Journeying from darkness to light
Every human life is made up of the light and the dark, the happy and the sad, the vital and the deadening. How you think about this rhythm of moods makes all the difference. ~ Thomas Moore
I have been completely absorbed in reading Thomas Moore’s Dark Nights of the Soul this past weekend. I have been going through a bit of a dark night of my own recently and this book spoke to me in a very profound way. The author challenges the reader to go right into the heart of our darkest times. These dark nights are a time for opportunity and reflection and can be transformative rites of passage.
Think of your dark nights. Could they be as useful and even as beautiful as the bright periods?
Of course, it is not always so easy to see this when you are in the midst of a dark time in your own life.
It pushes you to the edge of what is familiar and reliable, stretching your imagination about how life works and who or what controls it all.
Reading those words made me think very much of what it is like being in the midst of a serious illness like cancer – when all that is familiar, all that you relied on, your faith in your own body even, is torn from you.
And yet, Moore sees this as a precious time, a time to stand back from life, and to “incubate” the soul, to open up to “new and mysterious possibilities” and to make yourself over into a more multi-dimensional person with greater insight and compassion.
Your dark night is your own invitation to become a person of heart and soul.
I know that my dark nights have left their mark on me, and I like to think that I have emerged from them with more insight, more compassion and more heart.
Does this resonate with you as it did with me? Have you emerged from you own dark night with a different perspective on life? Can you see dark times as a period of transformation in your own life?
This is such a beautiful post – thank you!
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Food for thought for me today
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I haven’t read this book, but I did read Care of the Soul and I imagine it is very similar – it was a book that transformed my way of looking at things.
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I just love this book. I have my own well-thumbed copy. Moore’s views about how to care for ourselves during those dark times are so insightful.
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The idea of embracing the darkness, rather than running away from it (through self-medication, distractions, etc. as society teaches us) is a powerful one – thanks for the reminder.
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As someone who has periodic episodes of depression, I have had my fair share of dark nights. So, the idea of seeing these times as a time of “incubating the soul” has comforted me a lot. I will remember this next time I am in the midst of a dark night.
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You wrote a wonderful post a while back about how the light gets in and I found it really liberating to read Mary McEvoy’s words that depression cannot be cured. I spent a lifetime trying to cure my depression, so this came as a great relief to me to read those words. So, when I logged on to JBBC this morning and read this post, it felt like i was readign a companion piece to your other post. If depression cannot be cured (and I don’t believe it can) how do we make sense of it? i believe that this book may hold an answer for me – so once agian, thank you for shining a light on our darkness and showing us a way to get through it.
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HI Deirdre, I didn’t make the connection between those two posts until you pointed it out, but yes, I do agree, the two are definitely linked. Thanks for your comment
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I too would recommend this book to anyone struggling with depression. It is the one book that I return to again and again and I always find it helps me shift perspective and gain some insight into what I am going through.
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Hi Peggy, I think it will be a book that I too will return to many times.
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Your dark night is your own invitation to become a person of heart and soul.
What a beautiful invite should we choose to accept it.
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I have read this book many times and yet I always find something to inspire me – a wonderful book and I enjoyed reading the quotes you chose from it today.
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“….the endurance of darkness is preparation for great light.”
St. John of the Cross
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It is true that our dark nights are an invitation to us to go deeper. When we emerge from the darkness, the deepest understandings of our true self can be revelaed.
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Beautiful Ciara..thanks for sharing.
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great post. have yet to read moore myself, but have been wanting to.
to be honest, this is no easy quest-to stay in the dark night and to become familiar with it. the pain that accompanies it is no friend of mine. id much rather distance myself-almost at all cost-from the possibility of the ugliest kind of pain than sit with it, being hostess to this enemy.
and yet, yes, im grateful for who i am. grateful for my new understanding of those facing the same pain, those running from the dark nights. but still having a hard time being thankful for the pain and darkness itself.
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I really do understand what you mean Katy. I don’t think Moore says we have to grateful, but he is challenging us to sit with it and see what we might learn from it (not easy to do I know!) but for some people reading these words helps shift their perspective and makes the pain more bearable.
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I always have hope that our darkest times are a pathway to a new a greater place in our lives, as long as we can find our way through the darkness. Lately I have been in a , let’s call it ‘dim’ time. Not quite dark, I have been there and know how scary and draining it is. But ever since my surgery 5 weeks ago I have been struggling. I was derailed and have been fighting to get back on track. I am starting to realize 2 things…so far…1 – Fighting usually doesn’t work for me, relaxing, accepting and embracing work much better but are so hard to do. 2- PTSD is very powerful and the more prepared I am to deal with it the quicker I will find my way out. I am sure there will be a few more lessons for me to learn as I right myself this time.
I love this quote “It pushes you to the edge of what is familiar and reliable, stretching your imagination about how life works and who or what controls it all.” This has been on my mind lately. How life works, who or what is in control. So many questions that I am trying to just open up, stay in faith and know that in time the answers will be revealed.
Thanks for the very thought provoking post Marie. Sending you some light and hoping your dark times do not diminish your very own wonderful light that you share with all of us.
xxoo Deb
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What can I say Debbie except I just loved you comment…and to thank you for shining some of your light into my dark days xxx
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Read your post and it touched me deeply. I am in one of those ‘dark times’ in this moment so what I can offer is the following, I have been here before (although it does feel a shade darker than normal) and I have come out the other side. S…o what I can trust in this moment is to Breathe Deeply, Relax into the pose (when possible) Touch & Feel within my comfort zone, Witness what I can in any moment of the Wave and Allow it to be ‘As it is’ with the comfort of past experience knowing that ‘This Too Shall Pass’, Anicha, Anicha, Anicha
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My dark nights of cancer were made that much darker by the resurgence of past traumas in my life. According to my oncology therapist, it’s normal when facing something so traumatic as cancer to be plunged yet again into past traumas as well. I got through it by committing to seeing her once a week for about a year and being brutally honest with myself about what I was going through. By hanging on and “doing the work,” I learned how strong and resilient I am. It also taught me to listen to my better instincts and move myself to action more quickly. Thank you Marie for your insights here, and in your comments to my blog post on “Taking a Moment to Recognize and Act on the Suffering of Others.” We are definitely on the same wavelength. http://www.wherewegonow.com/debbies-blog/lets-take-moment-recognize-and-act-suffering-others
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A very thought-provoking post that I wish I wasn’t answering on a phone! I am inspired to read Moore. I live in hope that a more compassionate person will emerge from this dark experience, and have clung to the Biblical idea that in losing your self you can find yourself. Sending a big cyberhug!!
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Liz, thank you so very much – I really appreciate your kind and thoughtful comment x
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