Polarities as Equals
Taking cues from nature and science.
Euclid's view of the Horsehead Nebula, part of the constellation Orion. (J.-C. Cuillandre/CEA Paris-Saclay/G. Anselmi/SA/Euclid Consortium/NASA/CC By SA 3.0)
The sky shifts from dark to light and back again, exquisitely, gracefully, purposefully, and intentionally. It openly invites us to mirror its rhythm, integrating both dark and light into our lives. This balance plays a crucial role in helping us recognize and remember our true selves.
At this point in our collective consciousness, the term dark often evokes immediate associations with Satanic worship, wicked magic, or something sinister. Pop culture tends to mistakenly label anything that doesn't fit conventional notions of dark with all things horrific, wicked, or evil. Words are powerful, and it's vital to describe things accurately, not by their associations. Wicked is wicked. Evil is evil. It's time to separate the word dark from these negative connotations and restore its sacred, rightful meaning.
Darkness represents the unknown, and the unknown is tied to many things: the unseen, the subconscious, and the non-physical. While some think of the unknown as secretive, murky, or something to be avoided, the reality is that everything is love. What we think is unclear or undesirable may not be as negative as we assume. The dark and unknown are divine, and it's crucial to replace assumptions about darkness with an understanding of its sacred purpose.
In both nature and science, there are far more unknowns than knowns, and those unknowns reside in the dark. On a cosmic scale, dark matter represents the ultimate embodiment of darkness, comprising approximately 85% of the universe. Classified as unknown, dark matter is invisible and exerts a gravitational pull that scientists still cannot fully explain. And yet, this mysterious force sustains life on Earth. Our entire existence is shaped by unknowns or, more accurately, by darkness. We live in an expansive, generous, infinite space of unknown possibilities. Think about that.
Light, in contrast, is scintillating information that illuminates and informs. Beyond thought, light found its way to me through chance, attraction, curiosity, ideas, and synchronicities, guiding me to meditation, yoga, crystal therapy, and inner work that saved my life. Mastering my relationship with light began with the recognition that I am, in fact, light. We enter our bodies with this awareness through the information our bodies receive in the womb, which shapes our physical development. Yet this information gets lost unless that knowledge is cultivated because remembrance takes place in dark, unknown, and subconscious ways.
Light is worthy of all the praise it receives in the sense of love and light popularized by the new-age spiritual community. Accessing only light is not the goal, though. If one truly aspires to live a spiritually led life, it's imperative to go into one's dark. It's admirable to begin the journey to your true self at all, and focusing on light is a great start. But it's not possible to experience only light. If light is all that is happening, authenticity in your experience is lacking.
We naturally accept the polarities of existence in other contexts without demonizing them. For example, we don't belittle motion because of stillness or vice versa. My theory is that we collectively misunderstand the dark because we fear the unknown. That fear stems from a desire for control, a need to know, understand, and predict. However, the unknown cannot be controlled, and therein lies its beauty and mystery because you have to seek it.
XO,
Eboni