I see that you do a lot of shadow work, I was wondering if you could explain what it is and how one could get started? Btw, love your blog!
Ooh thank you very much for your kind words anon! I hope this helps out!
Shadow Work; What is it and how can I get started?
To understand what Shadow Work is, a little bit of background is needed. So before I explain what Shadow Work is, I will be giving a somewhat brief background into what concepts brought it about.
I. The Shadow | The internal manifestation of oneās suppressed character
The concept of a personās āShadowā stems from Carl Jungās map of the psyche, which explores the complexities and aspects that make up the human mind. These complexities and aspects are what creates a personās character, and or personality in a sense that is present in oneās being. There are four aspects in total, and are referred to as the four Jungian archetypes.
The Shadow is one of these archetypes, and the shadow, like the others, has its specialty or specific presence in the human psyche. The Shadow is what represents and contains things that the individual wants to suppress or hide, compsing of hidden ideas, desires, the personās weakness, and others along that line. It is formed through oneās attempts at merging with societal and even personal standards, hence why things such as weaknesses are hidden; weaknesses, desires, ideas, and other similar things are hidden because they are deemed āunnaceptableā by societal standards, and to an extent, are seen as unnaceptable by us, who have grown to view emotions like envy, greed, pride, prejudice, and the like as unnaceptable because that was how we were raised to think.
Hence why the Shadow is present; it is the culmination of our hidden agendas and parts of ourselves we ourselves wish to hide, whether we are aware we are hiding them or not. The Shadow is also referred to as the darker side of the psyche due to its sensitive nature, representing the formation of chaotic and uncontrollable, wild and even unknown pieces of ourselves. In many cases, the Shadow is denied and rejected as truth by the individual, and is instead projected onto others as a form of denial as to not have to face an aspect of yourself that is so sensitive to touch upon or witness.
II. What is Shadow Work? | Facing Yourself
Shadow Work is taken from Carl Jungās study of the psyche, and aims to address this darker aspect of oneās own person. Shadow Work is often viewed as something necessary that one has to do, since working on a suppressed aspect of your individual character, as well as working to better understand the reasons behind why your shadow manifested the way it did, creates an opportunity for personal growth and acceptance of oneās state of mind and being.
The Shadow is present in everyone, often denied and rejected, and continuous rejection of it builds unstable footing. Its bottling up and rejecting the most vulnerable part of oneās self, making it harder to truly see what it is you need to heal. Why do you react this way? What have you been holding onto that it is time to let go of? Realizing what you need over what you want is important, especially in the case of seeing what you need to see rather than seeing only what you want to see. Hence why Shadow Work came to be; it is the opportunity for self-growth, self-betterment, as well as recognizing the aspects of yourself you otherwise have swept under the rug because you were led to believe it made you āweakā, āinferior,ā or āevil.ā
III. How can I start doing Shadow Work? | My experience, methods, and important things to keep in mind
There is no strict way to do Shadow Work, as it is something personal one has to do. But there are guidelines that need to be upheld, if only for the individualās safety. Iāll be listing my own experience with Shadow Work first, before I list other ways to do it as well as what you should keep in mind when you start.
First off, oneās experiences with Shadow Work can differ from another. My experiences might not be the same you or others will be or have been facing. We all have our traumas, backstories, and beliefs that have shaped us to become the people we are today, and sure, things may seem similar, but dealing with something so sensitive and personal through someone elseās lense or looking at it how another person would look at it isnāt really the way to go. Itās oneās innermost vulnerable side that was hidden away, and everyone has their own way in dealing with things that arise with it. These can range from internal trauma, suppressed memories, and emotions too. Do with it as you will, work with what you know your limitations are, and allow yourself to be vulnerable with yourself(*)
My experience with Shadow Work
Personally, Shadow Work isnāt difficult for me to do. It can be exhausting, yes, as is everything that comes with facing a part of yourself youād very much rather hide, but coming to terms with who I am (or this part of me Iāve locked away) hasnāt been as difficult as I initially expected. Iām often brutally honest, with myself and others, and I have pretty thick skin when it comes to things like this. I usually sit down in a quiet room, light up Apolloās candle, and I talk. I talk about things that have hurt me in the past, and things that hurt me in the present, and more. I try to be as honest as possible, I ramble, I elaborate on how I feel, how I felt, and what I fear it could make me feel in the future. I sometimes cry, I sometimes get mad, and at times I end seething with rage or drowning in sorrow, but at the same time, I feel enlightened. Itās like the weight Iāve been shouldering for so long has finally fallen, leaving me with the knowledge of who I was at the time, as well as who I am currently. Itās part of the method that works best with me, but this probably wonāt work best with everyone.
