Joseph’s Oath In The Pit — Seeing In The Dark

This meditation draws inspiration from the story of Joseph, as told in both the Torah and the Qur'an. Joseph’s descent into the pit is not treated here as a moment of punishment, but as a threshold—a quiet, dark space where inner vision is formed.
Through a gentle, reflective oath, this practice invites you to stop struggling against darkness and instead learn to see within it. The “pit” becomes a meditative chamber: a place of solitude, silence, and transformation. From a Jungian perspective, it mirrors a descent into the unconscious, where confusion gives way to clarity and meaning.
This meditation is for moments when life feels stalled, unclear, or heavy. It offers reassurance that what feels like a fall may be preparation, and that patience, inner guidance, and wisdom can carry you forward—one breath, one insight at a time.
Ideal for:
- Times of uncertainty or transition
- Deep reflection and inner listening
- Cultivating patience, trust, and inner sight

Transcript

Oath of Joseph in the Pit Joseph or Yusuf is a shared figure of wisdom in both the Torah in Genesis 37-50 and the Qur'an in Surat al-Yusuf.

His story traces a quiet arc from descent to disturbance,

Cast into a pit by his brothers,

Sold into exile,

Tested by acquisition and imprisonment,

And finally raised to the highest administrative authority in Egypt.

Not as king,

But as the mind-closest power,

The steward of meaning and order.

In the Qur'anic telling,

This journey named as the most beautiful of the stories,

Emphasizing patience,

Trust,

And inner sight.

Read through a Jungian lens,

The pit becomes a symbolic descent into unconscious dreams,

The language of Psyche,

And Joseph's rise,

The fruit of the Individuality,

Clarity,

Born from the darkness,

What appears as laws is revealed as preparation,

What feels like confinement becomes the chamber of transformation.

Today,

I just converted the story into a odd kind of motto,

Kind of mantra we can repeat for ourselves daily to remember the change and power of the change and darkness and complexity.

Sometimes things do not go the way you want,

Or perhaps you only think they are not going the way you want,

While something even better is quietly moving toward you.

You have fallen into a pit,

It's dark,

And you question why this is so,

Yet the pit holds a space for meditation,

Darkness,

Silence.

What you could not find when you are busy,

When everything seemed to go your way is solitude.

The worst thing to do in a pit is trash about increasing the risk that the walls will collapse.

So,

Come let us repeat this odd together,

Let us eat Joseph's odd.

I think I am in a pit now,

Perhaps I am not,

Perhaps my eyes simply don't see,

If so,

Show me the light,

Oh God.

I will not complain about the darkness,

Instead of eyes dazzled by light,

I will learn to see even in the dark,

I will see.

One day I will leave this place,

It's only the station I am in that feels dark and endless,

I will know this,

I am not inside the pit,

The pit is inside me,

And I will be the caravans It will be the caravans within me that carry me out,

The images of the wars,

Of sages,

Philosophers,

Prophets and gurus,

And then I become Joseph.