Frame from the graphic novel story Sei La Mia Vita that is part of graphic stories collection You.
Marriage of Opposites - Hieros Gamos (Sacred Marriage) is an idea that exists in various occult traditions, such as Freemasonry or Rosicrucianism. However, it is also a concept that best explains the shadow in the Jungian sense, as well as the basis for its integration. What is common to society, family, and personality is that they are systems. To deny or condition the existence of an element of such systems means to push it into the shadow.
To deny it the light (holiness) of existence, which no one has the right to do Is to cause rebellion of something that equally have right to live. In the shadow, such an element, whether it is a social group (the so-called opposition, movement, group of dissidents...), an individual (for example, an eccentric, a black sheep in the family, a person who has a different opinion or experience of their gender...) or a part of the personality which is nothing more than just another of such persons living within us... Whichever of them is pushed into the shadow, it means that it is denied, not respected, not seen with true eyes, and it is actually denied holy love, the only true love that can only be unconditional.
It is denied or conditioned, that it must be like this or that, in order to be loved. And that is not love, but an attempt at manipulation, which is an attempt at control. Which no one has the right to do.
In the shadow, it becomes unhappy, too much itself, too little a part of the system, and as such begins to rebel. It starts a revolution, sabotages the system, which is nothing more than a form of communication with the message that it insists on its sacred right to exist as it is, without conditioning or modification at the will of someone who considers themselves an authority.
To enter into marriage between opposites (Hieros Gamos) means to integrate the opposites back into a functioning whole. This is the case in all systems, whether it is a literal partnership, society, family, or personality. To expect things to function without such a marriage is like taking a clock, removing one gear from it, just because, well, it is not to our liking, and expecting such a clock to work well and tell the time accurately. It is simply not possible.
To integrate the shadow, to enter into sacred marriage is to re-accept and bind with holy love. The love that is not manipulated, but pure, which is not obtained by merit, but is guaranteed by existence (holy). It means returning something that belongs to someone by birth and thereby making the system functional again.
When opposites are reconciled and integrated, then the potential for something third to be born arises. And this third thing is nothing more than just an extension and expansion of life. Whose basic goal is certainly to last. To change and to live.
Yes, the purpose of life is to exist and live. In some form. To be respected as it is, special, and to breathe holy love daily, without any additional conditions. And as such to give birth to (create) something third, something new, that has never existed before. And then to teach that third thing to fight for itself, to never end up in the shadow.
The purpose of life is therefore to live and nothing more complicated than that. A successful form of interaction and communication with others is primordial simplicity. It is something that always succeeds and turns out well.The purpose of love is to love and nothing more complicated than that. The purpose of control, however, is to deny. And denial leads to shadow. And shadow to rebellion.
Rebellion pushed to the end leads to total and collective destruction. Or back into the system.
And the system is life.
Nothing more than hidden potential, waiting for its discovery.