SHADOW WORK SIMPLIFIED

What is shadow work?

If I had to describe shadow work in one word, it would be introspection. Introspection is the examination of your own mental state and is necessary in order to learn more about your fundamental nature. Although it may sound off-putting and even scary at first, shadow work is a necessary component in the process of healing. We all have aspects of ourselves that we’ve rejected and hidden away out of fear. Through shadow work, we’re able to reflect on our thoughts, emotions, and habits so that we can find the root cause of our suffering and heal ourselves. By reincorporating those aspects of ourselves that we’ve denied, we feel more fulfilled and can begin to love ourselves fully.

Where does shadow work come from?

The concept of the shadow self comes from Carl Jung who believed that our shadow self is the subconscious aspect, or “dark side”, of our personality that our conscious ego doesn’t identify with. However, I would like to clarify that “dark” does not imply or equate with bad. That which resides outside of our consciousness can be either good or bad, but aren’t inherently reflective of our value or “goodness” as a person.

Although these repressed aspects of ourselves can manifest negatively, it isn’t because those parts of us are “bad”, but that the process of repression is inherently painful and toxic. This is reflected by Jung when he states, “Everyone carries a shadow, and the less it is embodied in the individual’s conscious life, the blacker and denser it is.” He believed that until we’ve merged our conscious and subconscious selves, that our conscious would be “the slave of the autonomous shadow”. This is due to the shadow self overwhelming our conscious selves by falling victim to our own self-imposed traps.

Through assimilating this shadow self, not over-identifying with it, Jung believed we go through the process of enantiodromia, thereby integrating the subconscious by reincorporating our shadow selves into our personality and allowing us to solidify ourselves through wholeness. He best described this by stating “assimilation of the shadow gives a man body, so to speak.” However, don’t fall into the misconception that shadow work is a short-term practice. Shadow work is a continuous practice and integration of the shadow self is a will take place throughout your life.

How do I do shadow work?

In the last question, I identified that practicing self-reflection is a key component of shadow work, but what does that mean? What am I supposed to be reflecting on? Well, the first thing that you should focus on is being present throughout the day. Identify feelings that come up throughout the day and observe them objectively. What situation or interaction triggered these emotions? How did I react to those emotions? Were my emotions controlling me or was I in control of my emotions? Why did this situation or interaction cause me to feel this way? How did I cope with those feelings (self-harming, lashing out at others, communicating my feelings, journalling, etc.)? Did I punish myself for getting upset? If so, why?

There are numerous ways to reflect on your feelings and experiences in order to get a better understanding of yourself. Through evaluating how you react to situations, which situations upset you, and how you managed those feelings, you’re able to build the foundation to understanding your emotions and bridge the gap between your subconscious and conscious mind.

Once you’ve done this, you’ll find that the emotions you feel in the present are reflective of unhealed emotions from your past. Perhaps the reason you feel that you’re unable to set boundaries as an adult is because as a child, your parents never respected your boundaries by going through your phone or diary, yelling at you when you said no to a request, forcing you into situations that made you feel you had no choice.

By identifying the root cause of your emotional pain, you’re able to address it in the present and heal from the trauma. The simplest way that I’ve found to address them is through journalling. You can purchase a physical journal or even use your notes app, either way, you’re writing out your feelings and reflections to gain deeper insight. It’s important to remember that this looks different for anyone and that the best way to approach shadow work is by doing what feels most natural! You can choose to stick to self-reflective journal prompts, vent about whatever is upsetting you, write letters to whoever has hurt you, etc. Ultimately, you can guide yourself based off of what you feel you need and where you are in your journey.

