What is shadow work ?

Today it is the birthday of my late grandfather on my mother´s side. The timing for writing about shadow work could not be more appropriate since I almost always call for my ancestors before doing shadow work.

I like to believe that they protect me during the process, and I feel very close to them, because they know me, as I am, from the inside out.

To me, shadow work is a way of getting to know myself better on a informed level. By confronting my inner demons and fear I take control of my reactions to them so that I can use my energy on the positve approach to a great life.

It is important, however, to remember to take good care of yourself before, during and after shadow work, never if in a bad mood, depressed or otherwise indisposed. After all, it is a close up sort of work, where you get in touch with what hurts and displeases you.

I work with the shadows of my life for three important reasons :

• To confront my darker sides such as selfishness, secrets, and fears
• To heal and grow mentally, emotionally and spiritually
• To transform negativity into positive affirmations (releasing energy)

I have lived a somewhat troubled life for many years, so there are many shadows lurking around in my soul and mind. Years of psychiatric care with a lot of therapy sessions have helped me recover from being so concerned with the negatives that I almost forgot to remember to love myself.

Here shadow work is a great companion, on the better days of course. Through asking myself some sharp and candid questions I get to understand that 90 % of my troubles are self-inflicted. Rather than pouting, I take note of the conclusions and try to change them into positive affirmations that I can use on a daily basis.

It heals and it makes me grow as a human being. And it releases a lot of energy that I can use for better purposes such as preparing for the next Sabbat, Samhain, where shadow work is closely related to ancestor worship as a recurring theme.

I strongly believe that transforming negativity is of great importance in the modern constant stream of negative news, negative people, and negative events. All the bitching needs some counter-action, and I prefer to do it by sticking to a positive outlook on things.

Shadow work always inspires me to do something about my mental, emotional and spiritual clutter that tends to grow wild by itself if left alone for a while. So I typically do shadow work once a month. Sometimes, I use a mirror to look myself in the eyes and confront the demons inside directly, but that I only do when I´m having a truly good day.

It can be rather demanding and lonesome to do shadow work, but as a solitary witch, I´m used to working alone and don´t mind the solitude.

Benefits from shadow work

There are many positive benefits of doing shadow work, e.g. :

• Self-acceptance and more courage in life
• Clarity and deep understanding of passions
• Ability to release negativity

After I have worked with the shadows for a couple of years, I can honestly say that shadow work has helped me accept myself more, and I have also gained more courage about life´s many challenges.

It gives me significantly more clarity about many of the issues that I have fought with during my life, and I know understand in-depth, where my true passions lie. I have found that it enhances my ability to release negativity, so I can focus on the positive approaches to what really matters in life.

It is a psychological journey that I only embark on when I´m feeling fit for the work. It is of absolutely no good use if you are angry, sad, or otherwise not fully fit to get in touch with both inner demons and old hurt feelings.

It is a whole life of painful experiences that I confront when I´m doing shadow work. But it is necessary to heal, and therefore I dare to cross my own limitations and look beyond what hurts, aches and itches inside of me.

I dare to deal actively with the negatives now for the many psychiatric therapy sessions taught me how to cope with my mental and physical ailments with a positive outlook.

I get to know myself better by the day, and I begin to see patterns of behavior that previously hindered me from getting the best out of things, no matter how gray the days may have seemed at the time. It´s too late and impossible to turn back, so instead, I try to change my behavior by looking forward and do my best in whatever I do.

When I have done shadow work, I always cleanse my sacred space, my den, with sage incense to clear away any stale energy. It is a demanding task to work in the shadows, so when I´m done, I clear the remains of the day and do something mindful like drawing, painting, or playing my acoustic guitar.

The releasing part is done by the next bonfire in the garden, in the next ritual, or by closing the shadow work session off with So Mote It Be.

There are many different ways to do shadow work and there are more qualified people than I to discuss in detail how to do it. I use my own method of asking blunt questions to myself and try to be as honest s possible.

I may not like my answers, but I will learn my lessons about my strengths and weaknesses as a human being and as a witch. In witchcraft, the core wisdom lies within. You will know what to do when the time comes for action. Because of the intentions behind, it is a learning process to do shadow work.

To work with shadows is inner guidance.

