Taking Our Dark Side
Into the Light
We all have a dark side. It is a place where we hide from ourselves and others. Among things hidden
there are our "seeds" of personal greatness. We hide them in an effort to ignore their potentially
destructive force. It is our subconscious effort to protect ourselves and others. Allowing our dark side
to hide these seeds, however, also allows our dark side dictatorial control over our
personal growth. One thing nature teaches ous is that nothing grows outside of the light. That
darkness holds a great potential in its grasp.
Create a safe place to discover your inner secrets. Do it with whatever level of protection you
believe is necessary. Sit in an easy chair and listen to music to reach a quiet place
within yourself. Or draw the sacred circle and call the quarters with your spirit guide. Whatever
works best for you.
Once you have found your safe place, let your mind wander toward the center of your being and ask
yourself some questions.
What does life satisfaction mean to me?
What does personal happiness and life satisfaction really mean to you? No simple
answers here. Dig deep and really look at yourself
Am I really happy?
A matter for your soul, your spiritual essence. It's not the same as asking your body whether it
feels well. It's not the same as being emotionally chipper. Do you feel a sense of
bliss at the core of your being?
What are my internal life goals?
These are probably not the same as material accomplishments and career goals. What do you want
to achieve spiritually? What do you want for yourself?
What are my external life goals?
In the outer world, what matters to you? Family? Career? Love? Home? Money? What goals
need to be visible to the world?
What are 100 things I want to accomplish?
It's time to make a list of what really matters to you. You need to list the 100 top
things you want to accomplish in this lifetime
What frightens me?
You are afraid of something. Fear becomes familiar so we stop noticing it. When our fears are unconscious
we experience them as anger, sadness, and resistance. If we bring them into the light
for recognition and acceptance, we gain the opportunity to choose our behavior
How have my fears served me?
What are your fears trying to teach you? Have you learned something? Do you want to keep
your fears? Can you release them or do you need their help to guide you to your next lesson?
How have I disempowered myself?
Fess up to areas of self-sabotage. Magic is about empowering, but you don't always do that. So
how have you sabotaged yourself?
Do I feel victimized by circumstances?
Everyone experiences victimization from time to time. That's life. But is it chronic? Do you feel
boxed in or trapped in a corner? How can you take responsability? What can you
do to create change?
Pain as a catalyst.
Do you have unhealthy patterns that continue to empower you in some perverse way? How can
pain become a catalyst for healing? How is it a tool shaping you to the person you
want to be?
Resolving these questions is a lifelong process. The sooner we start, the sooner we can begin to grow. Even
as I type this I'm slowly beginning to ask myself these same questions. We're on this journey together. So write
a song or a poem about yourself. Write a letter to yourself for you to read 10 years from now.
Plant a flower and watch it grow. As each leaf unfolds, we too can unfold a little more each day. Dance
the frustration out. Write your dreams on a nightshirt, the walls or the ceiling (just don't get in trouble).
Dig a hole in the earth and dump your frustration into the Great Mother. She is an expert on growth, and how
to use manure to grow something beautiful. Reward yourself for achievements.
Recognize the good that has come from the dark places of your life. See past the pain and say
goodbye to your fears in a cordial parting.
Perhaps the best thing we can do is visualize ourselves each morning as the person we wish to be. Get
a clear picture and hold it in our mind. Create reality through creative visualization. Live magically
in the light.
