The Deep Within
by Tigris Powers

In this day and age, we spend the majority of our time in the light. Just about everywhere we go, if even into the depths of the woods at night, we have light at our disposal. This means that everything we want to see is right there, clearly visible. Or at least this is what we have been led to believe.

I am here to tell you that there is a world still waiting to be discovered within the depths of the darkness. This world is hidden from even the best battery operated light source. Still a mystery to most, the depths of the darkness within beckons.

It’s no surprise that we have become accustomed to light. It’s comfortable, convenient and omnipresent. It is external and we live a world that is focused externally. Everything around us, outside of us, rules the day. This is how it has been in our patriarchal society for centuries. We have been taught, or conditioned, to see what is clearly in view. This has mistakenly led us to believe that all the answers exist outside of us. As a result we are in a constant state of seeking and taking in. This has only led to the internalizing of masculine energy.

As a society, we are longing for the feminine energy that has been hidden from view for too long. There are important moments in life in which this feminine energy is abundantly available to us, if we focus our attention toward the mystery. Pregnancy is one of these awakening moments. But rather than waking up to the light, one awakens to the darkness. Pregnancy puts one into a world where everything that one has been taught in our patriarchal society is turned upside down, or rather inside out. With the presence of new life in the womb, one’s focus is directed inside to a realm that is seldom traversed with full confidence.

The experience of pregnancy puts a woman in direct relationship to, what I call, the four directions of the feminine principal: allowing, accepting, trusting and receiving. A woman must first allow for new life to enter according to its will. Secondly, a woman must accept new life within her, as part of her. Third, she must trust that new life is unfolding perfectly in the darkness. And finally, she must open to receive new life and the transformation that it brings. These are the four stepping-stones that mark the path into the mystery, into the feminine.

The biblical story of Mother Mary’s immaculate conception can be interpreted today, not as the miraculous implanting of a virgin, but rather as an illustration of these four directions of the feminine principal. Pure of heart, Mary walked this path into the mystery and gave birth to a son, who personified the Divine light. It’s no surprise that the Christians chose a date so close to the Winter Solstice, an ancient celebration of the return of the light, to celebrate the birth of Jesus, son of Mary.

Although pregnancy accentuates the fertile energy within, it is not the only time that it is present. All of us, women and men, have infinite access to our inner fertile soil. The key to unlocking the gate to this inner realm is trust. When one is with child, one trusts that the seed will germinate according to Divine order. Although one cannot see the process is taking place from the outside, one must trust that life exists in the darkness. The feminine aspect of nature is that all life, all ideas, all healing begins in the darkness.

All creations are birthed from dark into light, from the inside out. It is within this interplay of darkness and light, inner and outer, that a holistic balance is found. Just as darkness helps one small light to appear that much brighter, the feminine energy supports the masculine energy and adds to its power.

As we approach the dark moments in our lives, let us be reminded of the inner aspect of life, the feminine energy that is cradled deep within. As the Sun takes his journey, leaving us in the darkness, may we embrace the absence of the masculine energy that keeps us in a constant state of motion.  As we rest in the feminine, let us look inward and discover the vast amount of wisdom that is waiting to be born. With trust, the mystery becomes a masterpiece. And the further we travel into the darkness of the inner realm, the sooner we will realize that there is a light. This light is the seed of truth that rests in the deep within.

©Tigris Powers, 2008