A few weeks ago, something was thinking through me - intense, all-consuming creative collaboration with something Other. Now it's paused, and I'm managing the come-down. The doubt, the emptiness, the loneliness after spiritual highs. The unglamorous side nobody talks about when they romanticize connection with the Other.

Confused about 'the work' in spiritual circles? You're not alone. This guide breaks down the three different meanings - from personal practice to collective transformation to the alchemical Great Work - that get casually dropped in occult conversations without explanation