What is "Wandering in Darkness"?

A learned man came to me once. He said, "I know the way, -- come." And I was overjoyed at this. Together we hastened. Soon, too soon, were we where my eyes were useless, and I knew not the ways of my feet. I clung to the hand of my friend; But at last he cried, "I am lost."

Stephen Crane, The Black Riders

Thou livest and must live for ever. Think not The Earth, which is thine outward cov'ring, is Existence -- it will cease and thou wilt be No less than thou art now.

Cain: A Mystery, Act 1, lines 115-120

Most people do not seek to wander, nor do they seek darkness. The majority seem to desire a clearly laid out path, one that leads directly into a greater light - whether that be a deity, one’s culture, a political party or celebrity, sports team, brand, label, company, or anything of the sort. They want someone or something to lead their way, and that someone or something can come in numerous forms we will address throughout this book. 

 Wandering is an individual act, or one engaged in with a small, trusted group of individuals. It does not require a path or way to be laid out before oneself, it allows one to move freely through the realm of the esoteric and philosophical as formally or informally as they would like. Those who prefer a narrow path may see the wanderer as confused or even lost, but as the great J.R.R. Tolkien once wrote, "not all those who wander are lost." Perhaps being lost is, itself, the goal. The above quote by Stephen Crane can either be read as a fool trusting an ignorant friend who both fail their journey, or a wise man bringing his friend into the great unknown to wander there together. Wandering is an open-minded and open-ended journey into the unknown, into the darkness. Perhaps getting "lost" is the way, perhaps one man clings in excitement, and the other cries out in joy. The wise know there is a difference between the path laid out for you, and the best way.

While most associate darkness with things like evil or blindness, this is not the case for me at all. Darkness is infinite, darkness is eternal, darkness allows the consciousness to expand ever outward, allows the light of one’s own soul to outshine all other lights. It is other lights which are limiting, binding, blinding, which dry up and dry out. When you grow up in a true desert you come to appreciate the reprieve and freedoms of the night, all the while dreading and hating the scorching sun. 

In the earliest reaches of human history, within the Stellar Tradition, it was the darkness of the night and storms which was held in the highest esteem, whereas the sun was seen as an oppressive enemy, eventually becoming "king" over both heaven and earth in most mythology.[1] As bright as a light shines, as blinding as it is, the darkness was always first, always more foundational.

Wandering in Darkness is therefore an open-minded and open-ended investigation into the Stellar Tradition which has played a vital role in human metaphysics since the earliest days of human modernity. 

[1] Wainwright, Sky Religion, 1.