Shadow work is the first thing I started as a new witch
Even though it is not really a magickal practice, it is highly recommended by witches that have done it
Shadow work is the process of getting to know the darkest parts of you and taking the needed action. The action may be working on healing, it may be accepting a part of yourself, or it may be just fully understanding that half of you. It helps you heal and gain an understanding of yourself
There are many ways that our shadow comes out unwanted when we are not connected and healed
- Projecting personal issues onto others
- Triggers
- Emotional outburst
- Depression
- Anxiety
- And more
Note: I am not saying that shadow work will fix depression and anxiety. There are many possible causes of those diseases. Disconnect with your shadow is just one
These negative parts that appear without you wanting them are your shadow
To truly live in peace, you need to understand, accept, and/or heal your shadow instead of pushing it away and ignoring it
What is Shadow Work?
Shadow work is the process of learning about, understanding and healing the parts of you that you push away
If you have gone through trauma, those traumas are in your shadow
Everyone has gone through some kind of trauma
There are many different types
What makes it a trauma is how it affects you
If you got cheated on in your last relationship and you naturally look for signs that your new partner is cheating
That is the shadow working in your life
While it is good to be mindful, it is easy to start projecting
When I first started dating my husband, he had those same reactions
He was nervous every time I texted someone
One day he kind of freaked out when I hid a message from him and didn’t want to tell him
He thought I was cheating
But I was really trying to plan a surprise birthday party for him
I made some adjustments to the plan to be able to still surprise him but also prove that I was not cheating
Trauma from being cheated on so much made him look for any sign that I was cheating on him too
That is very different than just being mindful and paying attention to signs that are actually there
But it can be so hard to tell the difference
Shadow work helped him understand what was happening, and time helped him learn to trust
We have an open phone relationship
We have the same password, but we have never had to check
With time and working on our relationship, trust was built
He hasn’t had that worry for years
What is it used for?
Shadow work is mainly to understand why you do things that you don’t do on purpose
Why is something a trigger?
Why are emotions off the handle?
Shadow work helps you dig into your subconscious mind and learn things about yourself that you have been hiding from
You cannot accept or heal from something you don’t recognize
Other people may look at what you learn and say “duh”
So I usually avoid talking to others about my realizations
The truth is, you have been living with these negative parts of you for so long that you don’t see them anymore
They are normal
Shadow work helps you remove the personal connection to your thoughts and see them for what they are
Who is Shadow Work recommended for?
I recommend shadow work for anyone that wants to work on their life
But only do it if you want to work on your life!
Shadow work can help you with healing, but it is more about self-exploration
Don’t dig up the pain, trauma, and the darkest parts of yourself without being ready to work on the things you find
That will result in a lot of pain and overwhelm
Shadow work itself is pretty painful
But the steps you take once the shadow work part is done bring peace and healing
So be ready to put in a lot of work on yourself when you start Shadow work
I also recommend only starting shadow work when you are in a good place
If you are massively stressed and overwhelmed now, you don’t need to dig up more to deal with
Work on what is affecting your life right now and start dealing with past issues when you are stable enough to handle them
The level of intensity for shadow work depends on what you decide to tackle
I started with my self-consciousness about my body shape
I grew up as the only girl that was both thin and had small breasts
Logically, I knew that a lot of pain happens when you have large breasts, but I felt less than everyone else
It affected my view of myself, but it wasn’t nearly as scary as tackling my childhood abuse
If you are just starting out, start with something that affects you but isn’t insanely scary or emotional
Once you feel good about your shadow work skills and feel good about the stability of your life and emotions
Then you can tackle the extremely painful and traumatic parts of your past
Is Shadow Work a solitary practice?
There is no one-size-fits-all for shadow work
That is one thing that it has in common with witchcraft
It is your personal practice
I do my shadow work in solitary, but I also go to my therapist
I don’t recommend doing shadow work with anyone else
You are digging into the deepest and most painful parts of yourself
As someone who had had both a family member and a best friend learn things about me and then betray me
I don’t recommend it
I am not saying that you should not trust people
But sharing shadow work with someone gives them a lot of power over you
Even the closest people to you can betray you
So I recommend either doing your shadow work with a therapist or doing it in solitary
But I would have a support person near if your shadow work gets overwhelming
For example, I do my shadow work solitary, but I do it when my husband is home
If I get overwhelmed, I can ask him to hold me while I calm down
He doesn’t know what happened, but he helps me pull out of the panic