Going through the Dark Night of the Soul

Lately it occurred to several of us healers that a number of people have been going through a challenging time. (I would be interested if any astrologers can give me some insight on what planet going through what stage may be causing this deep inner work.) I myself have been going through one of my darkest nights of the soul for a few weeks.
A fellow Image Therapist Deb gave me a book called “The Red Lion.” There is a statement in there that struck me. It’s something like this—our world is like a mirror image of the higher realms. What we think is good such as pleasures, luxuries and desires can actually lead us toward the lower realms; whereas what we think of as bad, such as hard work, minimal material things and emotional challenges can actually lead us toward the higher realms.
It also is clear to me that going through the dark night of the soul gives me the opportunity, the doorway for new realizations and horizons that there is something limiting in ourselves, physically, in thought, energy and emotional patterns, that may release and transform for us to become lighter and freer. It is a necessary progression of growth.
That moment a light came on in me. It is not darkness itself that lead us to see our darkness. It is in fact when we have light, when we have the resources to shed more limitations, the challenges appear. And when we go into this challenging period, we are surrounded by light! Only so are we able to see shadows that we were oblivious of before. It is so important to remember the light around us as we tumble and wrestle with our own shadow. When we ask for help, pray for light, our eyes open to it, our heart feels it.
It takes courage and perseverance to change, to transform and to be free. Know that there is no shadow that cannot be penetrated by light. Continue to ask, to pray for help in everyway possible. Light and love comes through, and permeates us.