Sea Sunset Moon

The experience of solitude is a dual force. Like the sea, sunset and the moon solitude is linked to pain and abandonment while at the same time being an invitation for growth and self reflection.

The word ‘solitude’ is derived from the Latin solitudinem, which carries with it a sense of desolation and aloneness. The word ‘alone,’ however, comes from the Mediaeval words all anne, which can be read as ‘wholly oneself.’ The historical meaning around the concept of solitude therefore contains both the acknowledgement of pain as well as an invitation to transform that pain into a deeper understanding of who you are. 

In the history of literature and mythology we see the same transformation happening within the archetype of the hero’s journey, which sets out a model for self-realisation through suffering. Within stories of this type a hero's solitude transforms into a deeper understanding of who they are, and material suffering ceases to be painful and becomes a doorway into self-knowledge. Odysseus, for example, is flung out onto the wild seas after the fall of Troy. After losing all his men, he proceeds to endure unimaginable loneliness. He spends ten years wandering before returning back home as a changed man. After his adventures he reclaims his seat as the lord of Ithaca and is reunited with his wife Penelope.