I began this panting from a completely black canvas. It was 2011 and I was feeling completely in the dark and even drawn to the darkness within myself. What is this darkness? It is nothing other than the unconscious, that which is outside of conscious awareness, but operating nevertheless. I started with the familiar circle in the center and focused in on it. What did it want to show or tell me? Of course I was afraid of all kinds of nasty things popping out, but hey if I had a nasty thing inside of me operating anyway, best to get it out in the open and deal with it. And what was my biggest fear? It was, of course, the final fearful darkness of death itself. It made me realize that the darkness is not only the unconscious, but also the unknown. My beloved mother-in-law had recently died and though I didn’t initially recognize it, I guess death was on my mind.

This painting went through all kinds of metamorphosis as I worked on it and slowly, slowly, this image of the full moon at sunset appeared. I now have it hanging in my home office where I can look at it frequently. It continues to teach me about it as time goes by. In fact recently I read a book about Henri Corbin and his understanding of the “luminous darkness” and recognized it in this painting. For Corbin there where two kinds of darkness, one demonic and one luminous and it takes some development of consciousness to understand the difference. The demonic darkness is the evil that humans contain, often unconsciously, and inflict upon themselves and others (those “nasty things”). The luminous darkness brings you closer to God. Corbin was a great champion of what he called the “imaginal realm.” Where the demonic as well as the divine forces meet one through the imagination. Angels and demons are therefore psychic realities, not to be denied. Though Corbin decries the modern lack of relationship with such imaginal worlds and beings, it can be restored and art is one way.

St. John of the Cross experienced what he named the “Dark Night of the Soul” when he was plunged into what he felt was an all encompassing darkness where he could no longer find God. It was only through keeping his faith, prayer & meditation that brought him through the darkness back to God.

What I learned from this painting was that I could, like the full moon, peer into the dark and see the beauty there. The darkness that is death does not have to frighten me. Not even the “nasty things” inside of me have to frighten me if I am brave enough to bring them into the light of the moon. For in that luminous darkness, there are friendly forces waiting to help me, wanting me to evolve past my negative limitations, as this painting did. When I finished it, it felt like a blessing, a gift, a reminder that I do not have to be afraid and help and guidance are also within me.

The Blue Moon represents the 13th moon that appears in one month or another every year. The month with a Blue Moon has two full moons in it and the second moon is the blue one. The moon used to be a common way of measuring time; the American Indians would say things like “In two moons, the Buffalo will come.” And of course the English word month comes from moon. Moon was also considered a Goddess by many mythic cultures, and the full moon represents the Goddess in full power. The image of the moon is caused by a reflection of the sun, so the Moon Goddess represents a reflective capacity available to us.

So if you are finding yourself in the dark, create a way to engage it, invite it in. Oh there is so much to discover about yourself through the darkest journeys that take you directly to your soul. Psychologist Carl Jung said something like: “To help someone find their light, bring them to their darkness.”