The Love We Make Heals and Protects ...

 I have learned loveship is not an act, which is limited and specific, but an action which is a coherent process consisting of individual acts. Love, of course, is explained in many different ways by many different people. I am using the understanding of love found in ancient pre-biblical, biblical and post-biblical civilizations. It is an understanding which was shared by all until during the rise of the Roman Empire when the Romans redefined it into 'friendship' (a future post). In modern words, this ancient understanding is explained as 'creating, aka making, loving, enduring, and balanced relationships founded on steadfast loyalty for the survival of all existences: human, animal or nature'. This understanding was clearly exhibited and documented by the First Nations, Native Americans, Ancient Egyptians, and Ancient Greeks, among many other kingships and civilizations which existed during these ancient times. 

The Modern Breakdown: The English suffix '-ship' is "used to form nouns to indicate a “state of being” or “skill"" according to both Dictionary.com and The Britannica Dictionary. The Britannica Dictionary also includes "holding a position or duties of something" with "state of being' or condition (me: a way to live), or having a skill, ability or power". The Etymology Dictionary Online gives a more comprehensive definition for '-ship' as a "word-forming element meaning "quality, condition; act, power, skill; office, position; relation between". 

Love, of course, is too complex to nutshell here but we all have the basic understanding of a caring affection for another existence without judgements or prejudices. 

So, putting all of this together for us, the Oxford English Dictionary (OED), a pay-for-access online dictionary (yes, I paid it and cursed every step as I believe this basic knowledge should be free), defines 'loveship' as follows: in use circa 1500 AD until 19th century (rare before 19th century), meaning "loving behavior; courtship; (also) the state of being in love or being a lover". Courtship is, in the most simplistic meaning, the 'currying of favors with the intent of creating a committed relationship'. This is a generic definition for all uses of courtship, not just courting to get married, while noting all definitions of the relationship courtship were clear it is did not involve actual sexual activity. Loveship has been documented in public use from 1500 to as late as 2006. 

Where is Loveship in Our World Today?: We do have people today who are using loveship in a variety of ways and meanings, found in urban dictionaries, online, as names of their bands or groups, etc. Loveship is found in the Collins Dictionary, in their New Word Proposal, as of 2012 as a word being watched with the given meaning: "The love, respect and equality for the God's creations (Be it Human, Animal, Nature)", which is the closest meaning, although a little ethnocentric, to the ancient concept of loveship that has come to be defined as friendship. Loveship is also found in Wiktionary since 2019, when someone added a page with their definition "the act of falling in or making love; courtship", without attestations as required by Wikipedia. Unfortunately, that editor is also refusing to allow me to add the formal attested definition from OED (my last attempt, even after talking to that editor, was on February 11, 2024). The person never gave any reasoning as to why they would not allow the addition of the attested definition from OED, simply silence. 

Modern Control of the Understanding of Loveship by Others: However, it is with this Wiktionary page, that we can literally watch how control of a word can change the word's original meaning, not through use, but through someone's own decision, which takes us back to my mention above of the Roman Empire. The Roman Empire also eventually controlled the ancient understanding of loveship, and intentionally redefined it, out of contempt birthed by a lack of knowledge of the Ancient Greek culture. This 'control' is documented in Ancient Roman authors' works and has been the subject of modern scholarly discussions, and my current research for an upcoming book, "The Ladder". 

So what is Loveship? Loveship is the state of being a lover; having the ability of a lover exhibited by creating (making) loving, enduring, and balanced relationships founded on steadfast trust for all existences: human, animal or nature. It is the innate state of being love created by the individual within the individual, who, through extension of their loveship to other individuals outside the individual, without fear, becomes a leader of cultural existence of being love, forming and extending connections with other cultures. The labels assigned by people existing in fear no longer have the power of control over the individual who has loveship, for loveship sees no differences, only existences, and so creates connections of support, care, and companionship while finding commonalities and similarities to build a steadfast foundation of trust. This state of being love existed long before the rise of the Roman Empire. This state of being love still exists today, although we no longer understand it as we once did. It has existed continuously in Nature from where the ancient people first learned it. 

We embark on relearning our lost past through loveship when we return to becoming a part of Nature. In reconnecting with our self, others, and Nature itself, we relearn our imagination changes the world. What was lost is found. It is possible, today. 

Imagine ... 

Peace In Purple 💜💜💜💜💜💜💜