Light and Darkness – Why True Inner Growth Can Only Happen When We Give Space to Both

Nicole Ardin
3 days ago
4 min read

A Nature-Based Spiritual Perspective on Shadow Work

Candles flicker in the window, somewhere the scent of pumpkin and damp earth drifts through the air. The world grows quieter – yet at the same time, some people feel uneasy. This season of darkness and introspection often reminds us of what we would rather not feel: our mortality, fear, ourselves, and the parts of our being we usually avoid. And that is exactly what the dark half of the year is for.

Samhain – Halloween, All Hallows’ Eve, the night before All Saints’ Day – is the time when our own shadow knocks at the door. Many are afraid to see their repressed aspects. They prefer to keep the door closed, calling it “light work” or “protection from negativity.” But what we push away does not simply disappear.

On the contrary – it waits. In the unconscious, in our dreams, in our reactions, and in our daily patterns of thought and behavior. It finds other ways to express itself if we do not consciously listen. This is the essence of shadow work, and the essence of the time around Samhain: the conscious willingness to give space to the repressed, unconscious aspects of ourselves – not to glorify them, but to understand, integrate, and heal them.

Psychologically speaking, this is not a “dark hobby,” and it has nothing to do with good or evil. It is a deeply healthy act of self-regulation. Those who learn to face their own fear, anger, or grief – instead of fighting it – and give these feelings room, find inner stability, and ultimately, balance.

The Duality Doctrine

For centuries, some cultural and religious traditions – especially very conservative ones – have instilled a strong dualistic worldview: light is good, darkness is evil. Life is glorified, while death, doubt, and chaos are feared and suppressed. In recent years, I have noticed how strongly this duality seems to be re-emerging in some minds. What feels uncomfortable is pushed away; we talk about light and love, but often this hides a closing-off from our own darkness – a fear we dare not face.

Separating light and darkness treats them as opposites rather than as two poles of the same energy. This perspective divides where life and the cycles of nature actually connect. Those who view darkness only as a threat lose access to the inner spaces where healing, compassion, and true transformation occur. Light is then mistaken for purity – instead of being understood as awareness that encompasses both brightness and shadow. Without light, there is no shadow; without darkness, we would not appreciate the light. Light is not a state of purity but a conscious space that only becomes real when we are willing to hold even the uncomfortable within it. Everything in life seeks balance – and only looking at one side keeps us from achieving the healthy equilibrium that helps us move through life strengthened.

The Long-Term Harm of Suppression

Psychologically, suppressing one’s shadow – the unpleasant feelings, doubts, or impulses – leads to internal fragmentation. This can have very concrete consequences:

Emotional exhaustion: Constantly trying to be “good” or “positive” keeps the body and mind in perpetual tension.
Projection: What we refuse to see in ourselves gets attributed to others (“the dark,” “the evil,” “the godless”).
Loss of depth: If everything dark or painful is considered wrong, we lose access to true empathy and often remain stuck on a spiritual surface, sometimes feeling morally superior to others.
Religious or spiritual burnout: The pressure to always be light-filled and morally “pure” paradoxically leads to exactly what one hoped to avoid: inner emptiness, doubt, and guilt. We constantly see ourselves as wrong and desperately seek to be “right” – or “light.”

Those who consistently reject death, darkness, or fear are not only cutting themselves off from part of the world and nature, or the cycles of life, but also from a part of their own soul.

What is Truly Healing

A mature spiritual path – in any tradition – does not lead to fleeing from darkness and fear. It leads to the ability to hold them consciously, to look at them, accept them, and integrate them without being consumed. Light is not a goal or a state – it is a space we enter when we are brave enough to bring our shadows along.

Practical impulse: Tonight, light a candle. Pause for a moment. Observe your own darkness without judgment. Simply see, feel, and breathe. Invite the shadow – and welcome yourself.

Food for Thought

The true magic or energy of Samhain (Halloween) does not lie in fearing the dark – nor in judging what we do not understand. It lies in consciously looking.

Which shadow aspects would you invite to become visible today? Which fear might show you where healing is possible? True light only arises when we are courageous enough to embrace darkness and brightness equally, without judgment.

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