The term and metaphysicality of the phrase "dark night of the soul" are taken from the writings of the Spanish poet and Roman Catholic mystic Saint John of the Cross, a Carmelite priest in the 16th century. Dark Night of the Soul is the name of both a poem, and a commentary on that poem, and are among the Carmelite priest's most famous writings. They tell of his mystic development and the stages he went through on his quest for holiness.

The "dark night" could generally be described as a letting go of our ego's hold on the psyche, making room for change that can bring about a complete transformation of a person's way of defining his/her self and their relationship to God. The interim period can be frightening, hence the perceived "darkness". In the Christian tradition, during the "dark night" one who has developed a strong prayer life and consistent devotion to God suddenly finds traditional prayer extremely difficult and unrewarding for an extended period of time. The individual may feel as though God has suddenly abandoned them, or that their prayer life has collapsed.

Rather than being a negative event, the dark night is believed by mystics and others to be a blessing in disguise where the individual extends from a state of contemplative prayer to an inability to pray. Particularly in Christianity, it is seen as a severe test of one's faith.
(from en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark..._the_Soul)

Some might say that humanity is currently experiencing a dark night of the soul. I imagine there have been several repetitions of these collective dark nights during the ages, just prior to the birthing of a new consciousness, new paradigm or new spiritual, educational, creative or evolutionary leap.

I'm curious about people who dip deeply into depression, melancholy or who might be labelled with bi-polar or other medical terminology that implies depression in some form of another. I am curious if they have contemplated any connection with a dark night of the soul, and what that might mean to them, personally or collectively.

I'm curious about the various personal experiences, colors, names, and languages regarding the dark night of the soul. I worry that the phrase taken out of context from the 17th century might now be loaded with a particular religious meaning, and that is by no means my intention. By itself it feels a powerful and potent image and metaphor for the deep dark just prior to the dawn. I wonder if the Egyptians experienced the dark night of the soul every night so that Ra or the Sun God could be rebirthed every dawn.

In any event, what are your thoughts and experiences with this phrase in your own life?

I'm interested in this space being a sharing and gathering of personal and collective stories from the darkest places within the human soul experience so that they can be viewed as a spiderweb thread -- both standing alone, but having some sort of common element weaving throughout. I'm simply curious about the kind of mandala shape will emerge.

you could come from any cultural, religious, spiritual, economic, or social background. you don't have to be a Christian, agnostic, atheist, buddhist or shamanic practitioner to have experienced to a dark night of the soul. It might have a different name and you might see it differently, so please share this too.


We wait in the darkness!
Come, all ye who listen,
Help in our night journey:
Now no sun is shining;
Now no star is glowing;
Come show us the pathway:
The night is not friendly;
The moon has forgot us,
We wait in the darkness!
--Iroquois prayer

To go in the dark with a light is to know the light.
To know the dark, go dark. Go without sight,
and find that the dark, too, blooms and sings,
and is traveled by dark feet and dark wings.
--Wendell Berry

You shall ask
What good are dead leaves
And i will tell you
They nourish the sore earth.
You shall ask
What reason is there for winter
And I will tell you
To bring about new leaves
You shall ask
Why are the leaves so green
And I will tell you
Because they are rich with life
You shall ask
Why must summer end
And I will tell you
So that the leaves can die
--needs reference, coming soon!

Upon a darkened night
the flame of love was burning in my breast
And by a lantern bright
I fled my house while all in quiet rest


Shrouded by the night
And by the secret stair I quickly fled
The veil concealed my eyes
while all within lay quiet as the dead


CHORUS
Oh night thou was my guide
of night more loving than the rising sun
Oh night that joined the lover
to the beloved one
transforming each of them into the other


Upon that misty night
in secrecy, beyond such mortal sight
Without a guide or light
than that which burned so deeply in my heart
That fire t'was led me on
and shone more bright than of the midday sun
To where he waited still
it was a place where no one else could come

(from lorenna mckennitt, 'the dark night of the soul'

http://tribes.tribe.net/darknightofthesoul