On November 5th, Americans unknowingly voted for a dark night of the soul.
St. John of the Cross coined this term when he was imprisoned in the 1500s and he referred to it as a time of deep transformation.
The term stuck.
This Dark Night is the act of what I have defined as Spiritual Catabolism - the "breaking down of limiting and outdated structures and belief systems to rebuild from a higher vibrational plane."
This destructive, catabolic, and alchemical process requires some type of instigator. For St. John, it was prison, for me it was quitting my job in 2016, and for the United States, it was voting for Donald Trump on November 5th.
Why? Well, we're already seeing it. We saw it with his cabinet picks. He's choosing people that, I think most can agree, aren't the least bit qualified for the post they're being appointed to. But for Trump, that's the point. For better or for worse, he wants to shake things up, and his supporters agree.
A Dark Night shakes our version of reality. In this case, our "normal" reality would say that certain people need certain qualifications to do certain jobs. But a Dark Night turns everything we know and trust on its head. It pushes us out of our comfort zone and into the unknown.
When our usual trusted resources are no longer available or valid, we begin to question everything we have experienced thus far in life, where we are now, and where we want to go in the future.
This is what Americans wanted when they voted for him.
His supporters may get more than they bargained for.
Because what happens when you destabilize structures?
They fall.
It doesn't matter what side of the aisle you're on. It will affect us all.
Most of us wouldn't consciously choose to experience a Dark Night of the Soul but sometimes life surprises us, and a seemingly small choice puts us right in its path.
Perhaps the Dark Night is instigated by the death of someone you love, an illness, getting fired, all things that are out of your control.
But sometimes, they are instigated by choices that we hope will improve our lives, such as my choice to quit my job or the Republicans' desire for change.
What happens after the instigating factor has commenced is that we go through a period of transformation, similar to a caterpillar going into a chrysalis, the structure of its body breaks down into goo, and then restructes itself as a beautiful butterfly.
As we have learned from history, however, when we destabilize governmental structures, the "goo" time period can be extensive and unnecessarily destructive if we're not careful.
This transformational period will force our extremely divided country to come together to decide what we want our butterfly selves to look like. Are we going to rebuild on a higher vibrational plane or lower?
Collective, it's up to us.
The instigator has happened. We can't stop the winds of change. We can only try to harness the winds for our highest good.
We are presented with an important opportunity to envision the United States of the future. I don't know about you, but I long for peace; compassion; equal rights for all; the sovereignty of my body; affordable healthcare for all; healthy, happy families; economic stability; a just justice system; a thriving community, and connection, to name a few.
Whatever your vision is, it's probably a close variation of mine because we wall want to be safe, secure, and healthy. Hold that vision. See how you can enact it on a small scale with your friends, family, and community. Change starts with us getting up every day and BEING THE CHANGE WE WANT TO SEE, without fear.
Gandhi knew that was true, and this small, quiet man changed the whole of India because he was unwilling to compromise on the values of nonviolence, equality, and peace.
BE THE CHANGE, hold your vision, and know that although a Dark Night isn't pleasant, this is an incredible opportunity for us to reevaluate everything and decide what needs to be left in the past to step into the future in a new, empowered way. No matter what side you're on, we are in this together now.