“Darkness has its teachings….” is a line from Trevor Hall song. Darkness contains some of our most profound lessons.
Light is not born from light—but out of darkness. When we are born, we come out of a dark womb. Jesus was born in a manger, other savior-types were born in caves. We all come from darkness into the Light.
It is at the coldest, darkest point in the year, that the Light is celebrated on the Winter Solstice. Not because the Sun is at its strongest or brightest then, but because of the promise—the promise of light and warmth to come. The Winter Solstice marks the shortest day and the longest night, in other words, the longest period of darkness in a 24-hr period in the entire year. It’s a passage from darkness into Light; a portal of sorts. Like after a dark night of the Soul, when you barely reach the other side, with skinned knees, broken heart, and beat-the-fuck-up. But you know, you just know, you will be ok—you will survive this, too. The point when you realize that there is finally light at the end of the long, dark tunnel. It is a glorious moment.
There is something here that is more palpable, than when you are at the pinnacle of all your glory and have reached the goal and are now basking in the light of your hard-won accomplishments. There is something about this moment, something magical when you pass the darkest threshold. You feel like you can finally stop holding your breath, you are flooded with gratitude like your life will go on—it’s a rising-from-the-ashes-phoenix-kind-of-moment. That’s where the celebration begins. You got to the other side! You braved the solitary journey that only you could make. You emerge from the depths and there is your Divine Team of Light cheering you on. This is the vibe of the Winter Solstice. It’s a victory kind of moment. “You made it!!” You have emerged from the darkness.
It’s as if in that darkest point, you went through a death of sorts. Whether it was a battle with addiction, the end of a toxic relationship, a personal battle fought within, or a huge loss/setback of sorts. It’s part of a cycle dedicated to death, dying and a stripping away of lingering attachments that are no longer aligned with your Highest Self. It’s a process of whittling down external and material things, that are no longer authentic for you. And often, it’s that which will give you the greatest lessons to lose, whether that is your health, a loved one, a career, a home, wealth, etc.that show-up. I think sometimes the things/people we identify with most, get stripped away to show us that we are not that. We get to realize that we are not those things we so desperately attempt to identify with. We are not our coveted careers, our prized relationships, our precious possessions, our most brilliant ideas and thoughts, or even our life’s work. Those things do not define us.
You died to something in this dark space, and you birthed a new Self in the process. And the Universe cheers your hero’s journey. And it is out of this darkness, pain, agony, and heartbreak that the Light is born within. For without darkness, we could not know and appreciate the Light. That’s why this moment is so miraculous. Some don’t make it to the other side. Some die. Some fear death so they don’t even attempt the journey. Many are paralyzed with fear, afraid of the dark, especially their own darkness and what may be lurking in the shadows.
But not you. You are brave and courageous. You were born to do this!! You chose the evolutionary path. You wanted to learn as much as you could in this lifetime—just in case you don’t get another one! You, brave warriors, ‘chose in’ to every bit of it. You may not remember that, but allow me to remind you-you did. You are having the exact experience that you came to this particular planet to learn. Yay, you!!! Yay for all of your many challenges and perceived struggles. How much have you learned there in the dark? I venture to guess it was a lot more, not to mention more meaningful and significant, then anything you have ever learned in the Light.
Would you trade it? Would you choose easier? Never. You would not be the you that you are now. We need look no further than to butterflies and chicks. Huh? If you help them get out of their own cocoon or shell, they will not survive. The must do it themSelves. If makes them strong and ready for their next incarnation/re-birth. Evidently, it’s part of our human journey, as well. “Into every life, a lil rain must fall.” It shows us who we are, what we are made of, and how we’d like to show up differently next time.
When you shift your perception from life is happening to you to that of life is happening for you and that you are actually a request for all that shows up, then you have real power. Contrastingly, when you believe that life is happening to you, that there is nothing you can do about it, and that you are at effect, it’s as if you envision yourself a tiny sailboat being tossed to and fro on the big-bad ocean. All these waves (problems, people,& challenges) are coming at you and you can’t even take the helm. You are a helpless (and often a hopeless) victim. Life is happening to you and you are at its mercy.
When you understand that you are accountable for everything that comes into your space, then you have a beginning point. A launch pad for your life! What if there really were no one to blame for anything? What if you knew that your soul was actually a request for every challenge that has come into your life? It’s the good news and the bad news. Bad news like fuuuuuuuuh!!! I created all this?!? Yes, you did, on some level.1
Good news, in that, you are not a victim!! Congratulations!! If you unconsciously created all the chaos and crap in your life, imagine what you could do with some conscious intention directed to your thoughts, actions, and emotions. What would you choose to create if you knew you were the master of your destiny? How will you enlist all the powers and forces available to you to do so? How will you show up as the powerful-creator you have always known/wished yourSelf to be in the world? What would that even look like for you? Who would you be if you took charge and were just accountable for all of it? It’s a place of power and empowerment.
News flash!! This is where your life actually gets really fun and you can start playing with some really cool ideas, concepts, energies, quantum physics, astrology, etc. Many of which we will discuss in this book. But for now, start thinking about what you would like your life to look like and what has been in your way? The way I see it, the only thing that is ever in the way of my success, is me. So start thinking about all of the excuses you have for your own mediocrity…those reasons you have told others and even bought into yourself about your parents, your childhood, your ex, job situation, etc. Write them down. How do they make you feel?
They are not the truth. And none of them are reasons that you can’t create and have your best life.
So align with the energy of the Winter Solstice to think about what you’d like to birth. It’s a time of germination, of reflection and resolution. It’s a time to dream and to plant seeds. You have come through a lot, you’ve let go of, or been stripped of much. How will you recreate yourSelf and emerge from the cave? What seeds of authenticity do you want to plant and nurture? How can you become more YOU? As you envision and conjure a more authentic life for yourSelf, what does that look like? What does it feel like?
In a brilliant poem by David Whyte, he declares, “Sometimes it takes darkness and the sweet confinement of your aloneness to learn anything or anyone that does not bring you alive is too small for you.”
Here’s to letting go of all that is just too small for you, and to dreaming, envisioning and conjuring your biggest, brightest, most authentic Self. It’s a journey you want to take and a path worth following—your journey, your path, your life.
