey toward divine love. The narrative challenges the common perception of Cupid as a mischievous, vulgar deity, revealing him instead as the celestial embodiment of love. Psyche’s progression—marked by her initial curiosity, the breaking of taboos, and her subsequent trials—mirrors the human struggle to transcend base physical appetites. By integrating Platonic philosophy, specifically the distinction between heavenly and vulgar love, the myth illustrates that true joy emerges only when the soul moves beyond mortal, bodily passion. This transformation, supported by divine grace, elevates the soul to a state of eternal pleasure, ultimately framing love not as a mere feeling, but as a transcendent existential posture that requires an open, receptive heart.