Black is one of the colours of the alchemical process, and this should be of comfort to all those seekers who inevitably find themselves occasionally surrounded by it.
For me, tiredness is often the culprit. Try as I might, if I am severely sleep-deprived I simply cannot see the light side of any situation. It is clear I am a fraud, a charlatan, a foolish pretender. My dreams are naught but childish fancy, my achievements nothing but lucky breaks that will not come again.
I have come to find some solace in the notion, oft-repeated by the old masters, that black is an essential colour of the alchemical process. It shows you are making progress.
So press on. If you find your matter has turned an awful shade, and is even giving off a revolting smell, Fulcanelli assures us we are on the right track.
If you like being confused and enlightened in equal measure, do read The Mystery of the Cathedrals by Fulcanelli. Not me, but I am such a fan I used his name as my Steemit handle. :-)