Hippie Witch : 3 KickAss Magick Tricks For Bringing Your Shadow Into The Light
The only visible object in the Universe that does not have a shadow is the Sun, but, without the Sun, the Earth would have no shadows. The human soul is much this way. It contains so much light and yet the objects that stand before it cast many shadows.
"A man who casts no shadow has no soul." -Iron Maiden (Out Of The Shadows)
Before you can get into fully integrating all of the lost, denied or rejected parts of yourself (The Shadow), you must first be able to acknowledge what they are.
Therefore, the first step in doing any kind of Shadow Work is to identify your Shadow Beliefs. Here are three of my favorite "tricks" for doing that:
1. Mirror Work : Be mindful of the judgements & criticisms that you make on other people. They may just be clever projections of your own, deeply hidden Shadow Side.
2. Repeat Issues : The "negative" patterns of your life, the recurring problems that keep popping up no matter how hard you try to keep them at bay have deep messages for you. Are you willing to find out what they are? Set aside some time to really explore the repeat issues of your life, and you will be well on your way to ending those cycles once & for all.
3. Triggers : What really sets you off? Pushes your buttons? Gets under your skin? Is it a certain kind of person or annoying situation? These are your triggers. They are also huge clues, pointing straight toward your Shadow. Do you dare follow them down the rabbit hole?
"My sorrow, when she's here with me, thinks these dark days of autumn rain are beautiful as days can be; she loves the bare, the withered tree; she walks the sodden pasture lane." -Robert Frost
AUTUMN, the time of year symbolized by the element of water and marked mid-way by holidays like Samhain, Halloween & Mexico's Day Of The Dead, is a perfect time for diving deep into the darker aspects of ourselves, while releasing old patterns & acknowledging the past that set them in motion. It is a time of catharsis.
However, when it comes to The Shadow, your work may never be complete. It is an ongoing process of revelation & active integration. So, it's good to take advantage of the chillier weather & the electric energy of Fall to revisit this work once a year.
My friend, Kelly-Ann, known on YouTube as TheFourQueens, recently made a video about this very subject, sharing some of her own Shadow Work tips and, this past weekend, Debbie Ford, the woman from whom I've learned the most regarding this popular piece of psychology, was featured on Oprah's Super Soul Sunday, talking about it as well.
So you see? It really is in the air right now & most appropriate for the season.
COMING SOON...
"Hippie Witch : A Psycho-Spiritual Guide To The Wheel Of The Year"