We set our clocks back in Europe this past weekend and that means that darkness is upon us. There’s no denying it now. Up here in Sweden the sun already sets before 4 in the afternoon, and it will just keep getting darker for the next 7 weeks. So, we’re here. The center of the dark forest. We’ve followed the dark path deeper + deeper into our souls. Step by every little step. One day after another. And now we have arrived. We are in the middle of the mystery of the dark. And here we will remain. As winter sets in.
So what now, right? What do we do now? Well, my friend. We do nothing. But, that doing nothing is actually doing something.
This is the time of magical, mysterious inner work. Of listening and sensing and dreaming. Oh, yes, it’s a struggle… being in the dark. It’s uncomfortable + frightening. It most often feels like suffering. But, the darkness teaches us so much. It reveals + transforms. And it is where we discover our wisdom.
Wisdom is a mysterious wonder. It’s easy to think of gurus, saints, theologians, monks, and mystics as wise souls. But, what about your soul? It doesn’t matter how old you are, dear ones, there is wisdom in your soul.
There is a deep well of knowing that is already in us. It is that energy, that spirit, that knows the truth about ourselves + knows deep truths of the earth, the cosmos, and the divine. It is that spark, that light, that is within us all, connecting + uniting us as one. Our collective wisdom.
And there is also that wisdom that is uniquely our own. That which makes us different, special, gifted, and uniquely who we are. Our individual wisdom.
How we uncover the secrets + mysteries of our collective + individual wisdom is what this season of the year is all about. The darkest months, provide the perfect setting from which wisdom can be found. From our muses, our spirit guides, our family, our roots, and our own souls.
In the dark, in the shadow season, it is easier to slow down. We literally slow down + turn inward as we face the long, dark nights. Here it is easier to listen. To feel. To hear. In the dark, we settle just enough to pick up on the whisperings of the past + we hear the callings for us to carry that message forward in our own unique way, in how we live out our life.
We need autumn + winter to help make us wise. Not only to hear the truths we have within us, but also to help us grow as we surrender to the quiet, sink into the depths of the cold, suffer, struggle, and pray our way through winter. It’s no matter whether we are talking about the literal winter, or a cold + dark time that we are facing in our personal lives.
Whatever darkness we find ourselves in, literal or figurative, the experience and change that we endure also make our souls wiser.
So, this is the time to begin to listen, wild souls. It is a sacred time when secrets are revealed. Breathe deep. Don’t be afraid, wild souls. You are exactly where you are meant to be. This is the season that we need in order to grow + evolve. Dig deep to summon your courage. Find your inner warrior. Embrace yourself. Embrace the dark. Surrender. Listen. Sense it all. Get quiet + discover your own wisdom.
xoxo. liz.
Find all of the posts for the October Dark Journey Home series here:
Week four (today’s post)
