Chapter 1

Haven’t you ever got mad at someone? Haven’t you ever used foul language, flaunted something, double-crossed someone, stolen or misappropriated something,  exploited the power you have, discriminated, marginalized or judged someone, threatened or hit a person, wanted to take revenge, destroyed or broken something, or shouted at someone and made them cry. Haven’t you ever been greedy or selfish? Haven’t you ever wished somebody ill or gibed at them? Haven’t you ever trampled on someone’s feelings? Haven’t you ever lost your temper, dug in your heels, or messed around? Haven’t you ever blindly obeyed the authorities, snapping to attention in front of them? Haven’t you ever lied or had secret affairs? Never had something to hide? Haven’t you ever done any evil? Haven’t you ever been left in the dark? Never?
I don’t know what your answer is, but I’ve done all of these large and small things. I’ve turned my head away and ignored them, thinking they were just small misdeeds after all, but our “small” misdeeds merge together and create a huge mass. This mass then reflects back on us, so we have to accept the small misdeeds we keep refusing. And so we gradually work off our contributions to this mass…
That’s why we have such challenging lives. We’re face to face with our dark sides, both collectively and individually. Make no mistake, we’ll continue to hear the same subconscious voice say, “Well, I’ve done it too in the past, but this is just too much!” when we’re confronted with such behavior from others. This reaction demonstrates our contribution to the darkness we despise…
If you ask someone how much of this behavior is reasonable, you’ll get a definitive answer: “None of it!” But when the universe raises an eyebrow, we immediately drop our guards… Jesus said, “Let who he is without sin cast the first stone,” but who of us is so immaculate and pure that we can take it for granted to judge everything and everyone? Do our egos become bruised because the creator didn’t call us and ask, “I seem to be making a poor show of this. How would you prefer me to create the universe?” Who do we think we are?
It’s simple. We know who we think we are, but we don’t know who we really are. To know what and who you really are depends on your ability to realize what you think you are, and this realization involves embracing the shadowy sides you try to ignore. Now, you’re going to ask me how to do it, right? Don’t worry. The “darkness” is standing right in front of us, both collectively and individually. In this sense, these are the times for celebration, but we’re usually not aware of it. We’ll understand it when we finally reach the end of this dark tunnel through time. We’ll understand the value of darkness appearing clearly in front of our faces, but let’s just go on huffing and puffing for now…
Welcome to our darkness. Now is the time to embrace it. It’s time to embrace ourselves,  or rather what we think we are… Well, what then?

Chapter 2

You can’t help but think, “Why did events take such a harsh turn? Why is the darkness haunting us? Really, why?”
Actually, the answer is very clear: It’s so we can remember how to become integrated and complete again… How come? Are you saying we’re incomplete? No, we’re not, but we’re definitely topsy-turvy. We think we’re enlightened, but we still have many dark spots. We think that denying the darkness will make us seem enlightened, but this presumption messes with our souls even more, and we continue walking on this planet as some kind of grey being, not quite black but not quite white either. Some of us are nearer to the black side, and some of us the white side, but we’re all still a shade of grey…
Well, what happens when we embrace our darkness? The black separates from the grey and stands against us. A snow-white color remains in our souls. In other words, the black and the white dissociate from each other. Now, can you see what it creates as a result? A sort of Yin and Yang symbol, representing integration, equilibrium, and the essence of existence… Consequently, embracing our dark side means embracing our white side as well…
That’s why we have such challenging times when our darkness is right before our eyes. It’s for us to become integrated and equilibrated, a representation of Yin and Yang. This way, our personalities, which are grey and amorphous, will become our real selves, and the Yin and Yang circle will start to turn and create magnificent energies. This will affect not only us, but the whole of the humanity and the universe, revealing a great power of change…
For this reason, in these turbulent days, all the things that scare, startle, upset, annoy, or enrage us are a true gift from the universe, helping us to see our own darkness (even if neither they nor us are aware of it).
I think we can now embrace our darkness with the enthusiasm it deserves…

Hasan Sonsuz