The ninth day of Christmas brought an unexpected gift: darkness. Not a new kind of darkness, but an old and familiar one, rediscovered. It manifested in the symbol of night, a theme poetically delivered to my inbox by one of my favorite poets, Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer (wordwoman.com):
“…and the night is a nest
Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer
big enough to hold us all.”
Night enfolds us in its embrace, like the womb of new birth. It invites us into the unknown, where the path forward is hinted at but not fully illuminated. In darkness, quick judgments born of shallow appearances fade away, inviting us into a vulnerability born of realizing how much remains unknown.
I often reflect on the beauty I find in darkness. Habitually, I rise before the sun, finding solace in my quiet home office, shrouded in shadows with a cup of coffee in hand. In this darkness, I revel in the complete encirclement it brings, relying less on sight as lines blur into shadows. Here, the challenge is in discerning where one object ends and another begins, reminding me that the lines we draw to separate and differentiate are often less clear than we think.
My experiences extend to our mountain cabin, a place with minimal light pollution. Each evening, as I sit on our front porch, the sky above is a tapestry of stars against the stark emptiness of space. Away from the city’s lights, the stars and planets emerge with greater clarity, a gift of darkness that brings its own form of illumination.
In many spiritual traditions, there is a focus on a path of ascent, seeking greater light and enlightenment, often painting this journey with moral overtones; light symbolizes knowledge and goodness, while darkness is associated with hiding and evil. Yet, in the mystical traditions of these same religions, there is a recognition that a deeper understanding often comes through a descent into darkness, through a process of emptying and unsaying. Here, comfort is found in the unknown, and the mystic becomes more at peace with not knowing.
Have you ever considered darkness as a gift? Have you explored the unknown, embraced its discomfort to willingly enter into not knowing? For me, darkness serves as a reminder of life’s unpredictability, how we cannot foresee what lies ahead, and how trying to clearly define and separate everything can be an exercise in futility. It teaches me that there is strength and comfort in embracing the unknown.
As Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer’s words remind us, the night is a nest large enough for us all—a place of rest and rejuvenation in the embrace of the unknown. In this season of light and celebration, let us not forget the profound gifts that darkness offers.
I invite you to share your thoughts and experiences with darkness. Have you found peace or insight in its embrace? Let’s discuss in the comments below.
Infinitely Precious 
As a child I loved to hide on dark places. And as a grown up, I always feel accompaniment in the darkness.
Am not an obscure person, I love the light, in thoughts and dids, but I have learned.
What I can’t handle is the feeling of perill or danger, cause in the darkness, nowadays humans, have lost sight, earing, smelling and quitter at least another six senses. Making us vulnerable creatures in the lack of lights.
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