On that note, Iāll be moving on to methods.
Remember how I said that there is no strict way to do Shadow Work? Though this is true, there are some similarities between how people do it. There are resources, media, and a lot more that can help make Shadow Work less confusing as well as become a normality. Iāll be listing down some methods I know in order to help give you an idea of what you can do.
Now this relates to my personal method. There are a large assortment of Shadow Work-based prompts available, many Iāve seen are on Pinterest, and there are also some on self-help websites. The oneās on Pinterest are my go-to since itās easier to access as well as easy to manage. I usually find a prompr list, sit down (it can be by yourself or if you have, you can sit with your deities, or anyone you trust like your therapist or a close friend) and you work with the prompt or prompts you have. I personally sit with my deities and I read them aloud, but this can only bridge to the next method.
Shadow Work Journaling is as it states, and can be done in multitudes of ways. It can be a daily routine, a weekly routine, where you take a prompt and write what you can based on that prompt (see: Shadow Work Prompts.) Apparently people find it easier to write it down, but I feel voicing it out (in my experience anyway) allows me to hear myself without double checking for grammar and all that jazz. It can be like a diary even. It doesnāt have to be fancy or done in an expensive notebook or anything. Feel free to just jot down how youāre feeling, what you felt, and things that align with your prompt. You donāt necessarily need a prompt for this, just jot down anything you personally want to focus on, like a past trauma, etc. But prompts are often used in SW Journaling because it gives an idea as to what you need to focus on, since it can be a bit overwhlelming if you want to tackle a lot of things at once or in an opposite case, if you donāt know what to focus on first.
A bit simpler, but also takes a lot of visualization and focus. Itās a method that requires a lot of self-reflection and recollection of memories, and focusing on it can get a bit hard when meditating. However, it does help one visualize and thoroughly feel the effects or the emotions drawn out by the memory or that part of you. Acknowledge it, feel it wholly, and take it into your own hands. Ask yourself, why do I feel this way? What can I do? See it and feel it, make it known to you through looking into yourself, one-on-one.
A bit more fun. If youāre on the creative side, you can do Shadow Work through art. Paint, sketch, doodle even. Itās all about expression of ideas and emotions. It doesnāt have to be pretty (emotions like these often arenāt) and because itās most likely going to be you who views or and no one else, feel free to be as vulnerable and thorough as you can be. Draw what you usually donāt draw, use colors you feel work best, no matter how dull or vibrant they may be. Let your soul take the brush and give the feelings an image. If you canāt describe it in words, show it in another way. Go all-out, no need to impress anyone here. Only pure, hard emotion.
Important things to keep in mind
You donāt need to be a witch to do Shadow Work! Shadow work doesnāt require one to be a witch. No matter what your religion is, there is no harm in recognizing parts of yourself youāve hidden away, and there is no harm in helping yourself heal and grow from whatās hurt you in the past. Look at yourself, your inner self, and address everything that needs to be addressed. Whether it be childhood trauma, repressed emotions, and desires or ideals you wish to deny, take the initiative to get to know yourself better. You donāt need a deity, you donāt need to be a witch. In the end, no matter what you believe in, youāre a person. Youāre living and breathing and you have so many things to give to and so many things to explore and understand from the world around you, so give yourself some time to understand yourself. Youāre human, just like me.
*You donāt need to do shadow work alone! Feel free to invite people you trust, like your therapist or even a close friend. Especially in the case when topics such as this may trigger you. Overcoming trauma and recognizing such a sensitive part of yourself is tiring, overwhelming, and honestly can do more harm than good if you arenāt careful. If you feel like you arenāt ready to do it alone but you still want to understand yourself, feel free to take any precautions necessary. Have someone you trust on call, in the same room, next to you, etc. Always remember to stay safe.
Remember you can be vulnerable! It comes with it, really. Itās a sensitive part of you that you need to address. Let your emotions come, feel them, especially if you have the habit of bottling them up. This is personal to you and only you, no one is allowed or valid enough (I say this loosely) to judge you for this, especially when they arenāt you or havenāt gone through the same thing you have.
You donāt need to do Shadow Work everyday! Itās honestly pretty exhausting. I do it every week or so rather than every day since my emotions and mind need a break after it. Do it at your own pace or what is comfortable for you. Shadow Work is about you and nobody else, so make sure youāre in the right headspace to do it safely and comfortably. If you arenāt feeling up to it, push it away and reschedule, It can wait. Focus on yourself, you deserve to rest. No one is forcing you to do it everyday.
And thatās about it! If anyone has any questions, feel free to send me an Ask! Iāll be happy to answer any more questions! Stay safe everyone!
