Shadow work
Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 04 Jul 2003, and now archived in the Forum Library.
| Butterfly |
04 Jul 2003 |
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As frightening an idea as it is to me, I'm curious about the idea of shadow work. I know that to Jung- the shadow was that part of us that we dis-owned, but needed to own to be whole an healthy- but that's about all I know. It's a topic that's always sort of talked about in hushed reverential tones.
Now don't laugh- what is shadow work? Is it therapeutic? Will it make me serious and grumpy (heaven forbid!)? How do I even go about it? Can I get through life without addressing my shadow side? Is it just a trendy term for being nasty (kidding!)?
Is shadow work just an itch I should ignore? *sigh*
Love to hear of peoples thoughts and experiences!
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| zorya |
04 Jul 2003 |
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this is a complicated subject and this is just one woman's opinion.
shadow work is about reclaiming or getting in touch with the parts of ourselves that we have denied, tried to bury, disowned or tried to forget.
the thing about burying our thoughts and feelings is that they are not really gone. they influence our current thoughts and behaviors.
our shadows often lay buried then pop out when we least expect or want them too. ever have one of those experiences, where you blurted out things you never thought you would say? done things that you never thought you would do? those are our shadows speaking.
when you are trying to make a decision, the shadow voice is the loud one screaming at you. the one that really isn't the right decision. the voice holding on to fear or anger. the voice to follow is usually quiet and calm. when there are shadows present, they often are so loud you cannot hear the quiet voice.
this is why it helps to allow the shadow to speak. to hear it out and accept its existance. once you have heard it, it no longer has to scream for attention. it no longer dogs you or blurts out when you least want it to.
by acknowledging it, you can move on. most importantly you can begin to accept the gifts it has to offer...and there are always gifts. nothing is ever buried without losing something good too.
you ask if it will make you serious and grumpy. probably. the expression 'dark night of the soul' comes to mind. some shadows are very painful and like a nightmare to work through. acknowledging shadows can bring about "tower" events in your life.
do i think it is worth it? for me it was. in the long run it was well worth it. at the time, they felt like i was going through hell. if you don't feel this is time to do shadow work, then it is not time. it can be very stressful and you need to be able to handle that.
... on the other hand, there are kinds of shadow work that don't hurt much at all. there are things called shadow work, that barely affect one. i think some shadows are deeper and more painful than others... some methods go deeper than others.
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| Alobar |
04 Jul 2003 |
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i'm not going to say that this is just an itch, OR that it is a calling. i will say that this kind of work should not be entered into lightly. doing so will be non-productive and can be seriously damaging to one's psyche.
however, as a dedicant of Hekate i do have some experience in this area. but the best advice i can give you to start is to check out this site, especially the section titled 'Guardian of the Unconscious'...
http://www.angelfire.com/biz/MysticalArts/Hekate.html
this is an excerpt from Demetra George's book 'Mysteries of the Dark Moon; the Healing Powers of the Dark Goddess'. i recommend it highly for understanding this sort of inner work.
"Completion through introspection"
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| Rhiannon |
04 Jul 2003 |
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Just wanted to give you an example of some shadow work, although I think zorya did a wonderful job of explaining it! This is a thread that a few members got together and did while working with the book "Tarot Shadow Work" by Jette. I admit to having let the rest of the book lapse... and I need to get back to my own shadow work. Thanks for reminding me!
http://www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?threadid=8458&highlight=tarot+shadow+star+discovery
R :)
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| Butterfly |
06 Jul 2003 |
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Thanks guys.
Sounds like really valuable work to do, one day.
I take your point that it's stressful, even painful. I think that I'll leave it to a point in my life where I am much more stable, in terms of lifestyle, so that I can better deal with whatever might arise.
I appreciate your posts:)
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| Marion |
07 Jul 2003 |
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There is a book called "Your Golden shadow" which helped me a lot. Can't recall the author, but it is a relatively current work.
A good introduction is "Practical Jung". Only partly about that, but helpful, very helpful. (Not doing well on authors today but the titles are exactly right).
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| Mimers |
07 Jul 2003 |
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I have seen Christine Jette's book on shadow work many times in bookstores, and I always ignore it. I convince myself I don't need this. I don't have major issues. Truth is I know I am kidding myself and that I am just too afraid of what I might find out about myself.
Does anyone have any suggestions on how to approach this type of thing gently? I know I will eventually have to face them, my shadows. I also know when I do, I will probably try to deny everything at first, however, I truthfully want to be a better person for myself and for others, and I know this is an important step in that direction.
Call me a procrastinator! LOL
Thanks,
Mimi
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| Rhiannon |
07 Jul 2003 |
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There I said it.
Seriously, when you are ready then you will get the book and just do it. It's rather rough, but you just need to face it like any other tarot reading... like it's not really for you, LOL. Then you can start to work through it a bit at a time. It wasn't really that bad for me. It was more like someone was saying nasty things about me, like calling me a bad name for something that was actually a good quality. Like being called the "B" word! I actually like being one of those "B" words thank you very much! It's about embracing it. I'm rambling.... I'll stop now.
R :)
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| Mimers |
07 Jul 2003 |
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Thanks Rhiannan! :)
It's kind of like wanting to just dip my toe in it first to see if I am ready. You know what I mean?
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| Butterfly |
07 Jul 2003 |
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Originally posted by Mimers
I have seen Christine Jette's book on shadow work many times in bookstores, and I always ignore it. I convince myself I don't need this. I don't have major issues. Truth is I know I am kidding myself and that I am just too afraid of what I might find out about myself.
Does anyone have any suggestions on how to approach this type of thing gently? I know I will eventually have to face them, my shadows. I also know when I do, I will probably try to deny everything at first, however, I truthfully want to be a better person for myself and for others, and I know this is an important step in that direction.
Call me a procrastinator! LOL
Thanks,
Mimi
that's exactly how I would put it, Mimi. So well spoken!
I had a blissful childhood, a relatively functional family who all love me. Life should be good. But I know that I repress my darker, nastier self, and I'm really unassertive, and a little scared of my personal power. I have a great life by most peoples standards, but I know if I could get over that- I'd have a truly great life.
People who do shadow work seem so powerful......
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| isthmus nekoi |
12 Jul 2003 |
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Just a quick little note...
Shadow in the personal unconscious doesn't necessarily represent negative traits. Shadow is just anything that hasn't been integrated into consciousness. For example, for someone who takes pride in being ruthless, a shadow trait for them would be expressing compassion.
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The Shadow work thread was originally posted on 04 Jul 2003 in the Spirituality board, and is now archived in the Forum Library. Read the active threads in Spirituality, or read more archived threads.
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