Into the Darkness

The Goddess speaks:

Dearest one, seek not the light, but wholeness on your journey. The light is beautiful and dazzling, but there is power, peace, wisdom to be found in the darkness.

You can grow, learn, and do all you can to be the best you, but until you face your darkness and accept it — you will never truly have all of the gifts available to you.

You tend to hide from things you consider dark. But they cry out, demanding to be acknowledged. If you do not face them on your own terms, they will come up at unexpected times and be expressed in unconscious ways.

The dark is not “evil” or “bad” to the mystic. Rather the darkness is the unknown. The darkness is that which you don’t want to see within yourself.

It’s not out of punishment that I would demand you face the darkness. I ask you to face the shadows so that you can heal; so you can grow; so you can find wholeness.

For just as in nature, day follows the night, there are cycles of darkness and light within you. You cannot block this flow. You cannot deny it.

Following the dark spiral takes you within. You can hear the voice of your higher self. You can tap into once hidden knowledge and power.  And in the balance of light and dark, you find your true self.

The days are growing colder. The night lengthens and stretches. The fiery action of summer is quieting. This is a special time of year. It is a time of harvest, and we reap the rewards of our hard work in all facets of our life. Nature reminds us once again of the cycle of death, birth, and life as the leaves fall and the grass browns.

And like all creatures of nature, we begin to turn inward this time of year.

Each fall I seem called to focus on my spiritual journey with greater intensity. This year I am taking an initiation called Dark Moon Mysteries. The above writing was inspired by the work I am doing currently as part of this journey. I will be looking at pain, acknowledging anger, dealing with fears that I usually have attempted to suppress. I hope to find the lessons in these things and find a greater strength through integrating these energies into my spirit.

This is the perfect time for the work of death and rebirth. There are parts of my inner story that need to be rewritten, habits that need to die, and new abilities to give life too.

We all have light and dark within us. Our strength and true self can only be realized when we learn to use all of these energies and find balance. The shadow within us does not go away when we try to not look at it. Instead it can rear its head, demanding our attention in destructive ways. But if we acknowledge the shadow, we can use the energy instead of being at its mercy.

An example of darkness in my life is my tendency to be a loner, to be solitary. Now I can use this energy in a positive manner — it can mean I am self-sufficient. I don’t stay long in relationships that aren’t good for me, because I don’t have a need to “be with somebody.”  I value myself enough to take the time to take care of my needs.

If I was not truly conscious of this shadow it could manifest in ways that aren’t necessarily for highest good of myself or others. I could resist calling upon friends and family when I need them. I could lose out on potential growth from new friendships. I could miss out on a chance to help others because of being holed up in my own fears and selfishness.

Think about the things that you might not like about yourself.  Make a list. Name your darkness. Seeing the truth within, naming it, gives you power over it. Then you make the choice of how to use it.

With a little effort you can usually see how to use their essential energy in a positive manner. It takes time to break patterns and learn new ones. You must be very aware of your thoughts, catch yourself if you find yourself unexpectedly acting from a place of shadow. Then make a choice for different thought, action, etc. Be patient with yourself. Change takes time.

Facing the darkness can bring up emotions like hurt, anger, resentment, self-hate. Don’t shrink away from these. You are being given a chance to release them. Write, paint, dance, drum — find a way express your feeling and let them go. You will find healing.

Much love and many blessings on your journey.