What parts of yourself do you find yourself rejecting the most? Many of us have experienced the pain of rejection in some aspects of our lives and sometimes, it’s incredibly painful and leaves us with long-lasting wounds. We end up going through our lives carrying baggage that we don’t even know we have! Many times, I’ve found myself wondering why I felt so repulsed by aspects of myself and why I felt so strongly that they needed to be locked away forever. I couldn’t allow myself or others to see my truest self, my whole self, out of fear. I was scared of being rejected, shamed, humiliated by the people around me. I was scared of hurting other people by being myself and of being hurt by others. That’s no way to live, is it? When we tell ourselves that aspects of ourselves aren’t good enough, we end up going through life devaluing ourself. We’ve broken our own trust by rejecting ourselves, we’ve told ourselves that we aren’t good enough or worthy of love. In shadow work, you’re called to go inward and unpack everything that we’ve kept hidden for years and sometimes even decades.

Bring the parts of yourself that you’ve repressed to the surface and nourish them with love, allow yourself to see that ALL OF YOU is deserving of love and support. For you, that could mean unlearning your unhealthy beliefs about food or eating, allowing yourself to be emotional around the people you love (despite how much you were told that you were too emotional, a crybaby, too sensitive in the past), allowing yourself to relax without feeling guilty about not being productive because you recognize your needs (even though you feel your sense of worth is tied to being productive at the cost of your own health).

Common misconceptions about shadow work?

Shadow work is evil or bad, the shadow is evil or bad

The purpose of shadow work is healing through working with your subconscious to release repressed aspects of yourself and heal from painful, traumatic experiences. Your shadow side is simply your unconscious and to believe that it’s bad is to believe that you are bad. It’s merely the part of yourself that you aren’t aware of consciously and shouldn’t be feared.

Certain emotions are “bad”

When you let go of the idea that emotions are either good or bad, you’ll allow yourself to just be and stop putting so much pressure on yourself to feel “good” all of the time. Happiness isn’t a constant state of being so stop expecting to be all of the time, we have a range of emotions for a reason so stop being ashamed of them. Your feelings are natural and if you feel like they’re out of control and something to be ashamed of, there is nothing wrong with that! It’s okay to feel like your emotions are controlling you because that isn’t permanent. Your feelings aren’t permanent and are completely manageable with proper guidance! The reason you feel like your emotions are controlling you is because you probably don’t have the knowledge to cope with them in an effective and healthy way. It’s helpful to sit with your emotions alone and look at them objectively without placing any judgement on them, this will help you calm down and assess your feelings. From there, you can identify what you need to relax and recover as well as acknowledge to yourself that your feelings are natural. When you stop categorizing your emotions as bad, they’re no longer shameful to experience and therefore you can see with better clarity how to cope with them and move on.

I’ve already released it so…

Why am I still upset?

Why does it still keep popping up in my head?

Why haven’t I moved on?

Why am I not making progress?

With the rise of self development and spirituality, I find that more and more people are rushing to complete their healing. Healing is a continuous, life-long cycle and not a destination. Putting the pressure on yourself to reach the place of ultimate healing is not only toxic, but it impedes your ability to actually heal anything. Healing is about love, compassion, and patience and it’s not going to happen according to a timeline. Allow yourself the time to experience your emotions, see them objectively, forgive yourself and others and move on without the pressure of expectations.

Another reason that you could be experiencing this is that despite the work you think you’ve done, it hasn’t been sufficient. I’ve found that a lot of journal prompts provided online are surface level at best and can be more pacifying than revealing. If you’re not feeling anything while doing your inner work, you’re not doing it correctly. Ultimately, this is about uncovering what makes us UNCOMFORTABLE and moving through those feelings. When you allow yourself to experience the sadness, hurt, anger, and/or frustration than you’re telling yourself that these feelings are okay and don’t need to be suppressed. The reality is that no matter what you’re feeling, you are allowed to experience those emotions and it’s only human! Unfortunately, many people associate lower vibrational emotions as bad, but this is a huge misconception! Telling yourself that anger, sadness, etc. are “bad” implies that you shouldn’t experience these emotions and that you have to get rid of them which is not only wrong, but unhealthy. There is no right or wrong emotions so don’t buy into the belief that you should feel a certain way, simply allow yourself to be and you’ll find that it’s much easier to navigate your emotions and needs. The only way to make it to the other side is by wading through the water, be patient and know that you’re feeling exactly what you should be. When you stop censoring yourself, you’ll discover a newfound sense of freedom and wholeness.

