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| Author: Posted: Sep. 8, 2002 | This Page Viewed: 7,017,431 |
Question of the Week: 71 - 12/17/2001 How Do YOU View the Balance of Light and Dark? As the Solstices approach, what are your views on the lessons that we might learn about darkness and light? What does the natural turning of the seasons mean to you? What insights might you share about the spiritual aspects of light and dark? How does the balance now stand within your own personal spiritual path and in the world at large? What have your experiences of light and dark taught you? |
| Reponses: There are 22 responses posted to this question. | Reverse Sort |
| To Me, Light And Dark, Positive And Negative, Yin And Yang, These... | Dec 10th. at 12:07:42 am EST |
| Gwydion (Okeechobee, Florida US) | Age: 32 - Email |
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To me, light and dark, positive and negative, Yin and Yang, these are all perspectives of the concept of balance. Life is dynamic, ever-changing and hard to quantify in concrete terms. As humans, we tend to want to group our understanding of things into neat little groups of concepts and beliefs. As reality would have it, life is never so neat and polished. It is false logic to assume anything is just as it seems to be, because just when things seem normal and just by our standards, the very definition of normal changes. In testimony whereof I call the reader's attention to our outlook on life since 9/11. To me, "As above, So below" is the way to take things. This time of year re-enforces that belief for me, because it is at this time of year and others like it that the doors of perception can swing in any direction, they just need to be pushed in the right way. The great wheel of the year turns always, yielding for no thing and no one, and in my humble opinion, this is the only unchangeable fact of life. Blessed Yule, brothers and sisters...Gwydion. |
| Light And Dark Seem To Be, If You'll Excuse The Overused Metaphor... | Dec 10th. at 11:30:03 am EST |
| Sarah (W. Hartford, Connecticut US) | Age: 20 |
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Light and dark seem to be, if you'll excuse the overused metaphor, two sides of the same kind. They exist in balance and the balance naturally maintains itself, like the balance of predator and prey. Although sometimes each side will appear to be growing too powerful, in the end, I believe the balance itself will prevail. |
| There Is The Positive Light And There Is The Positive Dark...i... | Dec 10th. at 2:18:56 pm EST |
| Kari Tauring (Minneapolis, Minnesota US) | Age: 35 |
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There is the positive light and there is the positive dark...I say to my 4 year old, one can feel happy and the other sad, but neither will make you feel shame. That would be the negative darkness. That would be darkness with no light, out of balance...and it does exist. The positive darkness can hold feelings of sadness for the passing of loved ones, but ultimately feels good as we know their spirits never leave us. The Positive Dark can be the stuck cow that Wren was talking about, the "oh it's way too hard to move her, I don't want to be the only one pushing, why me!" but with the light that lets us know she will die if we leave her stuck, and the joy of her freedom with our hard work becomes apparent. But Negative Darkness holds no joy, no light, and we loose our true selves in it. It causes shame and only despair without hope. While it does exist on our Earth Plane and anywhere in the Universe, beings can be trapped by it and our birthright of free will stolen. It's most obvious form for humans is Addiction. This is my Solstice Prayer "Let Light and Positive Darkness be in balance. Let the negative dark diminish and extinguish forever with our unified fee will choice to embrace the balance and act in light and love forever!" |
| Lucky For Me, The Soltice This Year Is On A Weekens, So... | Dec 10th. at 3:29:57 pm EST |
| Artemis Moonshadow (Kfar Saba, Israel) | Age: 16 - Email |
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Lucky for me, the Soltice this year is on a weekens, so I'll be able to stay u the whole night. I'm somewhat of a night owl, I've always loved the night. To me the Balance between light and dark is in the way one approaches it. In my childhood, there were never monstesrs under the beds, or evil things in the cuboards. The dark to me was never "evil", so I never had the inclination to think so, the dark for me is the absnece of light, it makes things a little hazy, a little less clear. In the daytime, you're always in a hurry, in the night you're much more relaxed. At the same time, in the dark you bump into things that you can't see, and in the light you can get blinded by the glare. The thing is to look at The Darkness and The light, not as two different things, not even as two sides of the same coin, or as the yin-yang, but as a blending of diferent perspectives and preceptions of our intuition and mind. Happy Holidays |
