A night of complete undoing

John O’Donohue on the Dark Night of the Soul

Photo taken on Vashon-Maury Island by Kirsten Harrison

John O’Donohue gives us words for the obscurity we encounter in our dark nights of the soul. I take comfort in knowing I’m not the only one to encounter this location in my spiritual geography.

“A night of complete undoing where all the strictures and structures of meaning unravel completely and one is left in a huge desolate nothingness. And of course, the lovely irony of the mystical imagination is that it's exactly at that point of complete undoing that everything is returned to you with a new freedom and grace and wonder and celebration.”

-John O’Donohue

Read my related blog post, How to Move Through a Dark Night of the Soul: A Spiritual Director Hold Space for Obscurity here.

Would you like some company or gentle guidance as you listen for wisdom and explore new ways of engaging with your soul? I offer spacious accompaniment and trauma-informed spiritual direction. I’d love to hear what’s stirring in you and meet with you for a free exploration session.