The dark night of the soul

The dark night of the soul is a universal experience that all of us goes through several times in life, whether we want to or not, whether we are aware of it or not. It is important to realize that it is oneself who (subconsciously) has summoned the Dark night because one has come to a point of stasis, a dead end, a period of life that is over. What used to work has served its' purpose, is no longer useful and must be discarded. Nothing scares us more that letting go of safety and set out into the unknown, with no guarantee for survival. And, indeed, no such guarantee can be given, because in a sense a part of us really has to die for something new to be born. But the more we struggle against it, the darker the night becomes, and the longer we have to stay in the bardo-condition before the new day dawns.

Think of a caterpillar. It is an eating machine, whose only purpose is to get nourishment and grow until it reaces the point where it must undergo its' metamorphosis. But the caterpillar has no idea what it's about to go through, or what it's about to become. Yet it willingly and without fear weaves the cocoon, its' own coffin, where it literally disintegrates before it reemerges with completely new organs, new forms, a beautiful butterfly who is no longer condemned to crawl the earth, but can soar on new wings towards the mystery.

You Darkness

You darkness from which I come,
I love you more than all the fires
that fence out the world,
for the fire makes a circle
for everyone
so that no one sees you anymore.

But darkness holds it all:
the shape and the flame,
the animal and myself,
how it holds them,
all powers, all sight-

and it is possible: its great strength
is breaking into my body.

I have faith in the night.

Rainer Maria Rilke; Translated by David Whyte