The Honesty of Darkness

The death of a star - falling in upon itself - takes place in those of strength; those too weak are consumed. This is the beginning of insatiable hunger, ambitions, wants, passion; and it is the end of contentment, rest, peace. The individual becomes a black hole, and has lost all convention, all comfort, for having dispelled the light that had once constituted his being.

You look into it, and it returns your gaze. The darkness that defines it - that creates an abyss - will begin to speak. Understanding will emerge, and you will come to realize that this abyss is within yourself. Eventually, it will dawn on you: the abyss isn't merely a part of you, it is who you truly are. Formerly distorted by the surrounding light, it will become clear to you, ready to be embraced. ∞ ◊ ∞ I am the Heart of Darkness. I know no fear; but rather I instill it in my enemies. I know the power of the Dark Side. I am the fire of hate; the universe bows before me. I pledge myself to the Darkness. For I have found true life, in the Death of the Light. ~ Author Unknown

I read this code a long, long time ago. Vallen - the darksider, not Spark - had used it in a lecture. Then, I had passed it over years ago, having decided it was poorly constructed and didn't represent darkness or the way of the Sith accurately. Later, I had a change of heart and used it in a lecture of my own. Here, now, I seek to present the treasures to be found in the ways of our archetypes yet again.

I am the Heart of Darkness.

There is Darkness within everyone; it is the home of painful truths, of secret wants and desires. It is the hiding place of those things we willfully ignore, and it is more. Above all, it is the cradle of the heart. Sith taste, feel, and accept that this is where their heart really is, that this is even what the heart itself is; and that alone is an acknowledgment that takes strength.

But one does not become the Heart of Darkness suddenly or effortlessly, even after having found it. Pain, sweat, and struggle ensue, for it remains an elusive creature, always prancing here and there. When the individual begins to look outward, he becomes acquainted with the nature of this playful, mischievous, slippery fish of a heart. Only with an inward gaze can an adept begin to fathom it, feel it, and let it guide his hand.

I know no fear; but rather I instill it in my enemies.

It is, at first glance, a poor choice of words to say that a Sith knows no fear. Nevertheless, a message of value can still be discerned, especially by those well versed in our ways. To paraphrase an old friend, "to be feared by a Sith is no benefit, for the object of his fear becomes a target". While it is not always the case that it becomes targeted as a result, to be feared by a Sith is no advantage. Speaking for myself, I know fear well. But the difference evident to me, a line separating a common man from a true Sith, is that we do not become crippled; it is passed through, and we draw strength from the experience.

I imagine this could scare other people when encountered in someone like myself, and it is also a given that instilling fear in others can have a desirable effect on the outcome of certain situations; but unless the outcome being aimed for is close to the individual's heart, unless the purpose of this kind of manipulation is sincere, it's a hollow tactic.

I know the power of the Dark Side.

Darkness, the Dark Side, is something different to each and every practitioner; it is about the individual. For myself, it is the individual. The Dark demands strength, through which there is the potential to gain greater power.

Power, when bolstered by strength, can become self-perpetuating. To know power, revelation and understanding has a greater opportunity to flourish. And though power is not the "be all, end all" of our way, possessing it and expanding it is a defining characteristic of the Dark practitioner. The strong and mindful will always find ways to grow their influence, both in range and intensity.

I am the fire of hate; the universe bows before me.

Another picture is painted in proclaiming one's self to be "the fire of hate", not unlike the earlier line on fear. For the discerning eye, this too is an attempt to put on display an adept's willingness to attune himself to his feelings; to not only stand at the edge of the chasm but to leap into the dark abyss beyond. To jump into the black hole... into yourself. To embrace your true nature.

As to the 'universe', that too is simply the individual bowing before himself. Not in submission, but in enthusiastic service to his own life. For the dead star recognizes that it is an entire universe in and of itself.

I pledge myself to the Darkness.

I must reiterate that the nature of darkness is left for the individual to experience and describe. No one can do that for you, and few will respect the sacrifices and strife demanded of those that come to know the Dark intimately, viscerally. To stand by what you've discovered within and what you've grown to become, to commit one's self so absolutely is something many will not or cannot do.

But there are those that have, and those that will. Most of these few will eventually comprehend that conviction is indicative of strength. Taking the risks of their conviction in stride, they pledge themselves unflinchingly to darkness.

For I have found true life, in the Death of the Light.

"A monster is a person who has stopped pretending..."
~Colson Whitehead

The definition of Light: a force of distortion, a Lie. The light of an individual is who he thinks he is, who and how he thinks others perceive him, the very opinions of other people on who he is, it is the ideals that would sublimate his heart, his nature. It comes from looking outward for definition and direction. The death of the Lie - the Light - gives birth to true life.

∞ ◊ ∞

The death of a star's light can be the birth of a monstrous soul, a dark abyss. You need only dispel the light, to be shamelessly honest with yourself, to be reborn as an infantile monster, and to grow into something you're proud to be.