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What if the moment your life falls apart is not failure but initiation? In this candid conversation with author and philosopher Fiona Robertson, we trace the shape of a true dark night of the soul: the sudden crash after outward success, the flood of memories and emotions that refuse to be managed, and the unexpected grace that arrives when control finally loosens. Fiona brings a rare blend of clarity and tenderness, showing how surrender can feel less like defeat and more like a kinder way of meeting what is already here.
We talk through the early phases—incapacity, shame, and the hunt for a name that makes sense of the chaos—then move into what helps when nothing seems to help. Resources arrive in small, almost provisional forms: a song on repeat, a glimpse of sky, a word that lands at the right moment. Community can be a lifeline, but during the most intense stretches it may be hard to find people who understand the heat of the process. Over time, capacity grows. The waves still come, but the amplitude softens. Life returns through modest steps—a job in a supportive place, leaving a misaligned relationship, rediscovering work through somatic inquiry and embodied attention.
Along the way we question the urge to “slay dragons.” Fiona offers a different map: see what’s here, let it name itself, and learn to be with it until relationship forms. The work shifts from purely personal material to familial and cultural patterns, revealing that the dark night is both intimate and collective. Spirituality also changes shape, moving from ideas to a felt contact with unconditional kindness. It’s not a tidy hero’s journey; it’s evolution wrought by honest contact. If you’ve ever felt your coping collapse, this conversation offers a lucid, compassionate guide to navigating the wild terrain and emerging with a deeper, quieter strength.
If this resonated, follow the show, share it with someone who needs it today, and leave a review to help others find this conversation. What part of your own story is asking for kinder attention right now?

This Podcast is sponsored by Onlinevents

More about Fiona Robertson|

Fiona Robertson is the author of The Dark Night of the Soul: A Journey from Absence to Presence, and Eve Was a Realist: Poems for the Untamed Heart. She meets with people who are going through a dark night or spiritual emergency, accompanying them in this challenging terrain as they rediscover and deepen into their real selves. She also offers a monthly dark night gathering group, and occasional workshops for therapists and counsellors.

Website | https://www.thedarknightofthesoul.com/