The majestic oak tree, with its sprawling canopy and weathered bark, does not begin its life in the sunlight. It begins in the cramped, silent interior of an acorn. There is a profound biological and spiritual truth in this: the oak tree is already in the acorn. The blueprint is complete; the process, however, is a gauntlet of transformation that requires a total surrender to the elements.   The Necessity of the Dark   We often view the "dark night of the soul" as wasted time, b...