Soul and Iron

The idea of “dissolving the self” is a metaphor more than a real path. If taken literally, it is a dangerous direction: the weapon as an instrument of force does not dissolve the ego but amplifies it, reinforcing the sense of separation. Symbolically “the weapon” is a tool of rupture, it cuts away illusions to reach a rediscovery of the self. When you feel the need to “get out of yourself,” doing so through destruction leads in the opposite direction: more conflict, more suffering.

The idea stems from my reflection on the use of the weapon. It embodies irrationality, power and complexity, driven by an ultimate purpose; it contains the force of love. Since ancient times it has always been a tool to rediscover oneself, to defend what one loves, to identify oneself in time, for one’s honor, and why not also to find love. Cupid, to help you find your soulmate, hurls a straight arrow to the heart, but you do not ask him to refrain.