Conversations with Calliope- Dark Night and Dawn

(Oak Bluffs Sunrise)

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. I missed you on Saturday.
JOE: I didn't feel inspired to write.
CALLIOPE: Don't blame me. I was here waiting for you.
JOE: I know. I don't blame you.
CALLIOPE: What was it then?
JOE: As I told you, I have not felt much like writing all week and found it a struggle to get anything into words.
CALLIOPE: To what do you attribute this lack of inspiration?
JOE: It took me a while to figure it out.
CALLIOPE: Please share what you discovered.
JOE: I have been reading about the dark night of the soul as you know. Last week was not one for me as far as I know. However I have been there in the past and have worked with many people as they struggled to make sense of them.
CALLIOPE: What was the effect of reading about it?
JOE: I have come to understand the dark night as a time of putting ordinary life on hold, stepping back and reevaluating life. Just reading about it put my creative thoughts on hold for a while.
CALLIOPE: How long do you expect this to last?
JOE: I awoke at 4:30 this morning my mind brimming with creative ideas. I guess it's over now. Talk with you tomorrow.

Conversations with Calliope- A Cup of Good Cheer

(Snorkeling in Antigua)

JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How are you today?
JOE: Chipper.
CALLIOPE: Glad to hear about it. I was getting worried about you.
JOE: Why?
CALLIOPE: Yesterday's post seemed quite morose. I thought you were depressed.
JOE: Actually no. I probably would not have ventured here again except as an exercise for The Vein of Gold.
CALLIOPE: The events you described took place many years ago didn't they?
JOE: Yes they did. For me it was what John of the Cross called the "Dark Night of the Soul." Graham Ledgerwood describes this as "a lengthy and profound absence of light and hope." See what he has to say at www.themystic.org/dark-night/index.htm. Fortunately I didn't get stuck there.
CALLIOPE: What brought you out of it?
JOE: Two angels, Gerry and John, who came to my aid, accepted me for who I was and stayed with me while I learned to believe in myself.
CALLIOPE: You were fortunate.
JOE: I am still grateful to them for bringing me back to life and teaching me how to appreciate what I have and how to not take life too seriously.
CALLIOPE: Have you stayed that way?
JOE: I can't say there weren't ups and downs but I have been able to stay on an even keel and weather whatever life threw at me. Talk with you tomorrow.