Waking Up to the Dark: The Black Madonna's Gospel for An Age of Extinction and Collapse

Poetic myth, history, science, personal memoir - all come together in this beautiful gem of a book. Thank you Clark.

Clark Strand makes a compelling case that humankind's addiction to artificial light (bulbs and now also screens) both mirrors our addiction to the intellect and pulls us out of and away from our connection to nature, to the liminal, to the Sacred Feminine, to emotions, and to intuitive understanding. This hyper-addiction to the intellect and to light has led humans into an addiction to dominating and suppressing nature and to constant wars, conflict, and lack of peace.Our situation now is that our constant, near-24/7 bombardment of artificial light, and our disconnection from and suppression of nature, have left us in a state where humankind is separated from, disconnected from, and in veritable opposition to that which is necessary for its own survival.Occasionally I found Strand's writing to be hectoring, lecturing, and downright negative -- not something I personally enjoyed.Still, in all the book's message is an important, intriguing, and life-sustaining one: We need to recapture and reclaim our connection to the darkness of soil, nature, emotions, intuition, femininity, inner guidance, and natural night-time in order to survive and thrive. Strand gives many personal and universal examples of how to do this and what the benefits are.This book is part of a trilogy by the married couple Clark Strand and Perdita Finn -- all with overlapping and interconnecting storylines and themes. The others are: 'The Way of the Rose' (Strand and Finn, 2019) and 'Take Back the Magic' (Perdita Finn, 2023). I would also add 'The Reluctant Psychic: A Memoir' (Perdita Finn for Suzan Saxman, 2015), which also overlaps and interconnects with the trilogy. I highly recommend all of them!

As the author of The Black Madonna, Mysterious Soul Companion, I am continuing research for further volumes in my series. Thank goodness Amazon suggested this book, or I would have not known of it’s impending publication. As we watch daily the destruction of war and climate change on our late night screens, it is difficult to know what to do or how to process everything. Strand’s canticle to darkness and the healing it offers is a loving yet realistic approach to understanding how we got to this insane point in our collective evolution and where we are to go forward. I was literally spellbound during every single page of this testament to the realities of our existence. It is my hope everyone reads and deeply processes his insights. As a person who loves long nights and feels safe in the dark, I found a kindred spirit who illuminated the reasons for my love of the night. Gratitude is too small of a word for this book, but it is the only one I can think of to express my experience of reading it. I have been enriched and inspired!

There is so much to gather us up into the light. However, how much thought have we given to light pollution and its deeper implications? Have we pondered the gifts that take us differently in dark nights and the night sky? Where are the stars? I miss the sky. Do you? the author sheds a different light on the dark. For anyone on a Soul filled journey, this too must be added, or our journey could fall short.I highly recommend this book.

Part science, part mysticism, part personal experience - this book is amazing. There’s no question our modern society is out of balance and teetering on the brink of climate disaster. Strand’s intelligent and gently powerful writing invites us back into relationship with the wisdom of the Dark - the Dark that is not a “what” but a “Who”, the Mother before all Mothers.

I'm so grateful this book is being printed again. I read it electronically the first time because it was out of print. I've never read a book electronically and I hope to never do that again. I'm very excited to re-read it!!!