If you find yourself circling back to certain topics, for example, your ex-boyfriend than perhaps there are triggers in your environment that remind you of the situation, you have more that needs to be addressed that you may not have been ready for or aware of previously (hence why shadow work is a practice that is ongoing), or they’re representative of a deeper issue that you’re repressing. Whatever the cause is, the same methods as earlier will apply and can be discerned through your own intuition.

What are some basic journal prompts that I can do?

What feelings come up when you think of ____?

How did that experience make you feel emotionally? How did it make you feel about yourself? How did it make you feel about the other person or people?

Write a letter to yourself, your inner child, the people who’ve hurt you, and the people you’ve hurt. Express how you feel honestly, without holding back and then forgive yourself and the other person.

If you could say anything to yourself or another person for closure, what would it be?

How have these situations and experiences impacted your mental health? How have they affected your belief system about yourself, other people, and the world?

What about yourself are you ashamed of? What about yourself are you embarrassed of? What about yourself makes you angry? What do you regret? Why do you feel this way about yourself and where do these feelings stem from?

What makes you feel most alone? What makes you feel most loved? How can you incorporate that knowledge into your life to make it better?

What’s the most hurtful thing someone has said or done to you? Why did it hurt you so much? How does it still affect you now? How can you heal from it and allow yourself to move on?

What do you need to forgive yourself for? What do you need to forgive others for?

Where do you feel you lack security in your life? Why? How does this impact your life and your relationships?

This is a list of generic prompts for you to start with, but feel free to message me if you need help with more specific topics or I can make another post altogether for journal prompts.

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🌿Magical Herbs,Incense, And Oils🌿

🌿 Use herbs in a pouch, or while cooking, and stir the mix or infusions to empower the spell to protect the home, any possessions, your workplace, and property. Use incense in sticks, cones, or as a powder incense and burn it on heated charcoal blocks and use a lighted incense stick like a smoke pen to write empowerments or symbols. 🌿

Allspice- for money,passion,swift-moving,or urgent matters.

Basil- for fidelity,prosperity,protection,and fear of flying.

Chamomile(Roman) and Chamomile(German)- for healing,babies,children, animals,and reversing bad luck. It also helps to attract money and is helpful in family matters.

Cedar/Cedar Wood- for healing,cleansing bad influences,negative thoughts,and harmony.

Cinnamon- for passion,regaining money after loss, urgently needing money and psychic awareness.

Dragon’s Blood- for fierce protection,anti-curse,any major enterprise, and male potency.

Fennel- for travel,house sales,and moves. It helps to banish and keep harm away from people,animals, and places.

Frankincense- For wealth,courage,joy,career,success,and travel. Also used in formal rituals.

Hyssop- For making a love commitment;healing;spirituality;all forms of protection, especially from psychic attack;and as an infusion to cleanse artifacts.

Juniper- purifies homes; protects against accidents,thieves,and illness;and male potency.

Lemongrass/Lemon- repels spite,malice,and gossip. It also helps with psychic awareness and travel.

Lemon Verbena- For breaking a run of bad luck,protection against negativity, the Evil Eye, and ill-wishing.

Mint and Peppermint drives negativity from objects and places,and brings money, health,love, and success.

Myrtle- For a lasting marriage,mature love, domestic happiness,property, and security.

Myrrh- For healing,peace,purification,overcoming grief, and protection against evil.Can be used in formal rituals and in moon magic.

Pine- Drives away harm from the home and family, especially newborn infants, cleansing negativity and malice, guarding property, and premises.

Rosemary- For learning,love,fidelity,prosperity,and banishing malevolence.

Sage- For longevity,good health,examinations,interviews,tests,protection of home and family,slow-growing prosperity, and wisdom.

Sandalwood- For spiritual awareness and healing,leadership,justice, compensation,and sexuality. Can be used in formal rituals.

Tarragon- The dragon herb,courage,and anti-bullying,and the shedding of old burdens,guilt,fears,and destructive relationships.

