What is ‘Shadow Work?’
‘Shadow Work’ is a term that is commonly associated with the psychologist Carl Jung referring to any process in which you are able to bring your unconscious or sub conscious to the conscious. Essentially, connecting to the parts of you that you have discarded and/or repressed throughout your lifetime and reintegrating them into your being, by bringing it to your conscious awareness.
Whilst this work is technically ‘recent’ in respect of the scientific community within esoteric schools, within mystery schools and within various spiritual traditions, there has always been an understanding of the importance of working with and integrating the ‘Shadow Aspect’ of ourselves.
We must always remember that energy can never be created or destroyed. What this means is that if we have, for example, ‘anger’ rise within us that ‘anger’ is energy. If we do not allow ourselves to feel and transmute this energy we will repress it. Whilst repressing the anger will give you momentary relief in respect of you not being in the emotion anymore, the energy does not disappear. It is stored in your body.
From the perspective of the Akashic Records, we can see these repressed emotions as stagnation within the Light Grid.
HOW IS OUR SHADOW ASPECT CREATED?
At the time of birth into this incarnation, you are the closest to your Soul/Higher Self that you will be in the incarnation, until such time as you go through your Spiritual Awakening
Throughout the incarnation, especially during the childhood and teenage years, everyone experiences a degree of programming and conditioning through your interactions with your primary caregivers, your school, the society you are born into.
During this programming conditioning experience you learn that certain parts of you are acceptable and certain parts of you are unacceptable. We reject the aspects we deem unacceptable and they become our shadow aspect.
Once you experience your Spiritual Awakening and walk the path of spiritual development you will come to a point (more than once) where you understand the need to look acknowledge and integrate the parts of yourself that you have rejected.
This work usually begins when you are experiencing a ‘Dark Night of the Soul’ which is a completely normal part of the Spiritual Awakening process.
WHAT IS THE ROLE OF DIVINE FEMININE ENERGY IN SHADOW WORK?
Shadow Work is very strongly connected to the internal divine feminine energy because it is a process of going deeply within. It's going inwards to meet the darkest parts of ourselves (darkest here meaning most hidden). On an energetic level, Shadow Work is associated with the Sacral Chakra (which is itself the first of the primary chakras to be divine feminine energy dominant.) The sacral chakra is the first emotional centre and the home of the unconscious. It is also the centre associated with our sexual/creative energy.
As you might have learned (or guessed by now) Shadow Work can be very uncomfortable because not only does it require going in, acknowledging what is there and working to unpeel the layers of stagnation. It also requires us to get really honest with ourselves about what is coming up from that centre without judgement.
WHAT ARCHETYPAL ENERGIES CAN WE WORK WITH DURING SHADOW WORK?
From an archetypal energy perspective when you are doing your Shadow Work you will often feel a strong connection to the ‘Dark Goddess’ archetype within you. Because the Dark Goddess aspect of the Divine Feminine is all about clearing out and letting go everything that is no longer in alignment for you, it is an aspect of the Divine Feminine energy that has been repressed and vilified throughout society.
However, everything that the Dark Goddess asks us to do, comes from a place of complete unconditional love. She truly wants to help you integrate and transmute so that you can live in Soul alignment and move past the suffering caused by your unhealthy attachments.
Because of the strong Divine Feminine energetic influence in this process, we have to remember that it will be cyclical. We do not need to try and ‘find’ our shadow- life itself will always present you with the opportunity to do this work when it is time.
I should also mention here that doing Shadow Work and experiencing a Dark Night of the Soul is something that you will experience multiple times on your spiritual journey. Please do not feel disheartened by this. We revisit certain issues and wounds more than once as we are healing a deeper part of the wound. Healing and expansion happens in a spiral. not a straight line.
WHAT IS THE ‘GOLDEN SHADOW?’
On a lighter note, a really positive aspect of undertaking Shadow Work is the discovery of your ‘Golden Shadow’. The Golden Shadow contains the parts of ourselves that we have repressed that are actually connected to gifts and skills that we have brought through with us into this incarnation. For example, you may have been an extremely talkative child who was shamed by their parent and told to be ‘seen and not heard.’ You then repress this natural quality and retreat into yourself. Your purpose may be to help others through talk therapy or coaching so when you uncover this aspect of yourself you can see how it is a skill you brought with you to help align to your purpose. This is the Golden Shadow.
SUMMARY
Shadow Work is an essential, if uncomfortable part of your spiritual development. If you find you need support whilst doing this work, do not be afraid to ask others for help. Asking for help when you need it is a sign of strength, not weakness.
Even though it is uncomfortable, it is essential and can be so rewarding so stick with it.