Darkness looks back

Here it is—May 5, 2026. In Star Wars terms, the day of the Sith. I hope you had a great May 4th, and that the Force was with you. Actually, the Force is with you—“always.” But how do we really look at that?

We tend to frame things in opposites: the Jedi on one side, the Sith on the other. Both draw from the same Force, yet apply it in very different ways. It’s the age-old struggle of good versus evil—something that may be best summed up by attitude. As Jack Sparrow puts it: “The problem is not the problem. The problem is your attitude about the problem.”

There are many ways to explore this idea. One comes from Bible, in Matthew 5:45:

“...for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.”

Unpleasant things are going to happen. That’s simply part of life. We may not look forward to them—I know I don’t—but they’re inevitable. Even in Masonic teachings, there’s the idea of Fortune’s Wheel. Wheels turn. You can’t stay on top forever, but you won’t stay at the bottom either.

Think about the image of a Masonic temple. Many have seen it—Masons and non-Masons alike—and there’s no secret in observing it. The checkered floor, with its black and white squares, represents the Hermetic Principle of Polarity: everything exists in duality, with opposing forces.

Light and darkness. Good and evil. Knowledge and ignorance. Joy and suffering.

It’s that darkness I’ve been thinking about today—the darkness that exists in all of us. Whether we admit it or not, it’s there. If it weren’t, it wouldn’t be reflected so consistently in philosophy, symbolism, and tradition.

Why did Yoda warn Luke Skywalker about the dark side of the Force? Beyond the warning that once you start down that path, it can dominate your destiny—why is it so dangerous?

Because it’s easy. It requires very little effort, and the turmoil it creates can feel like power. But it’s a false power.

Focusing on the darker aspects of ourselves tends to create suffering—internally, and sometimes externally as well.

In studying this idea, Gautama Buddha taught that suffering, or dukkha, comes from two main sources: craving (attachment) and ignorance. We suffer because we cling to things—wanting them to stay the same, or wishing they were different—and because we fail to understand the true nature of reality and the self. Life is constantly changing, and suffering arises when we resist that truth.

And the world is always changing. We are in a constant state of flux. Another Hermetic idea—the Law of Vibration—reminds us that nothing rests; everything is in motion. Science echoes this: everything is made of atoms, always moving, always changing.

So if everything changes, what can we actually do?

Maybe we slow down. (I know I need to practice this too.)

Take a moment before reacting. Look at that checkered pavement and notice where you’re standing. Breathe. Give yourself time. Ask why you feel the way you do. Spend time in silence.

And silence isn’t just about keeping your mouth shut—though that helps. It’s about cultivating calm. Inner peace. A steadiness that reflects outward.

Acknowledge the thought. Recognize the hurt. Notice the suffering—then let it pass.

As Heraclitus said: “You cannot step in the same river twice.” So stop trying.

Yes, we all have a dark side. And yes, we should examine it from time to time—but don’t dwell there too long.

Because as Yoda reminds us:

“When you look at the dark side, careful you must be. For the dark side looks back.”

I Love you and may we govern ourselves accordingly