“The most dangerous psychological mistake is projection of the shadow onto others: this is the root of almost all conflicts.”
– Carl Jung
In an energetic reality that influence each other, our soul and mind exist in our consciousness. At any given time we are impacting the planet’s vibration and also shaping our soul and spirit. Our thoughts have a great impact on others, as well as directly impacting the quality of light and frequency that our consciousness directs.
Self-discovery holds hands with spiritual awakening. We start a journey to live more authentically and see positivity in all. However, silently we all possess thoughts, feelings, and fantasies that we are too embarrassed to let be known. We keep shameful experiences quiet and we don’t want to be labeled selfish, narcissistic, or intrusive to protect our self-image.
This is because social conditioning taught us that these aspects of our character are unacceptable.
Rejecting our dark parts doesn’t actually eliminate them, instead, they get stored in our unconscious. This side of our personality is known as our shadow self. As we pretend darker traits don’t exist we risk projecting them on others.
Are you ready to meet your shadow self?
Jungian Psychology
Carl Jung, a Swiss psychiatrist, and psychoanalyst founded analytical psychology. He influenced psychiatry, anthropology, archaeology, literature, philosophy, and religious studies.
Carl Jung refers to the shadow self as the unconscious aspect of our personality. Due to the majority of us rejecting undesirable parts of ourselves, our shadow side is labeled negative. However, we can also bury positive aspects.
Carl Jung teaches that our irrational shadow self is prone to psychological projection. This means when other’s display the unfavorable parts of us, we, in turn, show personal inferiority. We perceive our shadow as a moral deficiency in others because we haven’t claimed it in us yet.
Mrs. Shadow, Mr. Hyde
Carl Jung says when we hide our shadow self, it then has a free hand and can bring about some other situation characteristic of its power.
“Everyone carries a shadow,” Jung wrote, “and the less it is embodied in the individual’s conscious life, the blacker and denser it is. It may be (in part) one’s link to more primitive animal instincts, which are superseded during early childhood by the conscious mind.”
A great example of this is in Robert Louis Stevenson’s, Strange case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde which touches on the complexities of science and the duplicity of human nature.
Dr. Henry Jekyll has struggled to repress urges that were not society accepting most of his life. He tests the theory of man having two sides – good and evil, by developing a potion to separate the two in hopes of becoming liberated. By doing this he becomes Mr. Hyde, who is mysterious and violent. Over time, Mr. Hyde becomes more powerful.
Strange case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde demonstrates the duality of human nature in that by denying dark traits and forcing them to our unconscious mind, it can result in developing a Mr. Hyde type aspect to our character.
Shadow Work
“Everyone carries a shadow, and the less it is embodied in the individual’s conscious life, the blacker and denser it is. If an inferiority is conscious, one always has a chance to correct it. Furthermore, it is constantly in contact with other interests, so that it is continually subjected to modifications. But if it is repressed and isolated from consciousness, it never gets corrected.“
– Carl Jung, Psychology and Religion
Positive thoughts emanate intensely bright colors of high-frequency light, sound waves, and shift within a spectrum of colors throughout the energy field. Spiritually strong people have a strong inner light built upon a foundation of a focused mind and heart. Shining our inner light for others to absorb around us, we are a shining influence on humanity.
We emit dense, dull colors of low vibrational light and sound waves with our negative thoughts. In a constant state of distorted vibration, we litter our energy field with negative spirits and can block ourselves from obtaining bright light.
We all have a shadow self even if we are unaware of it. Our shadow is where our deepest wounds live that influence our self-esteem. By taking inventory of what we discover we can acknowledge, accept and own all the pieces of us. This is a great thing when our shadow always seems to be in low vibrational situations and loses her temper.
If we allow ourselves to feel and acknowledge negative emotions, they quiet down inside us. Unchecked negative behaviors will build in anxiety or pain and eventually reaching maximum capacity. When this happens, our negativity has amplified to be projected onto others around us.
Once this negative connection is made, emotions can be carried out into even more destructive levels. The stronger negative thoughts become inside our subconscious, the greater the chance we will act out these destructive behaviors. It’s challenging to choose our reactions and have clarity in our own belief systems when we are in a high level of rage.
Shadow work is the process of exploring, acknowledging, and accepting all of us, including those shameful pieces. Our shadow teaches us what we are suppressing and why we sometimes express self-destructive behavior.
Through shadow work, we can make peace with past experiences and forgive ourselves for what’s done. We let go of ill feelings or grudges. We can learn to love ourselves more and love life.
Healing Practices
The purpose of doing shadow work is to find and heal wounds. When we do this type of healing work, we need to be prepared for the emotional outcome. The following sections are all great ways to alleviate any issue that we discover along our process.
Aromatherapy, meditation, sound therapy, and deep breathing all offer beneficial energy for us to use in times of healing. When we begin our relationship with our shadow on a positive note and clear thinking, we can navigate through the journey knowing divine energies are supporting us.
Ground & Center
When we’re ungrounded, our energy body will be very unstable. Our basic roots, financial stability, and connection to the material world are all related to our root chakra.
Regularly eating veggies or proteins, imaging our feet connecting roots into the earth, and being near or using water are ways to stay grounded.
To get our body ready to let the energy flow, we should take a deep inhalation through the nose, separating our arms while stretching one above our head with a flat palm, and stretch the other arm down, again flattening our hand. As long as it’s comfortable in this position, we can give our body a nice stretch.
Since attention is essential for learning, being centered should be the first step. When we are centered, our attention is increased.