Thyme- Psychically cleanses the home,possessions,vehicles and land,health, memory of past worlds,and drives away nightmares and phantoms of the night.

Vertivert- For love, breaks a run of bad luck, protects against theft and negativity.

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forestwitchnika

4 years ago

Spirits & Working with them

We are souls temporarily in bodies on earth. Our natural home is in the spirit world, often known as the “Other side”. Whether you realize it or not, We are constantly surrounded by spirits. They may be in human bodies (like ourselves) or “in spirit” form. Just like we have family and friends in this life, We have had other lives with relationships we have deeply cherished and nurtured. Certainly, there are other spirits we have known and loved in other lives that are “in spirit” here on earth. A spirit is nothing more or less than another person, They just don’t have a body. They really aren’t as mysterious or strange as they’re made out to be, I feel like spirits are really misunderstood.

PROTECTION Ok guys, when i say they’re misunderstood i don’t mean every spirit out there is fluffy and sweet. Protection is absolutely the MOST IMPORTANT PART of working with spirits. Like i said, they’re nothing more or less than another person. They are beings, they have their own personalities. Just like with people, Don’t give out your information or be too trusting. Spirits can lie, Spirits can have malicious motives, Spirits can be tricksters and just yank your chain (ever gotten on a Ouija and seen ZOZO or MAMA or freaked bc it was doing something you thought was demonic or enabling the spirit to escape the board? Yeah, you were part of a big joke buddy. Spirits cannot escape the board, they aren’t in the board in the first place.).

Ways to protect yourself:

-Wards, Physically or in the Astral Plane, where spirits typically reside or come from. Astral Projection is not something for beginners to attempt, You really need to know how to deal with and protect yourself from the beings in that plane.

-Protection spells, amulets or talismans

-Sigils

-I have a special tea i brew for myself before spirit workings that is my blend of herbs to protect me and get me in the mindset for spirit work. I also suggest cleansing your energy, Maybe a cleansing bath and a smudge session and some meditation, Clean your energy so no spirits leech off of your negative energy or sense any mental weakness to attack.

-If you are scared, don’t do it. Spirits can smell it from 30 miles away, and will use it against you. Be mentally prepared, protect yourself. (I want to add i have never had any run ins with malicious spirits, But they DO EXIST. Most spirits are kind in my experience.)

COMMUNICATION

You are probably not gonna just be able to sit down and speak to spirits. (They can hear you, But thats listening and not communication.) I suggest picking up a form of divination, like pendulum, dice, or a ouija board to start. Do not Ouija alone if it is your first time and you are unexperienced. You will receive fragmented bits of conversation likely, and this is normal. Start out with simple yes and no questions, and eventually you will work your way up to normal conversation with spirits. It takes time to grow these skills. When i first started i was pulling out my Ouija nonstop!!! Spirits mostly communicate in tattered words, pictures and emotions. Its good to practice energy work, Sensing the kind of energy spirits are bringing in. This way you’ll eventually be able to tell the difference between a malicious spirit and a kind spirit just by the energy its giving off. PRACTICE, Keep growing your skills.

INTERACTING WITH SPIRITS

Communicating and meeting with local spirits is the easiest way to start off.

A lot of people start off with nature spirits, they are much more patient than other beings. I suggest sitting in a forest or by a creek and seeing who wants to talk, but sitting on your back porch with your plants can be equally as successful. I didn’t start with nature spirits specifically, but they likely were the ones who came thru. Very patient and kind, even noting that my dog (who was wanting to come outside with me, but my patios very small and she’s very big) was being loud.

I DON’T KNOW WHAT TO TALK ABOUT!!

Don’t worry, Here are all the ideas. Its nice to let the spirit share experiences with you, Keep in mind spirits have been around for a very long time, some since the beginning of time, and have experienced many things. I’ve heard some very cool stories.

Let me hear a love story

Show me a song from your people

Tell me something you’ve done that you are proud of

Tell me a little about your culture

Tell me your story

Do you have any jokes you can share with me?

What is your advice for me?

