On Light and Dark by Og Mandino

“I will love the light for it shows me the way, yet I will endure the darkness for it shows me the stars.” Og Mandino

Gaunab

Malevolent god of darkness. Khoi (Hottentot) [Namibia, southern Africa]. The chief adversary of the creator god TSUNIGOAB. He was engaged in a primordial struggle for supremacy during which Tsunigoab was wounded but eventually triumphed, consigning Gaunab to the so-called “black heaven.”

 

Bogie

Bogies are small creatures, sometimes spirits, that love the darkness. Often hiding in cupboards and closets, bogies are known to be mischievous and wicked. Sometimes they are known to be shape-shifters; they are depicted as large clouds of dust or dirt. Coming from English legend these underground creatures are known to be harmful in the daylight.

Apep

Apep (or Apophis or Apopis), a dragon of Chaos was an Egyptian dragon and can be seen as the opposite of the sun god Re (or Ra). Every day Apep fought with Re, in order to turn the world into darkness. Apep wanted to prevent Re in travelling from east to west across the sky each day. He fought with, storms and darkness and rain against Re. At the end of the day, Apep succeeded and Re made went into the Underworld. This is the moment when darkness (night) covered the earth instead of daylight. Re, however, was reborn the next day, as a matter of fact, he was reborn every day, so Apep had to fight the same battle with Re over and over. This battle can be seen as symbol of the cycle of life and death (information provided by Dragonfly).

Hawaiian creation myths

by Daphne Elliot

 
In the midst of Chaos there was a great void. It was a time of deep darkness, before the memory of mankind.
Into this void came Kane, the god of creation. He picked up a giant calabash, threw it high into the air where it broke into two enormous pieces. The top piece was curved like a bowl, and became the Sky. The seeds scattered and became the stars. The remainder of the calabash fell downward, and became the Earth.

Oceania/Polynesia creation myths

by Daphne Elliot

 
In the mythology of Oceanic peoples, Forever has always existed. So has Darkness, and so, too, the Sea.
Soaring over the endless sea, The Old Spider fond a giant clam and opened it and crawled inside. It was totally dark, and cramped inside but she found a snail, whom she asked to open the shell a bit so she could have more room.

Prayer for Morning

I raise my hands in honor of the Lord of the morning,
who rises in glory in the east of the world.
Piercer of darkness, illumine my path as I go through my day.
Way-shower, illumine my path as I go through my life.

Samhain

October 31

Samhain: (pronounced SOW-in, SAH-vin, or SAM-hayne) Shadowfest (Strega), Martinmas (Celtic/Scottish) October 31
“Samhain” means “End of Summer”. Its historical origin is The Feast of the Dead in Celtic lands. Samhain, popularly known as Halloween, is the Witches’ New Year.
It is said to be the time when the veil between the worlds is very thin, when souls that are leaving this physical plane can pass out and souls that are reincarnating can pass in.
Darkness increases and the Goddess reigns as the Crone, part of the three-in-one that also includes the Maiden and Mother.

Ostara

Spring Equinox     

A time of balance, fertility and abundance.

In Nature :  Day and night are of equal length, but daylight is increasing – the light has conquered the darkness. The green God arises in the fields and the earth re-awakens. Energy is building as the days become warmer with promise.

Mabon, Autumn Equinox

Mabon (Celtic): Autumn Equinox, Winter Finding (Teutonic), Alban Elfed (Caledonii)
Around Sept. 21
During Autumn,we begin to see the waning of the Sun more obviously now as the days continue to grow shorter until the Wheel of the Year spins around again to Yule. At the Autumn Equinox, the days and nights are equal. It is a time of balance, but light gives way to increased darkness.