Surrendering to the dark

Amy Terepka
6 days ago
3 min read

The darkness is here. Samhain has officially opened, and we have been claimed. Claimed by the dark mother who wraps us in her cloak of love, inviting us to rest. Inviting us to dream.

Inviting us to take refuge from the blaring light of striving, and rest in the descent. Surrender into the unraveling. Surrender into the death of the year.

So that in 6 weeks time when Winter Solstice births the light’s return, we can feel rested and emptied for the long slow inhale to begin again.

A clear and starry night viewed from beneath a tree with bare branches.

Facing the call of darkness and death

Being in the dark gives us the opportunity to feel things that may have been hidden or obscured during the light half of the year. And for many of us it can feel overwhelming to face ourselves and our ghosts.

Being afraid of the darkness is, at its core, a fear of death. This intimidating aspect of life is literally the only thing we know for certain about our lives. Yet it’s the one thing we try to outrun and ignore.

If we don’t acknowledge death as an important part of the life-cycle, we never purge ourselves of what’s dead and stagnant inside of ourselves each year. We never acknowledge the rotting stench that’s psychologically festering within us.

This is what turns to haunt us.

One plant medicine I’ve found to be extremely helpful for being with the dying process is Elder (Elderberry).

Amy smiles next to an abundant Elder plant, an excellent plant spirit ally for surrendering to the darkness.

As the world around us dies back, and we are faced with the annual call of death that our culture fears, Elder stands with us, whispering an acceptance of death in our ears, and makes letting go feel a little bit easier.

She intimately knows the veil, knows the liminal space that shrouds the world just beyond our physical plane.

She acts as a guide when we transition into and out of this world, during birth and death, during major life transitions, or during ritual experiences. She helps us come to terms with, and truly accept, transition and death as a part of life.

Elder offers guidance through the dark

During the first week of Call Into Darkness, we work with Elder. In her presence we soften into the darkness and all the generous gifts it holds.

In our guided journey she leads us to the veil between the worlds to receive guidance from an ancestor, spirit guide or guardian. She holds a steady, motherly presence, and lets us know that everything is as it should be. Even death.

A large woven basket is filled with elder berries.

At this time, when the Earth and all her creatures are bowing down, and the soft dark moves in early to nestle us home, what if you followed this invitation too?

What if you allowed the darkness to rise up like a warm cloak, wrapping around your body, letting you know that it’s all ok?

That it’s ok to release.

That it’s ok to feel.

That it’s ok to rest and just be.

That it’s ok to be in empty space, to be bored even, to not be stimulated by flashy entertainment.

That it’s ok to feel into the reality of death. And that every day you breathe, something is offering its life force to you in order to keep you alive.

The plants, the animals: their lives end so that your life can continue.

What a privilege it is to be alive.

And here in the darkness maybe you’ll sit with the reality that one day you, too, will die. And life will be fed by your death, and your life’s impact will ripple itself out into the world.

A practice to soften into darkness

Offer yourself some time to sit in total darkness and silence, for even just 5 minutes, during these sacred days. Notice what arises in this black womb of space and depth. Call in a guide to be with you if you get scared. You may find some beautiful healing moments.

Want to go deeper into the dark season of the year?

The Autumn Inner Well is a self-guided 6-module course designed to amplify your relationship with the Earth, grow your connection with your deep self, and offer the support you need from the more-than-human world.