What is shadow work and why is it useful?

Jung's Archetypes

Carl Jung describes the shadow as our repressed and hidden parts that are guilt ridden and believe themselves to be inferior. 

So what's the point of exploring our shadow and focusing on negativity?

In short, our shadow side keeps us trapped or looping. Its the side of ourselves that we often judge in others and don’t have full awareness of in ourselves. By meeting our shadow, we can work to integrate its impact in our lives, and allow it to guide us toward our higher good. Some examples of shadow are:

• The person who gives and gives, never taking time for themselves, and resenting those who are not giving as much. 

• The need for external validation. Ignoring your intuition and internal gnosis in the quest for approval.

• Judgement, lack of empowerment, dominance, impatience, martyrdom, the insatiable need to be liked, the insatiable need to complain, over indulgence, constant judging, and and inability to say no.

All of these expressions, when made conscious, become opportunities to choose differently, or at the very least, understand ourselves and our own choices better. On the path to authenticity, getting acquainted with our shadow is a path to freedom despite the fear that may arise. Knowing our shadow is equally as important as identifying our gifts. After all, if our gift is serving and caring for others, and the shadow side of caring for others is a martyred-over-giving, we'll eventually run out of energy operating from the place of martyr.

The deep work is necessary for alignment. We don't get to hide from the honesty of our experience in life: this includes challenges, disappointments, resentments and other self and relational growth. Sure gratitude is incredibly important, as is happiness, joy, and all high vibrational states. But ignoring our sticky spots can slip into avoidance or spiritual bypassing.

Shadow sides are not something we eliminate during the process of shadow work. It's something we become aware of, and slowly start to integrate.  Accepting our shadow takes away its power to run the show from a place of fear.  Integrating it allows us to monitor our energy and ensure we have capacity to share our gifts. Any time we’re hiding aspects of ourselves there’s a lot of energy going into the hiding (often lower vibrational energy), even if we’re not aware we’re hiding anything.

Shadow work is a life long process of identifying those things in our lives that are not serving us, and questioning limiting beliefs surrounding these things. The more we engage in shadow work and integrate these less appealing sides, the free-er we become. There’s an honesty and authenticity to self acceptance. We give away our power when others’ opinions or our own emotional wounds are running the show. 

There are places in the natal chart to look for shadow. Viewing it in the chart is a great place to confirm its presence and begin constructively working with it. Growth happens through acceptance and engagement.