| Merry Meet! I Think That The Imagery Of Light And Dark Is... | Dec 10th. at 4:05:56 pm EST |
| Olivia (Pipersville, Pennsylvania US) | Age: 16 - Email |
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Merry meet! I think that the imagery of light and dark is not a particularly useful one for me. The inherent judgement made is that light is good and dark is bad, and do I really have to point out the destructive vibes that come from that? I mean, even if they are metaphors used to describe good and bad, referring to the world as "good/white/light" and "bad/dark/shadow" perpetuates that split that most Witches so detest. Yargh! I apologize for the incoherent rant this has turned into. I just think we should think about our language more. Peace, love, and anarchy--- |
| There Is A Tendency Of Society To Divide The World Into Light... | Dec 10th. at 5:02:11 pm EST |
| Elamberel (Sydney, New South Wales AU) | Age: 25 |
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There is a tendency of society to divide the world into light and dark where light=good & dark=evil but wiccans know the world is not that simple. For example in australia it is the time of greatest heat and light where the danger is greatest. When the sun dries the land and a thunderstorm can destroy entire forests. Yet with the fire comes life. So many plants here need fire to germinate. It is summer here now the earth is awake and growing the sun outside my window right now will heat the air. Sydney is very humid so fire and water co-exist. Life is balance. Without death there is no room for life. Yet we shouldn't add negativity to the world. There is enough of it as it is |
| Light And Dark Are Opposite Sides Of The Same Coin. If You... | Dec 10th. at 9:01:32 pm EST |
| Emerald Willow (Boise, Idaho US) | Age: 21 |
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Light and dark are opposite sides of the same coin. If you look at your own life, think of all the times you've had to do something that wasn't pleasant but that was necessary. Or when you had been doing all the things that you were required to do only to find out that if you'd gone that one extra step and done a little more it would have been that much better. You can be following all the rules and still in the dark, or following none of them and be in the light. By rules I mean the rules of society. I give things to people for no reason, because it makes me feel good and most of the time I have to explain that I really do not expect anything in return. I listen to anyone who needs to talk, even if it's something that I do not want to hear. I do not conform to what society thinks is "normal" I do not follow a "main stream" religion and I do not hide the fact that I am indeed pagan. I do not back down when I know I am right, even if I have made a decision that goes against everything I was taught growing up. I do not look back upon the past and live my mistakes because I realize that there is something to learn in everything ... whether that thing is "light" or "dark" in nature. Without one the other could not exist. |
| When I Was Asked Years Ago By My Hps Why I Wanted... | Dec 11th. at 9:31:00 am EST |
| Amaranth (Cape Canaveral, Florida US) | Age: 34 - Email |
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When I was asked years ago by my HPS why I wanted to train, I told her that all my life, I'd felt like the third wheel, odd man out -- that no matter how hard I had tried, my efforts to help and be good and kind seemed to misfire. I wanted to be a part of the process, of the great web, and not unwittingly hinder or mar it - to assume my place in the Great Dance with more grace. Fortunately for me, she accepted that answer, and that Samhain, at my first Sabbat ever, just the two of us, she explained many things to me. I don't know if this is the whole truth, but this is what I perceive. For me, Darkness and Light when speaking of the Craft always dealt with good and evil, known and hidden. She explained to me that people act either from fear, or from love, and that their actions based on fear stem from a perceived threat to the sources of love and security in their lives. This choice was theirs to make. However, while decisions and actions based on fear often did end up safeguarding those things and people they loved, they ultimately led to disconnection; and when they had amassed all the wealth or followers or things they desired, their hearts, being human, naturally turned to the desire to share and pass on what they had gained. And they were alone despite all their efforts. At that point, the paths of Light and Dark converged, for souls who had lived their lives in darkness learned of the light through the slow process of learning to trust, love, and share. It could take many