Moon (Jan. 16, 2021)

ok THESE are wicked cute

Shadow Work

Origins, Meaning and Utility

The Structure of the Mind

Carl Jung theorized the existence of three levels/spheres in the human psyche: the Ego, representing the conscious mind, the Personal Unconscious where memories are contained and the Collective Unconscious, where all knowledge and experiences of the species are shared.

Each Sphere has in it a certain number of Archetypes, used to better describe the components of those structures, and the Shadow is one of them.

What is the Shadow

The shadow can be seen as a instinctual or primitive part of ourselves, it exists as part of the unconscious mind and is composed of repressed ideas, weaknesses, desires, instincts, and shortcomings.

It is this archetype that contains all of the things that are unacceptable not only to society, but also to one's own personal morals and values, normally going against social norms and rules as well as what we personally consider right.

The Shadow is often described as the darker side of the psyche, representing wildness, chaos, and the unknown, and it is common for people to deny this element of their own psyche and instead project it on to others.

The Shadow in Witchcraft and Benefits of Shadow Work

Art: Unknown

The Shadow, in witchcraft, can represent The Unknown, hidden depth of ourselves. Speaking in terms of energy, this is an area that can be a deep source of energetic issues, because it’s locked up in the dark and always striving to reach the light.

To not work with one’s Shadow is to make it greedy and aggressive, as well as denying a big part of oneself, making everything a half of a whole.

Through that brief explanation, we can already establish the importance and role of the Shadow in witchcraft, and with that in mind, comes the concept of Shadow Work.

Shadow Work can be seen in a number of practices, meditation, trances, inner journey’s, lucid dreaming, astral travels, spells and divination.

The method can change, but the principle is simple: Centering your intent to self discovery, self knowledge and self acceptance.

Working with one’s Shadow is not only beneficial to one’s craft, as it allows one to get in touch with their intuition as well as allows for easier connection with one’s guide/guides, but it also allows for healing and acceptance of one’s feelings and needs.

Think of all aspects of life as a wheel. If there is one part bent, the wheel can turn, but with more effort. If the owner spends time fixing that bent part, the wheel will turn in a much more smooth manner.

That is what happens when you take the time to do Shadow Work, you have to put in effort, and most of the time it’s not easy, but once done, all other components on the wheel of your life will be relieved to move on without that obstacle that makes their job harder.

The Shadow is not evil, as evil is just a moral compass invented by humans. It is a part of one’s nature, and to deny it is to supress a connection with yourself.

Take the time to know and accept your shadow, and you’ll see that life will be a little easier.

References:

A Natureza da psique (Structure & Dynamics of the Psyche) by C.G. Jung

The Archetypes and the Collective Unconscious by C.G. Jung

✨ how to send good vibes! ✨

In the spiritual, metaphysical, and witchy communities, you’ll hear a lot of people say things like “sending love” or “sending good vibes”! fun fact, most people don’t know how to actually do that haha. with a little bit of practice and basic understanding of energy, it’s actually very easy to send simple healing energy to someone. before we jump in, it’s important to note the ethics of energy work. A L W A Y S ask for permission before doing any kind of energy work on someone.  even if you’re only sending positivity! there’s a difference between praying for someone/keeping them in your thoughts and actually sending them energy. you never know how your energy will affect them. maybe they’re not ready to heal. or maybe they’re doing their own healing and your energy might throw theirs out of balance. only do energy work on people who are open to it! 🌙  ✨✨

set an intention of positivity. this is vv important! make sure you make it clear that you only intend to send positivity. I like to say something along the lines of: “may this energy be filled with nothing but love and light” or “my intention is to send only that which is pure”.if you want to send bad vibes, just set the opposite intention (not that I recommend sending anything negative lmao)

get into a meditative state and positive mindset! you can’t effectively send someone good energy if you’re not in a good mental state, first. take some time to breath, meditate, listen to some relaxing music, eat, etc.

visualize that the person is in front of you. Imagine every detail of their appearance as if they’re physically in the room with you. it might take a while to create this image so take your time and breathe through it. don’t rush!

imagine a ball of bright light glowing and expanding from the center of your heart. this is referred to as your heart chakra! feel free to play around with different colors while visualizing. green symbolizes healing energy, pink is the energy of love, and white is cleansing energy. these are the main colors associated with the heart chakra.

next, hold your hand to your heart and imagine your hand absorbing that healing/loving/cleansing energy. at this point, you might physically feel a pulsing or warmness in your hands. make sure you’re still breathing and taking your time!

extend your hand towards the person you’re visualizing and imagine that the energy is flowing through your palms and into their heart center. the pulsing sensation may get stronger at this point! If you don’t feel a pulse, it’s fine. I promise it’s still working!

keep sending the energy until all of that light is drained from your palm!

to close out the session, visualize a waterfall of white energy washing over you and replenishing your energy.

congratulations, you just completed some basic energy work bby! there are so many ways to go about sending energy but this is my favorite way. It’s quick (should take 10-15 minutes) and perfect for beginners!

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TikTok

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witch tip

in my eyes, any type of self care is witchcraft. taking a shower? a literal and metaphorical cleansing ritual. making food? kitchen witchcraft, obviously. drawing? it’s like a really complex sigil thats purpose is to calm you down and clear your mind. making tea? potions. lying in bed all day binging your favourite show on netflix? a day of recharging your soul. don’t ever feel guilty for not doing complex spells all the time. you’re a witch - everything you do is inherently witchy.