The technique of centering is to focus on our energy, bringing it inward to our center. This gives us a sense of peace and stability. I like to close my eyes while doing this to concentrate more thoroughly. Inhaling through the nose if comfortable, and exhaling through the mouth.
- Focus on slow, steady breathing while counting to four on the inhalation. On the exhale it will induce a relaxed state.
- Visualize and focus the energy inward to our physical center of gravity, just below the navel, while still focusing on our breathing.
- Visualize inhaling bright, positive energy and on the exhale, visualize releasing dark, negative energy.
This is a good technique to use for any time we feel stressed to help bring back balance and induce relaxation.
Using intuition to know when the exercise is complete, we can move on to perform our next activity with clearer thinking.
Write About It
As I adjusted to spiritual awakening my shadow made herself known. Every exchange headed to a malicious disagreement that actively eliminated the company I kept. I broke down finally and I listed every harsh word and action I’ve delivered. I started with the most shameful and held the heaviest guilt.
Dedicating a journal to our shadow self is a practical and organized way to get our feelings outside of our minds. This type of healing work is user-specific and the technique should be felt through intuition. Pulling out memories we chose to forget is beneficially healing, and just as uncomfortable as it sounds.
When we quiet down our minds while allowing ourselves to relive past painful memories it becomes easier to recall those details we have forgotten. Replaying the scene in our mind’s eye while documenting it creates a visual to focus on one specific event. Allowing ourselves to feel those painful feelings, we can accept what is, is, and releasing them, forevermore.
When writing our feelings we can let them just flow out of us, almost like automatic writing. List the emotions we are experiencing with any thoughts that suddenly appear. It’s ok if it doesn’t make sense because this is basically role call. Once they are on paper we can focus on something catching our attention.
Symbolic Release
Rituals have been a tradition in many cultures for many years for many things. Releasing painful or challenging events by ritual is something worth looking into. After releasing heavy energies we feel lighter, clean, and the whole experience is symbolic.
Fire is a powerful element having the ability to transform, transmute, and destroy.
A burning ceremony is becoming increasingly popular. Writing down our clear intention to release what is no longer serving us, we hand it over to the universe by burning our petition paper.
Water is another great way to release something. Using the same intention as above, we can throw our paper or symbolic representation of our intention into running water, or in a bowl of water until disintegrated, and then finally feeding it to nature by watering a tree or plant.
Candle Ceremony
A simple candle ceremony can include a black candle and something to represent what we’re releasing.
Start by grounding and casting a circle for protection if feel guided. Call in any supportive guides, or higher beings we’re connected with to join the circle.
Using a safety pin or something of the like to carve the candle with any symbols or words to support our thoughts of what we wish the candle to do. An example would be if it’s releasing the memories we can simply carve ‘Release’ on it.
Or releasing an emotion, we can carve the word of the emotion into the candle. We should start from the center carving upwards when using a taper candle.
Meditating on what no longer serves us for a few minutes before can anchor our intention stronger in our mind’s eye. We want the intention to be as clear as possible.
If desired, we can also jot our intention on a piece of paper for extra support of the release. Fold the intention paper and use the candle’s flame to ignite it. We should always have a fireproof container to drop it into nearby. I use my cauldron, but any fire resistant receptible will do.
Clearing Our Energy
Regularly eliminating unwanted or negative vibes from ourselves and our environment is a good practice. We can also remove negative energy from objects and other people.
The better we understand our own energy, the more we increase our intuition. Being free of other energies can help us make decisions that are for our greatest good.
When we feel joyful, happy, and inspired, we are in good vibrational energy. Feeling sad, angry, and stressed are lower vibrations, and that is letting us know it’s time to cleanse.
We can absorb energies and vibes from others which will affect our whole mood.
An energy ritual keeps us in control of our own vibe.
Aromatherapy
Diffusing essential oils is beneficial for us and our environment. Before deep emotional exercises, aromatherapy can ease us into relaxation and make it easier to keep a positive mind.
Diffusers are very home decor and add beauty to our space and set the scene.
While lavender is really popular, it is more a cultivating oil because it soothes and heals. It’s said that rosemary is great for energy clearing.
Please note that rosemary should not be used by pregnant women.
Incense comes in many forms these days and there are many scents to choose from. Long sticks, short sticks, cones, or resin, anyway we burn incense it instantly transforms our area.
Incense burners are beautiful visuals added to every room. I have shamelessly added one to every room in my home.
Sound Therapy
Tibetan singing bowls have many purposes, including stress reduction and pain relief.
Its claimed that the vibrations of a singing bowl can produce beneficial changes in our body by reducing stress, and balancing out our body’s energy system.
Tibetan singing bowls can also stimulate the immune system and produce beneficial changes in brain waves.
Knowing all the Pieces of Us
Exploring the deep insights that can be drawn from our personal introspection holds a pure observation of our external existence. Exercising mental practices can help grow a strong inner core and spiritual foundation when we develop observer consciousness.
It’s said that the truth is what sets us free, as difficult as it may be. We cannot reject the very nature of what and who we are as spiritual beings and must recognize that we are sharing this earth which means sharing our love and light and all we project into this world.
We need to integrate all of our true selves and bring it back into balance. Hopefully, we will be able to help heal the true heart of humanity.
Highbrations!
~ Victoria ☯︎
Recently enchanted refers to kindred souls who discovered there’s something magical happening. Walk the mystical path of spiritual awakening and witchcraft through energy work, divination, and the old ways of magic.
Whether you’re just beginning to awaken or have walked this path for lifetimes, I invite you to explore, learn, and weave your magic.
May you find inspiration, empowerment, and a little bit of enchantment in these words.