Journal prompt examples

Shadow work to me is also writing. Not like writing a journal, but true and brutally honest answers to equally demanding questions, that is what I practice :

• Playing the victim – where do I feel most weak and why
• Inner and outside judgments – how do I respond to them and why
• Repressed feelings – what am I afraid of and why
• Defensive triggers – what makes me react, how and why

This is my guideline in adapting my behavior to the present moment.

I don´t write down every answer to such questions. I prefer to act on them instead. It is, however, not about mocking myself or only search for the negatives. There is a lot of contemplation, too.

The essence here is to transform the negatives into something useful and positive. To make the best out of everything, so to speak. It is also about acceptance and release. Not everything can be changed, it is not meant to be. The past is a constant, but it is not the only side of being a human being.

Not everything can be seen, heard, and known, it is not meant to become before we are there. The future is unknown territory, but it is just another human thing.

Only the present moment is tangible. Letting go of the past and accepting change as the only reliable factor makes life so much easier. Hard to get there, though, since shadow work is a recurring theme in my life.

I try to make myself comfortable before doing shadow work, by creating a positive and warm atmosphere with incense, lit candles, and chai tea. I set my limits for the session by addressing only one issue at a time.

I deliberately look at my weaknesses and confront myself without hesitation. I often learn some tough lessons, but the more I know about things, the more I control my reaction to them.

I need to control my reactions because of my anxiety disorder. Being bipolar, too, helps me, strangely enough, to know the difference between the highs and the lows, so I have something to work with. I can feel it with my whole body, mind, and soul.

Shadow work is suitable for making healthy boundaries. They are as necessary as being open toward other people. There need to be certain private limits for you to cross only. Here I learn to define my boundaries and to keep track of where I have been avoiding saying no at the appropriate time.

It demands a lot of energy, so I practice shadow work with great care. Only once a month or to the big Sabbats, Beltane and Samhain. I look at my previous questions and written answers and make new from the intentions of the particular day.

My plan is to get organized more when I get the time to it. As you know I´m a person with many interests and many projects at the same time.

Shadow work and witchcraft

Shadow work is as old as witchcraft. Before psychotherapy, it was the wise men and women who worked with shadows and knew a thing or two about life´s many mysteries.

To me, it is as natural as breathing, but I have always been a free-thinker. I like to work within the reach of a thin veil between the worlds. I have learned a lot from my shadow side, and today, I know both my weaknesses and my strengths.

I try to transform the weaknesses into strengths by exposing myself to situations where I feel socially awkward, insecure, or in need of support. The only thing I have said goodbye to permanently is driving. I don´t like to drive anymore due to the many crazy drivers nowadays.

But is is not a weakness not to be able to drive. It is a strength because I made a mature decision of not getting behind the wheel. I had too much stress and anxiety when driving. Fortunately, I know people who can drive me, if I need to go somewhere.

I also acknowledge that some things cannot be changed by accepting those of my weaknesses that have a more permanent character, like my physical and mental ailments.

Much of my releasing work is prepared during shadow work sessions. I therefore always have something to use in witchcraft rituals.

As a witch, shadow work is sometimes much deeper and more comprising when combining it with ancestor work. My biological family has a love for genealogy which is helpful when working with my ancestors. I call for them on special occasions like Beltane and Samhain or when doing shadow work.

As a gray witch. I know that working in the shadows creates a need to relax in the rays of the Sun and the Moon, so I never overdo my work here. The limit is when it gets enough after half an hour to an hour.

I occasionally use shadow work to ask for inner guidance about how to be a witch. There I call upon the dark Crones, like Hecate, Kali and Rhiannon.

But the most important ability is to trust your gut feelings in whatever you do. Shadow work should only be used with the intention to understand yourself better. It is not to scold yourself for everything that goes wrong in this world.

I have come to love shadow work. But I´m still careful not to go overboard. I only do it on special occasions and once a month to check if everything is as it should be. And I stop if I feel that it would be too upsetting to continue.

It cannot replace the realities of life so don´t make your life´s plans from it alone. It can be a valuable supplement to many other ways of self-discovery that exist today.

Shadow work is a unique way to get to know yourself on a deeply personal level. It is enriching, tough as hell, and it works.