The shadow that we refer to in Shadow Work is a spiritual aspect of our soul. It is that which defines our light, demeanor, expression and our depth. Without it there would be no contrast to our consciousness as darkness shapes the light.
The shadow is the spiritual self that is formed once fragmentation of our soul, or the “fall” of consciousness occurs. It is our base core of the soul, our foundation and Red Ray center of the Kundalini energy that propels and fuels our souls’ existence and evolution. It is where the coal of our intrinsic desires are processed. Our diamond in the rough if you will. It corresponds to the 15th Arcana-extraordinary efforts of which are predestined but are not the reason for Evil. The root chakra. Our shadow carries our unlearned lessons that require recognition and expression.
From a mythological perspective it is the damsel in distress crying out for a rescue and protection which is held by a beast/anti hero element in our present life.
From the psychological the shadow corresponds to the force that corrupts our ego in becoming a servant to our own set of beliefs and constructs. It is our conscience voice that speaks out to our suppressed and rooted assumptions about our physical and psychic reality. It causes us to be blinded to a set of ideals and loyal to another, it is the seed of our dualistic mindset.
In a psycho-biological perspective the thought is that energy anchors our body to seek out certain neurotransmitters and have an attraction to certain goods and craving, it is used to contribute to the rat race culture, produce and consumerism.
By drawing our attention to the parts of ourselves that we repress, deny, neglect or that frighten us it will by default in everyday life begin to surface. This focus and reflections can become a powerful tool in the arsenal of your mind. It is about the story you visualize for yourself, and it is about treating yourself and others tenderly, leading with love at the forefront and considering opposites, while addressing your feelings directly but at an arms length – they are not you. Consider your life as a story, with everything happening “for” you (to learn something) nothing happens “to” you. The game of life is played on a spectrum. Keep that in mind when things become difficult. The shadows themselves are not inherently “bad“, they are symbolic, reflective and concretive. Consider your shadows as chapters in a story that we are here to conquer. Our Shadows assist us in understanding, accepting and to eventually integrate. Darkness is energy and it can’t really be destroyed only change form. Our Shadows our transformative agents.
The truth is simple: you aren’t who you think you are.
Your shadow will try to convince you that you are only what you perceive on the surface. It doesn’t want to lose control as its primary job is to hold your darker themes until you are ready fully see and experience them. You never who you really are in your totality until you step into the light which is the Shadows framework. Becoming aware of this side of ourselves means that we are better able to control our reactions to it, heal the wounds of the past (even past lives) making room for deepening and our souls evolution.
