Do you want to practise witchcraft but don't know where to start? Do you find it all too confusing? Maybe you've been practising for a while and want to go back to basics. Or perhaps you're a seasoned witch and want to explore more ways of practisin...
When I first heard of shadow work I thought it meant "bad" stuff. You know, like hexes and curses and stuff. I thought it meant working with dark things to do dark stuff; the "scary" stuff that you assume is commonplace when you first approach witchcraft.
And while it turns out I wasn't entirely wrong, the premise of shadow work is not evil or used for hexes & curses at all. Shadow work is actually just another term for inner-child work, trauma-work, or deep self-reflection. Yes, it can get scary, but shadow work is an extremely healthy thing to do. It's an invaluable practice that can help us to heal, to understand ourselves more, and to achieve internal validation (as opposed to constantly seeking external validation).
In simple terms, shadow work is looking into parts of ourselves we normally can't see. It's about acknowledging our flaws, uncovering suppressed feelings and memories, and exploring the unknown parts of ourselves. So yes, shadow work is about "bad" stuff, but that's not the full story.
What is the shadow?
There are several definitions for "the shadow" and "shadow work", but it appears the most common definition, and how it pertains to modern witchcraft, originates from Jungian psychology. Carl Jung was a psychologist who believed that our consciousness is compartmentalised, and all the parts of ourselves that we are unconscious of make up "the shadow". He believed that the shadow could be accessed through various methods, particularly through dreaming.
Another way of thinking about the shadow is that it is literally a reflection of yourself when you stand in sunlight. Your shadow is unique to you. It's easy to forget your shadow exists, and you don't see it until you shine a light on yourself. So shadow work is like shining a light on yourself so you can see your shadow clearly. You can stare in the face all the things you deny, suppress, and try your best to ignore.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
It's easy to assume that the shadow is just personal flaws and suppressed memories, but remember that the shadow is all things about ourselves that we are unaware of.
For someone with low self-esteem, anxiety, trauma, or lacking self-love, their shadow contains not only personal flaws but also great personal strengths. Someone who engages in self-hatred literally cannot see the good in themselves; instead these parts are locked away in their shadow. Some people are extremely hyperaware of their shortcomings, but easily deny their strengths and inherent value. Without shadow work, these people remain burdened by the knowledge of their flaws, but powerless to do anything to fix them.
How to identify parts of your shadow
The million dollar question: how do we find something that's hidden? When you begin shadow work, it's like pulling on a thread. You'll need to feel around until you find the end of a loose thread, and then you pull on it. Pull on it hard enough for long enough, and eventually the whole garment will unravel.
