Self-Care Part 2
January 12, 2026
Self-Care Part 2
Although the soul is never truly untethered from the Divine, it can feel disconnected from God, lost in darkness, wounded, and without the fire of love.
St. John of the Cross, in The Dark Night of the Soul, teaches that this feeling of separation is often and ironically, a prelude to deeper union with the Divine. Experiencing an absence of the Divine, can sometimes be the most powerful way to strip away our illusions and lead us into a purer, more intimate relationship with God than we could otherwise have.
The soul does not surrender in its darkness. Even when its fire seems extinguished and suffering seems endless, the faithful soul continues to pray, to trust, and to wait. In that perseverance, the path toward reunion is quietly prepared.
The Experience of Separation
Separation from God is bewildering and deeply uncomfortable. I have known it as a time of emptiness, a time when my prayers seemed to bounce off the ceiling. It is a feeling of being unseen, unsupported, and without divine guidance. It brings a loss of meaning and direction, as though I am adrift.
Each ego type and soul type uniquely experiences this sense of disconnection:
Soul Type One (Ego Type Four): feels out of alignment with divine will.
Soul Type Two (Ego Type Eight): feels something blocks the natural flow of benevolence and compassion.
Soul Type Three (Ego Type Nine): thinks that their efforts are empty motion—spiritual action without purpose.
Soul Type Four (Ego Type Two): feels wounded by disconnection from creativity, beauty, and their spiritual source.
Soul Type Five (Ego Type Seven): feels devoid of divine wisdom and guidance—enveloped in darkness.
Soul Type Six (Ego Type Three): suffers from the loss of sacred kinship and belonging.
Soul Type Seven (Ego Type One): feels that the light of divine joy has been dimmed.
Soul Type Eight (Ego Type Five): feels cut off from the divine source of power and vitality.
Soul Type Nine (Ego Type Six): feels ungrounded, unblessed, and weakened.
The Restoration of Union
Union with God is restored through faithfulness in the absence of that union. Even when our prayers seem to go unreceived and unheard, we are called to continue praying. Even when we cannot feel the Divine, we are invited to trust that the Divine is aware of us. In our wounds, our darkness, and our suffering, God reveals more of God to us. The veil of our particular reason for separation is finally lifted, allowing us to reunify with the Divine more deeply than before.
In time, the fire rekindles, the light returns, and the soul is healed. It was never truly apart. We are stronger and more faithful than ever.
Spiritual practice: Reflect on what characterizes your own experience of spiritual separation. How does it feel? What does it reveal?
Self-inquiry: What keeps you from holding faith during seasons of darkness and silence?
Prayer:
Dear God, I pray for all of us as we walk through these dark and painful passages. Grant us the will and fortitude to keep faith when light seems gone. In that hour, day, or season of separation, pour into our souls the very things needed for a closer union with you. Amen.
