{"id":250,"date":"2009-08-30T00:59:40","date_gmt":"2009-08-30T00:59:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/annetylerlord.com\/?p=250"},"modified":"2009-08-30T00:59:40","modified_gmt":"2009-08-30T00:59:40","slug":"redflame-deepwater-pt-4-dark-places-retreat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/livingwithlivewires.com\/annetylerlord\/2009\/08\/30\/redflame-deepwater-pt-4-dark-places-retreat\/","title":{"rendered":"RedFlame DeepWater (pt. 4): Dark Places: Retreat"},"content":{"rendered":"

My series RedFlame DeepWater continues. After the\u00a0RedFlame<\/a> of life events burn through your life in unexpected ways, you have the chance for spiritual growth. Progressing in spiritual practice is not devoid of experiences that send you to dark places, with feelings of depression, fear, anxiety. Often, these experiences are more brief, but can be very intense. Sometimes they can take you over for awhile. I think it is important to talk about this aspect of the journey, not to be depressing or negative, not to encourage these feelings, but to acknowledge that the negative should not be feared, but witnessed just the same as positive emotions, and great moments of awareness.<\/p>\n

I think our society, even our \u201cenlightened\u201d groups can too easily place layers of negativity on top of negative emotions, and those that have them, thus increasing the power of the shadow. It is our duty to be masters of the Shadow realms, to practice transforming them. Only then, can we be truly powerful in our attempts to transform in our pursuits in life. It is too easy to run, deny and shame our own negative feelings and those of others. It is too easy to hide in \u201cpositive\u201d goal orientations that seek to suppress negativity from our Shadow that may be itching to be witnessed and transformed.<\/p>\n

Do not misunderstand, we should not promote negativity, but learn to masterfully witness (not\u00a0suppress) the negativity and pain that passes through our being, sometimes as an irritable whisper, sometimes as deep grief, depression, physical pain and other times as raging anger. Running for cover will only bring them back with a vengeance.<\/p>\n

\"a7d8cfd4\"<\/p>\n

RedFlame DeepWater –\u00a0Part 4<\/h2>\n

Dark Places: Retreat<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n

Returning to the Dark Place
\nwhere the RedFlame forced me.<\/p>\n

\"thedarkplace\"
\nAll alone where I belong,
\nNow that all is gone.
\nBurned through & through,
\nI am scratched, bruised,
\nbloody, seared,
\nflesh hanging…<\/p>\n

Pain Unimaginable,
\nmy constant companion,
\nWhat have I done to have,
\nsuch a painful friend?<\/p>\n

\"1_104532358m1\"<\/p>\n

I sit with Darkness,
\nso pitch black I can’t see,
\nslight relief, to not run,
\nwander, or care.
\nHere I will sit,
\nfor eternity,
\nno one, no thing, no light,
\nDarkness becomes my other companion,
\nwith Pain Unimaginable.<\/p>\n

Darkness gives brief comfort
\nBut, Pain Unimaginable does not.
\nIt won’t leave,
\nSo, I sit.
\nPain Unimaginable and Darkness \u2013 always
\nconstant companions
\nin my place of no time.<\/p>\n

\"15127865_ee25044e97\"<\/p>\n

Remembrances and Resentments
\nflow through consciousness.
\nI was fine before –
\nI had it all!
\nMy past defined me,
\nMy future
\nwas set.<\/p>\n

I held it all so dearly, with delight!
\nIt was beautiful, wonderful, fun!
\nWhat an adventure!
\nWhat great feelings, great thoughts & great dreams!
\nBright lights, pretty things,
\nfun to have, wonderful things to see…<\/p>\n

\"pain<\/p>\n

I miss seeing those things,
\nfeeling wonderful,
\nplanning fun,
\nsuccess & security.
\nI miss friends & parties
\nI miss,
\nmy past,
\nmy life,
\nmy future
\nNow everyone has forgotten
\nMy importance is
\nAll burned by RedFlame.<\/p>\n

I continue for an eternity
\nto sit with my friends.
\nPain Unimaginable & Darkness
\nDarkness now protects me from
\nencounters & concerns of the world.
\nPain Unimaginable (PU)
\nreminds me I am alive.<\/p>\n

\"12510461643606s\"<\/p>\n

As I look closely,
\nI soon realize PU is alive,
\nseparate from me.
\nWho is it? What is it?
\nI talk to each day,
\nmy alive companion.<\/p>\n

\"PAIN<\/p>\n

Pain Unimaginable (PU) –
\nWhy did you come to live with me?<\/p>\n

PU: You needed me.<\/p>\n

Why do I need you?<\/p>\n

PU: To point the way.<\/p>\n

I don’t need you!<\/p>\n

PU: Oh, really? Right now, who would you be without me?<\/p>\n

Who are you?<\/p>\n

PU: I am now, and now, and NOW.<\/p>\n

\"black\"<\/p>\n

\"DarkPlace\"<\/p>\n

Stay Tuned for RedFlame DeepWater<\/strong>, Part 5, Dark Places: Me, Pain & Suffering<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

My series RedFlame DeepWater continues. After the\u00a0RedFlame of life events burn through your life in unexpected ways, you have the chance for spiritual growth. Progressing in spiritual practice is not devoid of experiences that send you to dark places, with feelings of depression, fear, anxiety. Often, these experiences are more brief, but can be very […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[44],"tags":[97,100,141,155],"class_list":["post-250","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-poetry","tag-dark-night-of-the-soul","tag-difficult-times","tag-poetry","tag-spirituality"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/livingwithlivewires.com\/annetylerlord\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/250","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/livingwithlivewires.com\/annetylerlord\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/livingwithlivewires.com\/annetylerlord\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/livingwithlivewires.com\/annetylerlord\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/livingwithlivewires.com\/annetylerlord\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=250"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/livingwithlivewires.com\/annetylerlord\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/250\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/livingwithlivewires.com\/annetylerlord\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=250"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/livingwithlivewires.com\/annetylerlord\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=250"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/livingwithlivewires.com\/annetylerlord\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=250"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}