SHADOW WORK:
GETTING TO KNOW YOUR DARKER HALF
Article by Angel Quintana
Shadow Work: Getting to Know Your Darker Half
Shadow, dark side, darker half, dark night of the soul… These are all terms to describe what shadow workers call our other half, our hidden half. Born from Jungian psychology shadow work is all about our personal quest for wholeness.
We are actually born whole, but since we are also born dependent we learn starting from infancy from our caregivers what is acceptable and what is not. What is acceptable we exaggerate and celebrate, what is not acceptable or disapproved of we deny and hide in our shadow self.
We learn to disassociate from what is disapproved of in ourselves and we create a split in our minds. This split is our conscious and sub-conscious. This split is our very first act of self-rejection. We reject the part of ourselves that society or our family says is not ok, and what even ourselves decide on our own what is not ok. This creates our shadow self where we want all those things to stay and be forgotten.
This is true with our subconscious mind. What hides in there is forgotten about until a light happens to shine upon it and you become aware of it. This is what happens when you see things in others that you do not like. Next time you start to gossip or say something negative about someone, stop and ask yourself where do I see this trait in myself? It’s a challenge! Its dark in there, but this is the basis of shadow work.
The challenge of this work is that what lies in the dark we tend to fear. But truly what is there to fear when the light can shine so brightly upon? It’s coming face to face with the pain that makes us question and feel hesitant with this type of work. But the entire universe is on our side to become whole again. Every process is headed towards growth when you consciously do the work.
A big misconception is that the negative is all that is held in the dark. The dark also contains truly positive aspects of one self. If someone has low self esteem, their self worth is held in this darkness. When you look within the darkness you will find light waiting to be uncovered.
“How can I be substanatial if I do not cast a shadow? I must have a dark side also if I am to be whole”. - Carl Jung
As you integrate your shadow side and come to terms with your darker half, you see yourself more clearly. You become more grounded, human, and whole.
When you can accept your own darker parts, it is easier to accept the shadow in others.
Dragging around this invisible bag of stuff behind us is draining. It is exhausting work to continually repress and suppress all of the parts of ourselves that we don’t want to face in our adulthood.
“Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves.” - Carl Jung
ANGEL QUINTANA IS AN ASTROLOGER, AUTHOR, METAPHYSICAL TEACHER, AND HEALER WHO IS KNOWN FOR HER THOUGHT-PROVOKING LECTURES THAT EMPOWER THE NEXT GENERATION OF HOLISTIC LEADERS.
HER RITUAL APPROACH TO LIFE IS PERSONALIZING THE WAY WE LOOK AT MONEY, RELATIONSHIPS, CAREER, AND SPIRITUALITY; WHILE WITH HER FORWARD-THINKING CONCEPTS, SIGNATURE SYSTEM® AND KISMET CLIENT®, INSPIRE OTHERS TO THINK FOR THEMSELVES, EMBODY THEIR GIFTS, AND CREATE HOLISTIC PRODUCTS THAT SOLVE PROBLEMS FROM THEIR ROOT FOR GREATER CLARITY AND LOVE.
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