Have you ever heard about shadow work and wondered what it means? How can it help you? Why is it important? Can Tarot cards be used to know more about our shadow? And so many other questions. Even if this is something you’re hearing about for the first time then let me congratulate you because if you read this full blog and apply the teachings then your life is going to get changed.
Table of Contents
What is Shadow work?
“Shadow Work” is working with your unconscious mind to uncover the part of yourself that you have either repressed or hidden from the world. This often includes unhealed trauma or parts of your personality that you unconsciously think as undesirable. In simple words your shadow is that part of you that you don’t like, don’t want to face, or the parts that are widely associated with ‘Shame’ ‘Guilt’ or other qualities of your personality that you don’t want the world to see.
Our Shadows are mostly formed during our childhoods when our primary source of learning and survival is our parents or caregivers. For example, during your childhood, you had seen your parents have financial issues, so your father was home very late and wasn’t able to give your family time but as a child when you asked him why doesn’t he spend time with you all he said, “I have to work very hard to earn money, if I don’t we will become poor.” Now, as a child, you formed a belief that “if you’re not working hard or till late then you cannot become successful.”
Now, every time you see someone earn money easily you either don’t believe it or you think that money is not going to stay with that person for long because they are not ‘Working hard’ also, you might develop resentment and anger for such people. But you’re just programmed to believe in that way.
Shadow work is generally categorized into many other terms like childhood beliefs, concept of self, etc. but from a larger perspective, it is all the same. As Carl Jung famously said, “Until you make your subconscious conscious it will direct your life and you will call it fate.”
“Until you make your subconscious conscious it will direct your life and you will call it fate.”
Carl Jung
Benefits of Shadow work
- Find the purpose of your life: As you work on the neglected part of yourself you’re opening the doors to find out the purpose of your life. Your paths will become clear, you’ll feel more connected with yourself and the path you’re on.
- Self Esteem boost: The shadow reveals the weak parts of our life, and as we accept those parts we are increasing the self-love and self-care proportion in our life which helps in overall increase of confidence and self-esteem.
- Better perception: When you can the parts of yourself that you have ignored for a long because of some shi**y beliefs you finally can forgive yourself and others. Your perception of the world starts changing as you outgrow yourself.
- Eliminates limiting beliefs: Working on your shadow is more or less equal to working on your limiting beliefs. You’re easily able to find the core, branch, and rooted beliefs and work through them.
- Improved emotions: Acceptance is one of the biggest factors that helps release the trapped emotions which also results in a reduced number of triggers in the body and mind.
Shadow work and Tarot
Tarot is a guidance tool that taps into your subconscious to help you identify the areas where you need to work, what steps you should take, and how you can overcome them. All tarot cards show us a dark side or shadow side which we often don’t want in the reading but with the correct spread, you can identify how certain aspects of your life are connected to the shadow, how you can work on it, and overcome any triggers or unwanted feelings. Some questions you can ask are:
- What aspect of my shadow is asking for my attention?
- What part of me is being neglected or ignored right now?
- How can I work with it?
- What gifts are hidden in this shadow?
- How can I use these gifts?
- What does integrating this shadow look like?
- How can I work on improving and showing love to my inner shadow?
Want to know your shadow self-better? Book a tarot reading with me now!
Shadow work and Manifestation
Manifestation is the art of bringing the unseen to the seen reality and a lot of times while manifesting we might come across so many limiting beliefs, overwhelming emotions, resentment, and anger towards SP or money or health, then we are completely thrown out of track. Here, if you’re working on your shadow self, you’re not only eliminating your limiting beliefs, but you’re also allowing your body to relax, you’re getting to know yourself and releasing emotions that help you regulate your emotions and nervous system.
This helps boost your manifestation, and also very soon you’ll be able to manifest effortlessly.
Shadow work prompts to start your journey
- How do you believe people see you? How would they describe you to someone else?
- What are the worst traits someone can have, according to you?
- Do you envy anyone? If yes, who do you envy, and why?
- What emotions typically bring out the worst in you, and why do you think this happens?
- What’s something you wish that other people understood about you?
- What’s your worst memory from childhood and why?
- Who’s let you down the most in your life?
- Describe a trait you see in other people that you wish you had yourself. Why do you not have this trait?
- Are there negative emotions you try to avoid? Why?
Questions taken from the.holistic.psychologist
Ending Notes
Shadow work, Tarot, or Manifestation are all directed towards one thing – To make YOU meet YOU!
Doesn’t matter what you believe or not, your path will always lead you up to you, because everything else is only a journey. All the circumstances or events happening in your life are there to make you grow, find yourself, love yourself and in a very short time you’ll find your desires desiring you. YOU are always the POWER, make sure to accept yourself fully. You can check out my Blog Eliminating Limiting Beliefs or Releasing inner trauma through guided meditation to help you in your journey.
Love and Light <3