Let There Be Light
Dear Friends,
One of the most insidious tricks of our age is to force every big question into black and white: Natural or synthetic? Faith or reason? Submit or rebel? But as I learned again this week in dialogue with Sylvain Horwood—entrepreneur, light-science enthusiast, and founder of Switzerland’s leading natural skincare brand—the path to healing and flourishing is rarely a straight line. It is, instead, a continual process of moderation, integration, and positive evolution.
Sylvain’s journey—across continents, careers, and cultures—reminds us: The search for truth, health, and “high-frequency living” isn’t about winning culture wars or shunning modernity. It’s about letting the best wisdom from science, spirituality, and experience shine together—without burning out in zealotry or shutting down in cynicism.
Here are five interconnected takeaways from our conversation, woven as strands in a single, living tapestry:
1. Light is More Than Physics: Embracing the Science (and Spirituality) of the Sun
Sylvain began with a simple but profound conviction: we are, quite literally, beings of light. This is not just poetic language; it’s biology, physics, and spirituality converging. The sun’s energy, refracted through earth’s electromagnetic spectrum, powers every plant, sets our circadian rhythm, and—long before screens and clocks—anchored our sense of balance and belonging in the cosmos.
Today, fear of the sun and the proliferation of chemical sunscreens reveal just how far we’ve drifted from that primal relationship. Yet wisdom traditions and new science agree: natural light, wisely encountered, is still a source of resilience and renewal. It teaches us not to outlaw, but to harmonize: step into the sun, then step into the shade. Moderation, not rejection, is the way forward.
2. Authenticity Over Authority: Walking Away from the Corporate Ladder
Sylvain’s journey from high-finance in London and Zurich to founding a mission-driven health brand did not come from rejecting the world, but from searching for meaning inside it. He described growing disillusionment—not with “business” per se, but with models of success that demanded self-betrayal or enforced brittle sameness.
Too often, we praise either total conformity or radical escape. But wisdom lies in honest self-examination and the courage to reconcile what we do with who we are. Sylvain’s story—and perhaps yours—reminds us that authentic living requires both exposure to the world and the resolve to step aside, or step up, when conscience calls.
3. We Are What We Absorb: The Case for Real Food, Real Light, Real Rhythm
Much was said about “frequency”—a term both spiritual and scientific. Our ancestors saw food, water, and sunlight not merely as fuel, but as crystallized life-force. Today, as hyper-processed foods and dim, screen-lit lives dull our senses, we’re reminded that sustenance is about more than calories or convenience.
The call is not to a purist’s diet (as Sylvain admitted, it’s tough and life is meant for joy), but to mindful, evolutionary steps. Eat a fresh apple, step outside at sunrise, cultivate small rituals that reconnect body and spirit to a living earth. Bit by bit, our “vibe”—to borrow the term—can rise higher, individually and collectively.
4. Resist Both Complacency and Crusade: Navigating the Medical-Industrial Complex with Wisdom
No modern discussion of health can skip the “medical industrial complex”: the profitable partnerships between pharma, insurance, government, and media. It would be easy to turn cynical or zealous—either scorning conventional medicine as evil or, conversely, mocking everything “natural” as quackery.
But Sylvain cautions for evolution, not revolution. No system—ancient or modern—is perfect. If the science points us toward the food-as-medicine paradigm, let’s heed it; but let’s not demonize all intervention or scorn every advance. The point is discernment: question motivations, ask about incentives, trust but verify. And, above all, keep dialogue open—both with health professionals and with your own body’s wisdom.
5. Staying True in a Filtered World: Frequency, Algorithms, and Spiritual Resilience
Perhaps the most modern challenge is not what we believe, but how we share. We live in an age where algorithms amplify, distort, or suppress messages—sometimes in the name of “safety,” sometimes out of clumsy imperatives. Sylvain spoke candidly about the setbacks and shadowbans on social media, the struggle to remain “unconditionally authentic” without falling afoul of unseen censors.
The answer is not, again, scorched-earth rebellion or meek conformity. It is the patient, spiritual “long game”: share truth with humility, accept correction, refine your message, and—when the system slaps your hand—reflect, adapt, and keep moving forward. Revolution may be dramatic, but evolution endures.
Integration is the Path—Evolution, Not Revolution
Taken together, these five threads present a path not of easy answers but of holistic, hopeful integration. We are creatures of light and complexity, built to learn, adapt, and change in community. The “solution” is neither nostalgia for a vanished past nor rage at a corrupted present, but the steady, daily work of bringing the scattered beams of science, spirituality, and experience into a brighter unity.
Whether through sun, through food, through honest work or open conversation—let’s be wary of any voice that demands purity at the expense of possibility, or decries all tradition in the name of progress. Creation, after all, was a gradual process. So too is the creation of a healthy life, and of a community worthy of God’s image.
Let us choose evolution, not revolution; the light that heals, not the flame that scorches.
Which of these lessons resonates with you the most? Do you have your own experience of reclaiming light, balance, or authenticity in the push and pull of modern life? Add your story or question in the comments, and—if you find value in these conversations—consider a paid subscription to help us keep weaving these threads together.
