candlelight mentality

"The light of modern consciousness is not gentle or reverent; it lacks graciousness in the presence of mystery; it wants to unriddle and control the unknown. ...too direct and clear to befriend the shadowed world of the soul. It is not hospitable to what is reserved and hidden.
(Candlelight) The ideal light to befriend the darkness, it gently opens up caverns in the darkness and prompts the imagination into activity. The candle allows darkness to keep its secrets.. Candlelight perception has the finesse and reverence appropriate to the mystery and autonomy of the soul."

- Anam Cara

The words of John O'Donohue are a sweet reminder of the subtle sensuousness of enigmas; the places and people that remain unmolested by my desperate desire to know. It seems like this world has started to revolve around "knowing", like we are infatuated with it - with explanations and conclusions. We want to know everything. The whys, the reasons... a never-ending pursuit to shed a white light in every dark and mysterious corner. It sounds admirable: to discover things, to understand and dissect and comprehend.. and yet, I have to wonder sometimes if our need to unveil is not an effect of fear, rather than curiosity? After all, if we do not have an answer for something, how can we ever control it? And when we cannot control something.. who knows what will happen?

I love mystery. I have secrets.
Truly, the most interesting people I know are entirely mysterious. The seduction of the unknown, is that I get to use my own delicious imagination. The thrill of ideas and thoughts, and these elaborate passages that twist and writhe deep into my mind.. there is nothing better to me than savoring the magic of the unanswered questions. This is sincerely true when it comes to relationships.
Most times, I think our gut reaction is to shine a light deeply into a person.. to expose every area of who and what they are. We are afraid that if we don't know everything about them, we can't understand them... we can't predict their actions... we can't control them. Not knowing, much of the time scares the shit out of us! We are terrified of what could be. But isn't that what intrigues us to begin with?
Isn't that the good part? The mystery?

What if we use a candle light mentality towards each other?
What if we were content with the mystery and the darkness of ourselves and others? To respect and honor the sacred part of our souls.. of our very being. It is beautiful that we can offer that courtesy to one another - to let ourselves exist freely without knowing. I do not wish fear to take away my pleasure.. mysteriousness, is a captivating delight.




Andrew Tipton