Dark Nights of the Soul by Thomas
Moore
Some New Ways Of Looking At Things
When it comes to spiritual growth, we humans are solar-seeking beings;
eager for the bright lights of clarity and the bliss of illumination.
Paradoxically, we all need to walk through the shadow of the dark night in
order to discover a life worth living, according to psychotherapist and
spiritual commentator Thomas Moore. Unlike depression, which is more of
an emotional state, Moore calls the dark night a slow transformation
process, which is fueled by a profound period of doubt, disorientation and
questioning. Ultimately, a journey into the dark night will reshape the very
meaning of your life. As a self-proclaimed lunar type, Moore is comfortable
leading his clients and readers into the shadows, where ambiguities and
mysteries lurk around every corner. He describes the dark night journey in
stages, starting with feeling distant from your life even as you continue to
go through the motions. The second phase is liminality, meaning living on
the threshold between the known self and the unknown self. This is
perhaps the most uncomfortable phase as the dark night may take you

away from the cultivation and persona you have developed in your
education and from family learning, he explains. After dwelling in this
murky darkness, theres a stage of re-incorporation, in which one integrates
the profound inner transitions into daily life. Like a tour guide to the
underworld, Moore leads readers through all these phases, offering tools
and rituals for making the journey more tolerable or at least more
meaningful. He also speaks to the many arenas and stages of life in which
we might find ourselves stumbling through the dark, with chapters on
marriage, parenting, sexuality, creativity and health. The scope is
ambitious, and at times the structure seems disjointed—but this is perhaps
Moore’s best contribution since Care of the Soul, proving once again that
he is a wise and formidable spiritual teacher. --Gail Hudson
Personal Review: Dark Nights of the Soul by Thomas Moore
"The dark night is the soul shining through with its lunar luminosity. It is the
deep, dark discovery of roots and cellars, the opposite of enlightenment,
but equally important and equally divine. It is the pulling apart of meaning
so that mystery can be revealed." ~ pg. 311
"Dark Nights of the Soul" is the type of book you want to read secretly
without telling anyone about it. In some way it is a very personal reading
experience. Perhaps it is like a secret pleasure or at least a refreshingly
honest way of looking at life. This book is not really about depression, it is
more about the darkly beautiful aspects of life.
In reality life may be seen as one dark night after the other in which the
soul is reborn through trials and spiritual experiences where the soul is
tested. At times you pass the test and move on to a new level of
awareness. Unfortunately sometimes you must repeat the test almost
endlessly until enlightenment strikes.
"The child Jesus lying in a manger, visited by kings and proclaimed by
angels is yet another great image for this insight. At Christmas, much of
the world honores the archetype of the child, who is seen as a light
appearing at the end of a long dark night." ~ pg. 203
Thomas Moore's book is a journey through life. There are discussions of
romantic love, marriage, aging, anger, sexuality, creativity, insanity and
illness. In each topic he brings a fresh awareness of the dark aspects that
are undeniably present. Throughout this book there are also discussions of
Greek mythology, Zen Buddhism and astrology. Tarot cards are briefly
mentioned. This seemed strange coming from someone who used to be a
monk.
If you have been depressed in the past or have gone through a dark night
of the soul then you may already see a dark night as less of a problem and
more of a transformation. All the fighting and struggling to be reborn is
worth the effort as you emerge with a new clarity of vision and also gain
wisdom. Perhaps this is an excellent book to read before the year ends so

you can analyze your dark nights and then move on into love's beauty.
This book doesn't talk about love very much, but love might be what saves
you from eternally having to go through more dark nights. As Thomas
Moore states: "Depression is a psychological sickness, a dark night is a
spiritual trial."
I have rarely read a book where I felt so understood. If you have had your
own dark nights then I think you will agree. You may also want to read
books on Jesus because a belief in Jesus can sometimes make a dark
night much easier to bear.
Jesus: An Intimate Portrait of the Man, His Land, and His People
Jesus (2000)
What Jesus Demands from the World
~The Rebecca Review
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