Darkness and the Individual

Darkness is about the individual.

We are all bound together. But the darksider knows that, no matter what connections exist, real or perceived, he is his own person, responsible for his own destiny, responsible for shaping his own path.

Darkness is about knowing the individual.

We must cut through the lies we weave around ourselves, we must go beyond the way we shield ourselves. This means untangling knots in the way we think and behave which prevent us from knowing what we are, and acting as we are. We must find out how we think, what we think, what we believe, what we are capable of.

Darkness is within the individual.

We are called to an internal journey. We must explore ourselves, through action and contemplation. We are physical beings, and so exploration of what we are, means placing ourselves in relation to the world, feeling things about the world; passions, beliefs, taking positions, both on the basis of emotion and tactical reason. We are also spiritual beings, and truth is not to be found simply by becoming aware of behaviour; we must become aware of those desires which may only enter our consciousness on occasion; for example when we stripped bare by a traumatic happening, or suddenly feel alone in the night, or are suddenly joyful. Through meditation, contemplation and prayer, we can begin to look within to find our spiritual self, and see things with an eye which is not purely material; an eye which knows, for example, that music is not simply a pleasurable aural sensation, but an experience which affects the whole individual.

Darkness is explored by the individual.

The map of the world has been filled. The land is claimed, and each feature has been given its name. And yet, the world around us is entirely new to us. Certainly, we walk along our street, find our way along familiar paths. And yet, we are unaware. Not mindful of the collage of feelings, actions, of things being constructed and broken all around us. We are not mindful of the reality within which we exist, but move, confident that we know our way around a place we have never even dared to look at. Each drip of paint, each flyposter, each blade of grass has meaning for us to find, and we are connected, as though by an umbilical cord, to the world around us; the force within us reaches out to make itself a manifest consciousness in the world, and so the self becomes joined to, and dependant on the universe in which it is placed. Everything we experience is a brother and a sister to us, and yet we ignore it. It is shrouded in unknowing. We must peer into this darkness.

Darkness is individual.

It falls to each of us to discover what darkness is for themselves. To piece together the mosaic from brief glimpses of things we fear and things we desire. To shape our own aspirations, to walk on our own journey. Certainly, there are times when we crave companionship on the journey, times when we seek hands to hold. But ultimately, we must confront the self. We cannot offer a public dissection of a corpse, so that all can understand the anatomy of darkness. Darkness has an anatomy which is constructed differently for each person. Therefore, the only answers are the ones you can find yourself. Certainly, the world has tools to offer; for example, psychoanalysis, meditation, prayer, art; all of these allow us to find ways of expressing and exploring what the self means. So, while it is worthwhile to learn and understand methods of exploration, and we hope that the dark path at this academy will help you to equip yourself with such tools, ultimately, you must pick up these tools; you must explore yourself, you must explore your universe. Look into the dark unexplored and see what might make itself known.