Who is the your peoples leader?(this can help you distinguish a timeline on when they were alive/where as well)

Is there anything about Human Culture you have questions about?

Do you speak more than one language?

SPIRIT WORK TIPS

Don’t give out the name that is the most important to you.

The ‘color’ of an energy doesn’t mean it will align with your own color meanings.

Don’t share how you’re protecting yourself, It is not wise and can help malicious spirits find points of weakness.

Don’t expect to hear voices or see spirits clear as day. The stories told on tumblr may be embellished to add understanding, or might receive messages in a less clear way than presented

If you ever feel threatened by a spirits energy or sense a negative spirit, Tell it to leave loudly and clearly. Do not show fear, Do not back down. Repeat and increase your intensity if it doesn’t stop.

This post is all based on my opinion of spirit work, and is not fact. I love spirits and spirit work so much, and i hope you do as well. Enjoy the spirits, Make some new friends! Love & Light, @lapiscat

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forestwitchnika

7 months ago

Das Wildschwein symbolisiert als keltisches Krafttier Tapferkeit, Kampfgeist und Schutz 🐗

In alten Zeiten wurde das Wildschwein nicht nur wegen seiner physischen Stärke und seines Mutes während der Jagd bewundert, sondern auch als heiliges Tier verehrt, das eng mit der Erdmutter und der Fruchtbarkeit der Natur verbunden ist.

Die Kelten sahen im Wildschwein eine Manifestation der Kraft des Kriegers und des Durchsetzungsvermögen. Es wurde oft in Geschichten und Legenden als Beschützer der Wälder und ihrer Geheimnisse dargestellt.

In der keltischen Geschichte wird das Wildschwein häufig zusammen mit Kriegern und Göttern abgebildet, was seine Bedeutung als Symbol der Macht und des Schutzes unterstreicht.

Für diejenigen, die sich vom Wildschwein angezogen fühlen, mag es eine Einladung sein, die eigenen inneren Stärken zu erkunden, den Mut zu finden, sich Unbekanntem zu stellen, und die Führung zu übernehmen, wenn der Weg vor uns ungewiss ist...

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forestwitchnika

4 years ago

Source: Sugarxndspice

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forestwitchnika

4 years ago

simple sleep sachet 💜

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inspo

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forestwitchnika

1 year ago

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forestwitchnika

2 months ago

THE SABBATS

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paganism sabbats

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forestwitchnika

1 year ago

✨ How to live like a fairy ✨

~Keep your hair natural and wild. During the summer months, you can make wild flower crowns or adorn your hair with flower petals and daisies.

~Shop for airy, gossamer dresses that you can wear whilst dancing in the forest or while shopping at a flower market. Use a velvet pouch as a purse and keep a few good-luck crystals inside.

~ Makeup essentials include pink plump lips and full rosy cheeks. Use a shimmer powder and glittery eyeshadow to complete your fairy-esque look. Invest in a sparkly body powder to sprinkle over yourself and make it look as if you are a cloud of fairy dust!

~ Go outside and explore the woods barefoot. Bring your favorite book along to read in the meadow or while nestled in a willow tree. Pack a wicker picnic basket and find a peaceful spot to eat your breakfast/lunch.

~ Plant a garden filled with honeysuckles, strawberries, sunflowers, and rosemary. Go berry picking in the summer and go apple picking in the fall. You can use the fruits to make pastries, preserves, or to eat plain!

~Decorate your room with fairy lights, tea candles, floral garland, and succulents. Keep your windows open on sunny days and use an essential oil diffuser to perfume your room with the aroma of lavender. Hang a tulle bed canopy above your bed to add to the whimsical aesthetic.

~Indulge in afternoon tea once a week. Set the table with a clean linen cloth and bake fresh chocolate scones and cucumber sandwiches to nibble on. Make sure to have a floral centerpiece and plenty of teas to choose from!

~Wear silver lockets and delicate charm bracelets. Shop frequently at antique and vintage shops to find other unique jewelry pieces. Arm cuffs and toe rings are also staple accessories.

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inspo

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