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There is never really a wrong time to delve in and work with our shadow. To paraphrase, Carl Jung described what we now refer to as the "duality of man", as man being both light and dark. If you are not familiar with the concept of the shadow, I highly encourage you to watch this brief introductory video below. Otherwise, you can read on…

WORD OF CAUTION: For some, shadow work can be very intense – especially if you’ve experienced trauma in your past. For some of you, you may want to consider working with a therapist or a holistic healer of some sort. , the goal of shadow work is not to suffer, but rather to heal and grow!!

For us to continue to grow and better ourselves spiritually and magickally, we need to learn to embrace all that is a part of us. We celebrate our good side, our positive traits and our growth, but just as importantly we face our darkness, acknowledge the darkness, learn about ourselves then heal and grow. This is what we know as shadow work.

To help with embarking on your shadow work, here are some tips and steps to consider trying.

TIPS

PRACTICE MINDFULNESS

Part of shadow work is becoming aware of how you’re projecting your shadow onto others. Practicing mindfulness is an effective way to bring more awareness to those projections.

CONNECT WITH DARK GODDESSES

If you work with deity, the archetype of the Dark Goddess is practically a personification of the shadow. Working with dark goddesses such as Kali, Lilith, the Morrighan and Hecate can help you get in touch with darker aspects of your ego that you may be avoiding. Call to them in ritual or through meditation. You can connect with them by doing such things as placing a picture or statue of her on your altar or where you’ll see it regularly to inspire you while doing shadow work.

CRYSTALS

There are several crystals that are known for helping with shadow work. Three of the more popular ones are snowflake obsidian, blue kyanite and rose quartz.

Snowflake obsidian is an excellent crystal to help with your journey. Known as the “Stone of The Self”, Snowflake Obsidian is a natural volcanic glass that has Cristobalite (a mineral) in the form of white patterns that actually look like snowflakes. This is a grounding and protective stone that helps open doors to your shadows. It helps to bring your emotions, patterns of actions, responses and fears to the surface so you can work with those aspects of yourself.

Blue kyanite is the softer, more subtle version of snowflake obsidian. This is a good stone to use if new to shadow work and is helpful for recalling old memories and working through obstacles.

Rose quartz is an excellent source for self-love and brings soothing energies as you work through your shadows. You can place these crystals on your altar or wear them or keep them with you as you do your shadow work.

DRAW, PAINT, WRITE & JOURNAL

Creativity is a great methodology of tapping into the subconscious. Just begin without any particular goal in mind of what to draw or write and just let what comes out flow naturally. This is a perfect time to keep some of the crystals just described nearby to help bring your darker side to the surface.

If journaling, not only let yourself write freely, but when done read back and reflect on what you've written. You may find you'll need or even want to do this more than once as each time you read, more insight into your thoughts, feelings and behaviors may come to light.

STEPS (exerpts from thetravellingwitch.com)

STEP ONE: Uncover False Beliefs Through “Triggers”

Because we learn to suppress certain parts of ourselves in order to please our parents, fit in with friends, or do well in school, we usually have no idea that we’re suppressing anything. We just think we’re being good functional humans.

Then something triggers us. In the car metaphor, the trigger is the ignition not starting. It’s an external factor that catches you off-guard. In the spiritual community, the term “trigger” is often used to describe an experience that causes an unusually strong, sometimes overwhelming surge of emotion inside of you.

STEP TWO: Honoring Your Feelings

One of the most important parts of shadow work is to honor your feelings. Your feelings are what alert you to any resistance, false beliefs, or emotional wounds that are hidden in your subconscious. It’s important to acknowledge these feelings because, like your car problem, your subconscious issues could stop your spells from moving forward. Never push your emotions down or beat yourself up for having them. That will only wedge those false beliefs and emotional wounds further into your subconscious and make you feel worse.

STEP THREE: Discover the Hidden Story Through Journaling

The story behind your current pain is most likely from something that happened to you before. Start by jotting down possible reasons why you feel upset, scared or angry about particular triggers you identified. If you start crying when you do this, that’s fine. Shadow work is not wallowing, it’s healing. You’ll know when you hit the right reason because you’ll feel that strong emotion all over again.

Journal about your memories. Dig deep to get all of the painful details out on the paper. Don’t hold back here. Write out anything that comes to mind even if it seems insignificant.

Selenite is an excellent crystal to place near you when you’re doing this part of your shadow work as it helps with mental clarity and strengthens your connection to your intuition.

STEP FOUR: Heal Your Emotional Wound

Now that you’ve discovered the root of your pain, you can heal it. This is not about rewriting your memories, but rather understanding them, looking at them objectively and releasing any blame, fear or anger.

STEP FIVE: Thank the Universe

Shadow work will not lower your vibration—don’t let anyone tell you differently. In fact, after you perform your shadow work, your vibration will shoot up higher than before. That emotional wound or false belief was there inside of you the whole time, affecting your energy subconsciously. Your shadow work cleared it quickly, and as a result, opened a new channel to receive your desires and manifestations.

Sunflower Shadow Work Spell (from thetravellingwitch.com)

After you’ve gone through the shadow work process, you can use those journal pages in a spell. Fold up the pages and plant them in the ground along with a sunflower seed.

State your intention as, “I release my false beliefs and I honor the brave shadow work I’ve done. I open my arms to accept the gifts of the universe. The channel is clear, and I am ready to receive.”

The sunflower seed represents the beautiful gifts that will flow to you as a direct result of your shadow work. After you plant your seed, stand over that spot in the ground and close your eyes. Lift your head up towards the sun (the way sunflowers grow) and visualize a beam of golden light coming down from the sun and into your chest. The universe will send your gifts through that golden channel as your sunflower grows.

References:

1. Simple Steps to Get Started With Shadow Work

2. How to Do Shadow Work in Your Magick and Why You Need It

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