The dark night of the soul, what is it? Quite a few people have asked me this recently and I’m beginning to feel it’s a good time to air it and share it. A dark night of the soul is one of those Life Changing events that shift the way you see the world. It may be brought on by the death of a loved one, redundancy, ill health, or a relationship break down. This tends to be how it begins, when a circumstance shifts, or something we love has been taken away from us. We often feel angry at the world and can fall into addictions, or depression. But there is a gift hidden in the darkness; it can be the catalyst for us to seek something more for ourselves.
I’ve been through a dark night of the soul. What was more surprising to me was there was more than one! My first came through heartbreak and grief. A relationship I had been in for years ended abruptly, or so it felt at the time, and I lost my beloved Nan. Through this first dark night I started my own journey away from my hedonistic ‘live for the weekend’ lifestyle that was making me miserable and took my first steps into discovering more of the spiritual world and my predestined creative career.
My second dark night shocked me because I was already there on my spiritual path. I was writing my first play, AWAKEN, and out of what seemed like nowhere, I came crashing down with depression when I realised that this beautiful, spiritual world that I could access - which was so full of bliss and wonder - made me not want to be on the earth anymore. At that time I was seeing the planet as a place full of greed, corruption, hatred and pain, which is partially true. But what can you do with this knowledge? Who can you speak to about it? Oh hey, by the way, I’ve just figured out how to access new dimensions and now I hate being here!?! For anyone who has faced the same struggle, here's what you do..... You learn to love the earth again. You remember that you are a soul who chose to come here and you fall in love with all that earth offers: nature, human connection and creativity (or what ever makes YOUR heart sing).
This is a reminder FOR ME and FOR YOU of all the wisdom that comes with the Dark Night of the Soul and the wonder that is available to us all.
Right here.
Right now.
(and for those who used to be hedonistic party animals like me, you might be hearing this in your head too...)