Thestarlightpractice - Amie

All About Shadow Work

What is shadow work?

Shadow work is an introspective psychological concept coined by Carl Jung. His belief was that in order to acknowledge our full self, we must fully integrate our shadows as well. The shadow personifies everything that the individual refuses to acknowledge about themselves: the negative habits we have, the things we don't like about ourselves, the things that we don't like to expose to others. Things of that nature.

Shadow work is not a requirement to be spiritual or practice magic.

Shadow work is not inherently a spiritual or magical concept, so it isn't required to be spiritual or to practice magic. I want to give that disclaimer now, because shadow work isn't for everybody. If you are a person with severe trauma or struggle with mental health, please avoid doing shadow work by yourself. Shadow work should always be done in a safe environment, and for some it should only be done in the presence of a therapist. Don't put your mental health at risk because somebody on the internet says you need to do shadow work to be spiritual or practice magic. You can reflect on recent events and make a conscious decision to do better without doing shadow work.

What should you consider before starting shadow work?

Now, when it comes to shadow work there are two questions you should ask yourself before starting. Why do you want to do shadow work? What results do you aim to achieve from doing shadow work? I want you to think about these questions before trying to do shadow work. I see people jump into doing shadow work without thinking about it first, and many people end up struggling as a result.

Determining how your shadow expresses itself.

The shadow is a complex thing for everybody and can express itself in many ways. There will always be multiple aspects to an individual's shadow, so try to address each aspect one at a time.

For example, my own shadow expresses itself in a few ways. Rage and insecurity are two ways. They have different origins and are triggered by different things, so I address them differently.

Find a cheap journal or open a document on your device. Think about the things you hide from people, the negative habits you have, things you struggle with... Write them down. See which ones are related and which aren't. If you aren't totally sure about any of these things, ask your friends and loved ones what negative habits they notice about you. Doing these things will help you get a better idea on what needs to be addressed.

If you use divination, or know somebody who does, you can use divination to help you pinpoint which aspect of your shadow needs to be addressed the most. Asking the simple question "How does my shadow express itself?" can help you, if you are unsure.

Journal prompts, therapy and actively changing.

Journal prompts are the most common ways to do shadow work. By doing journal prompts regularly, you are taking the time to sit with yourself and reflect based on the prompts. Some prompts may have you dig into your past and traumas more than others, so be aware of this before trying any journal prompts. Personally, I suggest doing one journal prompt a week. Dedicate one day of the week to doing shadow work, if possible. It's okay if it has to be every two weeks or longer to start. Just don't overdo it and pressure yourself into doing daily shadow work. That's just unnecessary.

Therapy is where shadow work can be done in a safe environment with a professional to help you. If you can afford it, please consider looking for a therapist you can trust. Coming from a person who has attended therapy, you may not vibe with the first therapist you go to and that's okay. Keep trying and find one you do vibe with. You'll find one out there. By going to therapy you can talk about difficult topics with a professional that can reassure you and talk to you about what's going on.

You shouldn't sit down to do a bunch of journal prompts or go to therapy only to make zero changes. Actively seek to change your habits and behavior. Try to be more self-aware. Avoid repeating the things that you know have been toxic to yourself and others. Allow yourself to feel and process emotions such as anger, sadness, hurt and guilt; but don't let them control your words and actions. Once you actively start making changes, others will notice it too. It will take time, yes, so don't expect results immediately. Baby steps.

Allow yourself to process your emotions.

Shadow work tends to bring heavy emotions to the surface. Don't try to bury them. Let yourself feel the anger, sadness, hurt and guilt. Process those emotions. Cry them out, write about them, talk about them to your therapist... Just don't bury them. Allowing yourself to feel and process these emotions is important.

Practice some self-care.

Sometimes shadow work is hard, so please don't neglect yourself. Take a nice bubble bath or a warm shower. Drink your favorite tea or coffee. Eat a tasty snack. Watch a movie that makes you feel soft and fuzzy. Do your skincare routine. Find something to do that makes you feel good.

Here are some journal prompts for you to start with.

How does your shadow express itself?

When did your childhood really end? When did you lose that childlike innocence?

What event from the past still have an effect on you today?

Have you ever done something bad to another person? Do you regret it? Why did you do it?

What emotions do you avoid? Why?

When was the last time you felt happy? Describe what happened.

Do you compare yourself to others? In what way? Why?

What do you wish you could change about yourself? Why?

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