Dark Emotions

“A man who has not passed through the inferno of his passions has never overcome them.” - Carl Jung.

We, Dark Pagans, love to talk about the Shadow. You’ll find it in nearly every dark pagan book, mine included. However, we must understand that the term “Shadow” applies to a narrow aspect of a personality. According to Jung, who created the concept, the Shadow is always unconscious. If we become conscious of the emotions and desires buried within our Shadow, they are no longer part of it.  

We all have dark emotions and desires that we’re conscious of and therefore aren’t part of the Shadow. Anger, lust, greed, and pride are just a few of these dark emotions. 

 

Many religious leaders and philosophers are critical of these dark emotions. Anger, in particular, gets a lot of negative attention. Gautama the Buddha is to have said, “Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned.” And the Roman Statesman Lucius Annaeus Seneca said, “Anger, if not restrained, is frequently more hurtful to us than the injury that provokes it.”

Dark Pagans see this issue differently. Such emotions are natural and healthy. In fact, they’re essential for life. Lust is necessary for the continuation of the species. Greed helps us set goals by which to better ourselves. Pride is needed for self-respect. And anger, as the Catholic priest and historian Bede Jarrett wrote, can motivate one to act against evil.

Dark emotions and desires aren’t wrong and shouldn’t be denied. They’re an essential part of our humanity.