lifetimes, she said, but it happened consistently. In light of that teaching, I try to shine light onto the dark places of my soul to discover the things I treasure enough to fight for, and I allow my inner light to shine in periods of darkness. Both light and darkness are paths to development. And I know that even when I make mistakes, they are only choices which I can sometimes fix, but always learn from and move on. I, too, try to tell my daughters that the world in darkness is the same as the world in light, only quieted so we can rest and recharge. I don't want their world to be black and white, good and evil, light and dark, because so much prejudice comes from those things when they are taken as polar opposites. I guess that's really it: I try to balance light and darkness through appreciation and tolerance in everyday life. BB, and Merry Yule! |
| Many Of Us Find Our Spiritual Path In Paganism Because The Dualism... | Dec 11th. at 1:06:41 pm EST |
| RuneWolf (Reston, Virginia US) | Age: 43 - Email |
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Many of us find our spiritual path in Paganism because the dualism of the Levant religions just doesnÕt make sense to us. Before I ever knew modern Paganism existed, I found myself attracted to Taoism, wherein the necessary balances of Nature are revered and cultivated, and ÒlightÓ and ÒdarkÓ are not necessarily synonymous with ÒgoodÓ and Òevil.Ó What Westerners might characterize as the ÒWrath of GodÓ Ð earthquakes, tornadoes, floods, etc. Ð are to the Taoist merely natural occurrences. Although they may be lethal and destructive, they are not Òevil, Ó and are certainly not seen as the manifestation of a deityÕs displeasure. Such things only become ÒevilÓ or ÒbadÓ when we attach those labels to them. A friend refers to Wicca as ÒWestern Taoism, Ó and I have always taken that in the complimentary manner in which it is offered. Wicca does indeed have many things in common with Taoism, chiefly the monist perspective that everything is connected to everything else, forming a vast entity that we sometimes call the Web of Life, or the Web of Existence. Within this entity, life and death, joy and sorrow, light and dark are all necessary for the health and balance of the entity. Life is no more ÒgoodÓ than death is Òevil.Ó Both are part of the balance, and necessary to each other, just as they are necessary to the One. In the practice of Zen, we work to change the way we view and label things that occur in our lives, in the world around us. Instead of saying ÒI sprained my ankle, and thatÕs bad, Ó we simply say ÒI sprained my ankle.Ó It happened, and it hurts, but it isnÕt Òbad.Ó It just is. We try to experience what is, without labeling it one way or the other. In doing so, our pain and heartache become as much a part of our life as our joy and ecstasy, and we come to honor our ÒdarkÓ emotions and thoughts rather than stuffing and suppressing them, such that they reemerge later, magnified and out of control. The linear, ever-upward schematic of life that our society embraces does not allow for those periods of ÒdarknessÓ that are so necessary to good mental, emotional and physical health. If you arenÕt ÒonÓ all the time, you are Òfalling behind.Ó We are programmed to believe that anything less than Òfull steam aheadÓ is Òslacking off, Ó and weÕll never Òget aheadÓ if we arenÕt relentlessly Òclimbing the ladder.Ó Woosh! Just those phrases make me tired! The problem is that we are not linear creatures Ð we are cyclic, as are almost all of MotherÕs children. We canÕt be ÒonÓ all the time; otherwise, we will burn out. We need to rest, to turn inward, to Òget dark, Ó to be sad, depressed, angry, slothful and all those other things that arenÕt ÒacceptableÓ in the rat race. We need to feel those feelings and experience those emotions because they are part of what make us who we are, just as our ÒlighterÓ feelings and emotions are. To deny the dark is to deny part of who we are Ð a big part, if you ask some schools of thought. Recognizing and integrating our ÒshadowsÓ does not make us less, but rather more, whole. Having said all of this, let me close by saying that I do believe that Evil exists. It is in the actions of certain human beings. But such evil is not supernatural, it doesnÕt come from Òthe Devil.Ó It is willful evil, consciously created. The only way to balance it is through willful and conscious goodness, and no act of goodness is so minute that it does not have an effect on such evil. We spend a lot of time cursing the darkness, because we think our tiny candles cannot possibly make a difference against such massive darkness. But they can, if we only choose to light them. |
| I Think Light And Dark Are Perfectly Useful As Symbols Upon Which... | Dec 11th. at 9:10:32 pm EST |
| Shale (Sydney, New South Wales AU) | Age: 23 |
