Balancing the light and dark

[Ashrend]

I have made a post before asking about peoples darkness and what it was like for them. now i want to ask how do you feed that side of you without causing harm . i can feed my light side very easily as i am a charitable and helpful person, but the darker side to me just sits there waiting life a snake waiting for its prey to pass by at the right time to attack and seize controle. i have felt the urges and thoughts to do harm but have always stopped them, so i want to know how to balance the two without causing harm. thoughts?

[The Judge]

The difficulty in balancing the two is that more often than not, what you are considering dark aspects of the craft is usually what is considered socially unacceptable things. However, this is not entirely the case. There are ways to feed that side without doing harm to others but it usually requires you to abstain from action rather to commit one. While this may harm another through inaction it creates the least harm in the sense that the situation doesn't change one way or the other.

It's somewhat difficult to explain but there is also some stigma in the community as it relates to the "darker" side of things that is not well warranted, mostly as it is misunderstood or misrepresented.

The tricky part in using this method is knowing when action is necessary for the wellbeing of another and when it is not. So I would not do this unless you were absolutely certain nothing overly harmful would come from it.

I'm trying not to get into too much detail here as there have been issues on the forum in the past (Long time ago) with regards to this subject and it's been asked that it not be discussed in detail from my last update on Starwitch's wishes on the matter.

[SpiritTalker]

The so-called dark side is the part that has the chutzpah, that stands up for our rights to be ourselves and different from someone else. It's the part that has the back bone, metaphorically speaking. Maybe etherically too? The light side helps us to take a stand without putting someone else down, or punching them in the nose. So, to feed and strengthen our dark side we have to think for ourselves, take responsibility for the consequences of our intentions, and learn how to express our right to be our own person and do our own thing, without drama, or being arrogant SOBs & stuck on ourselves like we're right and everyone else is misguided, bitchy or conspiring against us. 'cuz then we're out of balance. ain't easy.

[Lord_of_Nightmares]

You can always channel your dark side into something positive. Taking a negative, turning it into a positive.something like Spirit Talker is saying.

[Ashrend]

Thank you for your comments i appreciate it, sorry if its against rules ect just curious rather than asking how to be dark ect

[The Judge]

It's all good, there aren't any rules per see but it tends to draw some confrontational people to the board and it disrupts others learning process. It's something we try to avoid if at all possible. Not saying we can't talk about it, just saying it's been an issue in the past.

[corvidus]

I've always found that Art is the best way to control the "Dark Side"

The balance I've found is that the "Light" side of the self sets the rules of art -- the medium, the structure, the etc. The "Dark" side then supplies the theme and colour palate.

I'm sure you've heard of the Blues Guitar Player who sold his soul to the Devil. Music being Divine, but powered by Hell lol

[Newbiewitch94]

I balance my light side and my dark side by reminding myself light and dark don't mean good and evil. Now I suppose I'm kind of controversial for a in that I don't look at the craft as light and dark but more I look at it as power. Ultimately I choose to walk the grey path or as I like to call it the shadow path. What this means is I accept my light and my darkness and use them in equal balance. In some ways its a difficult path to follow because ultimately I have to resist cursing someone if they pee me off but on the other hand it allows me to use any means to protect the ones I love.