Shadow Work

Forums ► General Info ► Shadow Work
Reply to this post oldest 1 newest Start a new thread

Pages: oldest 1 newest

Shadow Work
By:
Post # 1

Hello, Is there anything on here on shadow work? Or if anyone has any great resources that would be gladly appreciated.

Thanks in advanced

Login or Signup to reply to this post.

Re: Shadow Work
By:
Post # 2
Have you tried checking out the articles? You can search for all kinds of written articles, I know I've seen some about shadow work, that would be your best bet :)
Login or Signup to reply to this post.

Re: Shadow Work
By:
Post # 3

Here is an article I like:

https://www.betterup.com/blog/shadow-work

Check it out, see if its right for you!! :)

Login or Signup to reply to this post.

Re: Shadow Work
By: / Novice
Post # 4
Shadow work sounds cool and also scary, but it really depends. I remember feeling very overwhelmed when I started, but in reality, it's more a mix of journaling and therapy. There are many methods to do shadow work, but the most common I've found is basically journal prompts. [I will warn you now if you have trauma you're avoiding, you should consider getting a therapist or spiritual councillor to help] I'll list a few things below that you can try, just pick what works for you.

Journaling: Simply write about anything you feel. You can write about your past or it could be something like "it's raining today, I love the rain. I remember as a kid..." There are journal prompts online and journals with questions in them. There are also professions with classes or even free work for you. Kelly-Ann Maddox is my favourite spiritual councillor and shadow work "expert" [if you can call someone an expert] and she has a few free zines on her website. One of them is a workbook of 25 shadow-work questions.

https://www.kelly-annmaddox.com/services-2

Art: I'm more of a writer but if you prefer art, dance, music, or whatever else to express yourself, find a way to dive into your past with that medium [ask yourself how something makes you feel or think of a specific memory and reflect on it while dancing, painting, or whatever]

Trance: while not for everyone, it can be helpful for some. You can try spiral dancing or labyrinth walking. There are those who use certain plants/drugs to enter a trance state. I'm not advocating the use of illegal substances [and I'm certainly not promoting it if you're a minor] but that is another option some use to help them connect. The pro is these substances can get you into this state quicker than chanting or drumming, but you can become dependent and might be unable to do spiritual practices without it. T+Lastly, there are things like sweat lodges and sundancing, but those are sacred to native culture and unless you're going to a licenced native shaman, elder, or medicine woman [depends on the specific tribe the title and ceremony] don't attempt any native vision quests.

I do know of some people on Tiktok and youtube as well as a few podcasts on the topic of shadow work if you're interested in reading/listening to them. Google's your friend. Google shadow work as well as shadow work questions and ways to perform shadow work and you should find a plethora of information.

Shadow work is rather personal, so it's all about getting started. Don't dive into your biggest childhood trauma right away. You can start with something small like say you were really upset when someone cuts in front of you while shopping. Ask yourself why that bothered you so much. It also doesn't have to be all sadness, you can do inner child work too and decide to colour while watching your favourite movie. It's about understanding who you are and why you do things. It doesn't have to be all heavy questions and traumatic memories.
Login or Signup to reply to this post.

Re: Shadow Work
By:
Post # 5
Starring at Fire in the Dark is a good place to start, alone or otherwise.
Login or Signup to reply to this post.

Re: Shadow Work
By:
Post # 6
Shadow work is basically therapy but without the therapist. It involves a lot of "inner work" and is not required to practice witchcraft, though it can help. The term was coined by a man named Carl jung, the internet can provide you with many articles about it just be sure of course to do your cross-referencing. Also note that shadow work if done incorrectly can cause psychological harm so you shouldn't just "rush" into it. Do your research before hand and make sure you understand what it is and what it does.
Login or Signup to reply to this post.

Re: Shadow Work
By: / Novice
Post # 7
Merry Meet,

Shadow work should be done in conjunction with therapy, and could include therapy, but can be done on its own. It depends on how much trauma you have and how much help you need working through these threads. The common way to do shadow work is by journaling, so look up journal prompts to use. The issue is knowing where to begin and when you are lying to yourself. This is where a therapist or spiritual counselor can help you. Set time aside where you can be alone. Meditate and center yourself. Take your journal and star writing. This can be a story such as "when I was five, this happened" go into as much detail as possible. How did the room smell? How did the carpet feel under your feet. Ground yourself in the memory and the emotions. As you write, you might hit a nerve and it could open the floodgates. This is why you should have a professional with you, but you can ease yourself into this practice. The point is to go beyond surface level. You might write one sentence, you might write a page, it depends on what you remember and how you feel. Just take your time.

Time is key.

Do not rush shadow work. If one question took twenty seconds and the second question took two hours, that is fine. You need to check in with yourself and ask yourself when you are done and ready to move on. And you can come back to a question. You might discover something a few weeks later and return to that question you thought you had answered. That is alright.

Shadow work also is not all negative. Inner child work can be a form of shadow work. Self-care can be a form of shadow work. Especially if you were not nurtured as a child and struggle with self-esteem.

You also do not have to exclusively or only do journaling for shadow work. It is simply the most common. Use whatever artform that helps you. Reflect on a situation, emotion, or thought while creating art. This can help you work through and release this trauma or unsure emotion.

You also need to ground yourself and be connected to yourself. Meditation can help with this, but a simple grounding option is the 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 method. Look around and find 5 things you see, 4 things you can touch, 3 things you can hear, 2 things you can smell and 1 thing you can taste. Doing this before shadow work can help you focus and work through things properly.

Blessed Be.
Login or Signup to reply to this post.

Reply to this post oldest 1 newest Start a new thread

Pages: oldest 1 newest