Finding Light in the Dark Places
by Paul Ferrini • Greenfield, MA

Spirituality is not just an ascent into the light– it is also a descent into the shadowy world. Without the descent, we would not develop the strength and wisdom we need to be keepers of the flame.

In Greek Mythology, Erebus is the place of deepest darkness. It is the underground world where chaos reigns. In modern psychological terms, Erebus represents the shadow world of our unconscious. In this world, dreams and symbols reign. It is the place where death dwells and it is also the place where life is conceived. From it arise psychic dreams, revelations and intuitions of truth that are beyond our understanding. Wisdom that comes from this place does not originate in our conscious minds. It comes from the unconscious.

The world of darkness represents both our ignorance and the source of our greatest illumination. In that sense it is a dichotomous world. We do not understand the world of darkness very well. Yet we know that without this world, there would be no creativity, no random beauty and no serendipity. There would be only logic, symmetry and causal order.

The emotion of love itself would not exist, for love is as much a creation of the darkness as it is of the light. Love is not just beautiful, intentional and uplifting. It is needy, sudden and compelling. It is both gradual and unpredictable, safe and dangerous, lawful and illicit.

Like our unconscious, Erebus is a complex, rich, dynamic place. It is a place where duality and unity exist side by side. It is not, nor will it ever be, one-dimensional.

The story of Persephone’s abduction to the underworld is an important metaphor for understanding what spiritual growth really means. It is an especially timely metaphor now as we pass through the winter solstice, the time of the shortest days and the longest nights.

According to the Greek myth, Zeus gives his brother Hades permission to abduct his daughter Persephone. Hades rises up from a dark hole in the earth right next to where Persephone is plucking and gathering narcissus in a flowery meadow. He seizes Persephone and takes her off to the underworld.

The permission given by Zeus underscores the fact that the journey into the underworld is not at odds with the will of heaven, but indeed aligned with it. Persephone’s abduction is a step forward in her growth and development as a spiritual being. It is a rite of passage into a deeper and fuller life.

Of course, Persephone resists this process, just as we all do. She asks both gods and men for help, but because Hades has Zeus’ permission, nothing can be done to prevent the abduction. Finally Persephone’s mother Demeter appeals to Zeus with tears in her eyes, and Zeus relents. He agrees to set Persephone free so long as she has not eaten any food in the underworld. However, by the time Hermes arrives in the underworld carrying Zeus’ message, Persephone has already eaten half a pomegranate that Hades gave to her as an expression of love. Thus, Persephone’s permanent return to upper world is no longer possible.

As a compromise, Persephone is allowed to spend six months with her mother in the upper world and then must join her husband in the underworld for the rest of the year. Like the rest of us, Persephone encounters her shadowy side most profoundly in her intimate relationship.
As we pass through winter, the outer world’s influence weakens and the pull of the inner world intensifies. Many living things become dormant outwardly– yet inwardly they are experiencing their greatest creativity. The branches of the tree may be empty of leaves, but the roots are reaching deep into the earth for nurturing.

Persephone’s journey into the underworld is an exploration of her own unconscious and the collective unconscious of all human beings. It is a journey that enables her to gain insight into the world of dreams and impulses so that she can bring this insight forward into conscious understanding.

Every spring she emerges from the underworld into the upper world just as seeds sprout and break through the earth. Her entry into the upper world signals the most creative time in that world: Flowers are blooming, leaves are turning the bare trees green– it is a time of rebirth.

As we all know, death and rebirth go hand and hand. Like Persephone, we cannot decline the invitation to visit the shadowy world. We have no choice. Our growth depends on it. But we will not stay in this world forever. We will reclaim the heavenly realm as often as we leave it.
Both darkness and light are birthing agents. Without both as midwives, we would lose an essential aspect of who we are, for our humanity and our divinity go hand in hand. There is no one amongst us who does not fall from grace again and again, but neither is there one amongst us who does not emerge, however painfully, from the womb of transformation. You cannot ascend to the heights unless you also visit the shadowy world of your doubts and fears.

Being human and divine are not at odds. They are an exquisite tapestry of light and shadow being woven every day of our lives. We are not one-dimensional gods or humans– we are psychologically complex, multidimensional beings who are constantly growing and changing.
We complain about our birthing process, but at the same time we know it is necessary. We came here to learn to make wise choices and to take responsibility for our lives. We came here to learn what it means to love others and ourselves without conditions. The curriculum of this world is not easy, but we chose to be here because we wanted to master these lessons. The spiritual adult in us knows this, no matter how much the wounded kid in us squirms and tantrums.

Zeus knew it too, as all parents do. We cannot protect our children from either the outer world or the inner one. They must learn to weather the storms of life and face their fears as they arise. That’s the nature of our journey here.

Paul Ferrini is the author of 28 books on love, healing and forgiveness, including Love Without Conditions. For more information on Paul’s work, visit his website at www.paulferrini.com or contact Heartways Press, at (888) HARTWAY, Heartways Press, P.O. Box 99, Greenfield, MA 01302.