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I think Light and Dark are perfectly useful as symbols upon which to assign meaning. Obviously as anyone pagan knows, night or the dark have their own sets of conotations very seperate from the day. Night being a time of danger, things unseen, and predators out and about (including witches) and yet also a time of introspection and self discovery. Whereas light is a time of expansive growth and action and is much more orthodox time to be out. It can be seen as the time of the Seelie or ordered, and the Unseelie or wild and without order. It is only when people feel a need to assign these concepts with the terms Good and Bad that things begin to run aground. As a Pagan, I feel it necessary to strive not for moral nor immoral behaviour, but always for an ammoral way of life, being completely free of those disasterous Christian ethics which have dogged our race for centuries. Ammorality is an enjoyment of both the light and the dark and the connotations those things possess without a concept of 'doing good' or a wicked sense of transgression. When viewed without the Christian moralistic additions, and viewed in an ammoral and pagan way, both Light and Dark should be appreciated and revered in the constant pursuit for balance. |
| I Must Admit I Was A Bit Offended When The Essay On... | Dec 11th. at 11:06:55 pm EST |
| Lupa (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania US) | Age: 23 - Email |
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I must admit I was a bit offended when the essay on the front page of Witchvox this week included a sweeping statement about followers of the Dark that included--get this--"ooky-spooky." Is this how all practitioners of Left Hand Paths are viewed? The pseudo-goth version of fluffy-bunnies? No wonder the Dark is so misunderstood! As I am typing, my loving LHP pagan partner and fiance (and the Dark balance to my Lighter practice) is happily cleaning up our arts-n-crafts room wearing a t-shirt, sweat pants and a string of quartz crystals that he happened to find (gotta love shiny things ;) He has never yet called me a fluffy-bunny; he respects the validity of my path as I do his. He doesn't sacrifice animals or cast curses--and he hardly buys into the victim mentality, for despite life's tribulations he is a person of much inner strength and compassion.For example, when he visits a graveyard it is not to desecrate or invoke harmful things, but to fix turned-over stones, pick up litter, sketch the landscape, and show respect with the aspect of the Life Cycle that he feels closest to--it may not bring much change to the living, but the dead in these places appreciate the honour. Of course, you're just as likely to find him at home with our ferrets crawling all over him. Not very scary, is he? Neither is the Dark, if you don't buy into the "evil" stereotypes. As many other respondents have claimed, the Dark is only the balance of the Light. Between the two, the balance brings about the necessary changes and cycles. Yes, "bad" things happen, but without them we wouldn't appreciate the good. Without destruction, there is no room for new creation. And the keepers of the Dark are as necessary as those of the Light--never mind the "fluffy-bunny" and "ooky-spooky" stereotypes. In fact, the perpetuation of these stereotypes simply escalates. Until each "side" sees the other for what it truly is instead of playing one-upsmanship and pointing the blame for the state of the world the balance will always be off among us. |
| I'm Still Not Very Comfortable With The Concept That Light=good And... | Dec 12th. at 12:03:56 am EST |
| Fishgoat (Whitehorse) | Age: 37 - Email |
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I'm still not very comfortable with the concept that Light=good and Dark=bad. I thought that the Wiccans at least were not into dualistic thinking. It also seems a little too racist for me. Ther are good things in the Dark, the hidden places of our pyshe. There are dangerous and harmful things in the Light. And vice versa. We need both. We need a balance. We need the dark. Thinking ourselves only of "the light" gives us leave to disown that "icky/scary/disapproved of" part of ourselves we'd rather keep hidden. Once we label that part "not-me" we abdicate our responsibility for it, and our subsequent actions. We create a "boogeyman" (democrats/communists/witches/fate/the gods/my crappy childhood/mom/whatever) on which to blame our problems. Scapegoating becomes a way of life. What we fear within ourselves often masks our greatest strength. As Starhawk wrote: "Where there is fear there is power." Let us delve into ourselves and find our neglected strengths. Let us also abandon the dualistic thinking of Light/dark (white/black, good/bad) and remember polarity, remember that there is a myriad of colourful experiences btween the two extremes. Between the "words" is truly a powerful place. :) |
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