Where did the idea come from that difficult things, sinister things, even “evil” things are dark? That all things good are light? Why is the Sun the metaphor for Truth? Sure, we can see things clearly in the Sun but have you ever heard the old adage, “appearances can be deceiving”? Better yet, have you ever experienced that adage, firsthand? Of course you have.
Do we label things that frighten us, that can potentially harm us, as “dark,” simply because we are scared of the dark? Have you noticed that plenty of frightening, harmful things happen in broad daylight? Yes, people use the cover of darkness, exploit the darkness, for sinister purposes. But, look at the behaviors of many governments and corporations, throughout history. I’d wager larger atrocities have been committed in the name of “light” than in the name of “dark.” Witch hunts, both literal and figurative, have been executed in the name of light. Unjust wars have been waged in the name of light. And, since we were talking about lightworkers yesterday, remember the James Ray spiritual retreat in Sedona, AZ?
Labels such as “light” and “dark” do not help us to understand ourselves better. They do not enlighten us spiritually. If anything, they obscure the truth. Evil is neither light, nor dark. Perhaps if light is used to obliterate darkness, or darkness is used to obliterate the light, then we arrive at something harmful. But, if we continue to associate the useful attribute of “dark,” as “bad,” we will polarize ourselves and not reach our full potential as individuals, or a society. In fact, by only looking to the “dark side” for harm, we often miss the everyday injustices that are being committed in broad daylight!
I thought about a child’s fear of the dark. Often, as parents, we will turn on the lights to demonstrate to our children that nothing is different in the dark, than it is in daylight. So, are we afraid because, in the dark, we don’t have the benefit of our sight? That we can no longer rely on our vision?
You’ve probably heard that when a person loses one of her senses, the other senses are heightened to compensate. In the dark, we must rely on hearing, touch, smell (I won’t even get into taste – that’s another article entirely!) and, I would add – INTUITION. It’s the dark, the absence of sight, that lets us get beneath the surface of things. To discover if appearances are real, or deceiving. It’s through the dark that we get at the TRUTH.
So, what are we really scared of?
Flight from the Shadow
by Chuang Tzu
There was a man who was so disturbed by the sight of his own shadow and so displeased with his own footsteps that he determined to get rid of both. The method he hit upon was to run away from them.
So he got up and ran. But every time he put his foot down there was another step, while his shadow kept up with him without the slightest difficult.
He attributed his failure to the fact that he was not running fast enough. So he ran faster and faster, without stopping, until he finally dropped dead.
He failed to realize that if he merely stepped into the shade, his shadow would vanish, and if he sat down and stayed still, there would be no more footsteps. (Source: The Way of Chuang Tzu, translated by Thomas Merton)
2 Comments
I refer to Reiki as energy healing or treatment…I try to not say anything about “light work” because it confuses people (I’m guilty of this too)into thinking that improving yourself is “light…easy/effortless” which it isn’t. During my own training and experience with Reiki I have had to journey into my shadow to heal myself because my Ego(represented in Astrology as the Sun sign) was too bright and interfering with the process. I can hear and see my guide better in the dark. When I do distance Reiki I close my eyes to receive guidance and information from my guide and the energy from the client. I close my eyes doing face to face Reiki treatments as well…but I have to open them to move around safely. When I first started energy work/Reiki My EGO (which in astrology is associated by your Sun sign) had “the plan” about what I needed to do and how “fix” me. I soon learned that My EGO doesn’t know squat about what I need. My intuition (which is associated with my Moon sign in astrology) know EXACTLY what I need to do in this life for my highest good. The best guidance, lessons, and messages I’ve received where in the dark, without my Ego getting into the way!
When I was a kid, I was told that angels swirled above, watched over me and held me while I was sleeping at night. But that they disappeared in the light. So I must not fear the dark, as good and powerful things come to you then. I have found moments of enlightement and epiphany more often in the dark of night, when things are calm and my mind is at rest. Light Workers have an important role to bring insight to those in darkness, peace to people in chaotic places and open the hearts of the depressed and fearful to love and positivity. The lost souls that step into the light can be found, but there a bright and beautiful souls walking without light who still illuminate the darkness.