Theological Tuesday - Travelling the Shadow

Swiftly comes the darkest night

Sliding in behind the fading light

And with it each shadow grows

Calling us into the unknown

Carefully we light a flame

In hopes that it will clear our way

Yet why is it we are so afraid of the dark

Of venturing into the secret places of the heart

If we insist in always remaining in the light

We but add power to our darker sides

Instead perhaps what should be

Is to journey into the darkness, and learn to see

© All original content copyright Julie Grucza, 2012-2013

I am always at a bit of a loss as to why, when dealing with ideas of shadow working etc why it is that there is so much insistence of going into our shadow selves to bring it to the light.  I get that our shadow is definitely residence to many issues that people need to learn to work through, but I find the idea that it needs to be fixed and brought into the light a little strange, are we not a balance of light and dark?  I haven't done a lot of shadow work myself, I'm a novice in this area, and maybe I'm missing what the people who claim such truly mean.  It would seem to me though, that given the many mythologies across numerous cultures that deal with the idea of travelling to the underworld in order to gain knowledge, know oneself, and so forth are not about conquering the darkness with the light, but rather about travelling through the darkness, eyes wide, becoming aware and learning the truth in order to be able to reemerge back into the light.  They do not destroy the darkness, they go to complete their particular journey and return.  I believe we don't just travel this path once, heal ourselves and all is light and sunshine and daisies, I believe we make this decent over and over, learning each time, becoming comfortable with this aspect of ourselves, growing with each journey.