When I returned home from the California Tantra Festival, I did something unusual for me. I sat in my living in the unknown room in complete silence for an hour. Without music, the room felt unusually quiet. My phone was left in another room, away from the task at hand. Distractions seemed non-existent, allowing me to fully immerse myself in the moment. Just me and the stillness.
Normally, I’d fill that space immediately….scroll through messages, put on a podcast, check my calendar. But this time, I let the stillness hold me. It felt like stepping into the womb of the unknown…..uncomfortable, dark, and strangely safe. My mind kept reaching for something to do, but my body knew: this was the work. To simply be with what is, without needing to fix, explain, or control it.
As we close out October, we stand at the edge of the year’s deep descent. The leaves have fallen. The air is quiet. The veil is thinning…..not just in the external world, but within.
This week isn’t about doing more shadow work or dissecting another aspect of yourself. It’s about being with the mystery.
The Sacred Unknown
In both Tantric and Vedic philosophy, the unknown is not something to be conquered or explained. Rather, it is seen as sacred and alive, a dynamic force at the core of existence. This is the void from which all creation emerges, a concept known to yogis as Śūnyatā—the fertile emptiness.
We are taught to fear uncertainty, to fill the silence, to seek answers. But spiritual growth often happens in the stillness between stories….when you stop grasping and simply surrender.
Can you let go of needing to know?
Can you be still in the cocoon, without rushing the butterfly?
Astrology and the Dark Moon
In Vedic Astrology, the dark moon….the final phase before the new moon….is a potent time for inner retreat. It symbolizes the womb of time, where new intentions are conceived but not yet born. This is the energy we honored at our New Moon Ceremony on Tuesday, October 21st.
As October closes, we’re in this liminal space….between what was and what will be. It calls you to stop reaching outward and instead turn inward with trust.
There may not be clarity this week. There may not be certainty. And that’s okay.
A Tantric Practice: Sitting with the Unknown
Here’s a practice you can do anytime this week:
- Sit in silence, without music or distractions. Just a candle or a dim light.
- Place one hand on your heart, the other on your womb or belly.
- Close your eyes and say softly: “I don’t need to know. I only need to feel.”
- Breathe deeply.
Inhale: I trust.
Exhale: I surrender. - Stay in this space for 10 minutes. Let emotions arise. Let stillness arise. Let discomfort arise. Don’t fix—just feel!
Whether you do this fully or simply pause to take three conscious breaths, the doorway opens either way. Meet yourself where you are.
Living the Mystery
Life isn’t always meant to be mapped. This week, give yourself permission to rest in the rich, fertile dark. The unknown is not a void….it is the sacred womb of creation.
You are not lost. You are gestating.
What Emerges from the Dark
As October closes and we rest in this fertile mystery, I’m preparing for my own emergence. Next month, I return to Las Vegas to teach my Tantric Massage Masterclass and lead my first Temple Night in over a year. I’ll be honest….I’m nervous. Will I be able to hold the container as deeply as before?
But I also know I return not as the same man, but as one shaped by darkness and softened by surrender.
November’s focus will be Wisdom and Expansion: having faced the dark, we now carry its gifts into the light. We’ll explore Jupiter’s benevolent wisdom in Vedic Astrology, the Third Eye Chakra’s expanded awareness, the Ninth House of higher knowledge and philosophy, and Tantric meditation practices for insight and clarity.
For now…..rest. Gestate. Trust the mystery!
This Week’s Reflection
What happens when you stop trying to figure it out and simply feel? What mystery are you sitting with right now?
I’d love to hear: What are you learning by not knowing? Reply to this email, drop a comment on the blog, or share on social….let’s hold this space together.
October Events & Offerings
Sacred Snuggle Lab – Saturday, Oct 4th
Get Tickets
Full Moon Ceremony – Monday, Oct 6th
Register Here
New Moon Ceremony – Tuesday, Oct 21st
Join Us
Las Vegas November Events
Join me for a full weekend of transformation:
- Tantric Massage Masterclass – Register
- Temple Night (My first in over a year!) – Get Ticketsr
- Sacred Relating Workshop – Join Us
Resources & Deep Dives
Related Reading:
- The Fire Chose Me – On surrendering to transformation
- Why I Chose Tantra as a Refuge, Not an Appropriation – My personal journey with this path
- Facing Fire: What I Learned from Community Conflict – Shadow work in action
Further Exploration:
- The Upanishads – Ancient texts on the nature of mystery and consciousness
- Carl Jung’s Aion – Understanding the shadow and the unknown
- Pema Chödrön’s When Things Fall Apart – Embracing uncertainty with compassion
With deep reverence for the dark,
Shiva J
