We all have battled our OWN demons. Understanding many of us carry demons with us that are actually our Shadow. I believe transmuting and healing and understanding our demons are just wounds that need healing.
Shadow healing is a part of the process when we are going within the depth of ourselves. There is no hiding from it although we can deny these aspects of ourselves (which then puts us on a cycle of having these aspects reflect back to us). As we go deeper within ourselves we realise that we have harmed others just like how we harm ourselves. Whether it was unconsciously or consciously, it doesn't change the fact it has harmful.
WHAT DOES THE TERM 'SHADOW SELF' MEAN:
The term shadow self is made of certain personality traits that we've repressed and rejected. They are not always negative some of these personality traits are positive although, due to society, friends or family dynamics we had to push and shame them away to our subconscious psyche. Shadow self can come through as projections or reactions when we are triggered. Carl Jung (a psychoanalyst) believed that the Shadow is in our subconscious. A part of our mind we have very little access to. - This goes in hand in hand with having to find the spark within first before beginning Shadow healing. We have to get to the surface level part of our mind before getting into our Shadow, as it's in our subconscious.
When people deny this part themselves, they are denying themselves as a whole. When we are not accepting of our Shadow, the good and bad; the harmful behaviours, actions we have done to others, those go hiding in our subconscious. Which then leads to blindly projecting, following and reacting to those aspects of ourselves. Being self-aware come with taking accountability. The good and the bad. We can't expect to just receive the good about someone or ourselves. Each and one of us came with our own Shadow. This comes with many layers. Someone who doesn't see their own Shadow or ignored the fact they have a Shadow is someone who is in denial.
During this process, we begin to take accountability for our past actions, behaviours and habits. Many of us blame the past for our current situation. Not only are we focusing and living in the past (where it is a reality that can not be changed, it doesn't matter how hard you think about it, it's not changeable) we are also shifting the blame onto our past, we are not just blaming the experience and situations we have been in, we are also blaming those version of ourselves and others. We lose our power, instead, we are projecting it to our past and onto others, where it doesn't belong. Taking accountability isn't easy. It's rough, uncomfortable and unpleasant, coming to terms that nobody is to blame for our current situation but ourselves and our own decisions.
PURPOSE OF SHADOW HEALING:
The purpose of Shadow healing brings the found light within to our Shadow. Embracing them and showing compassion to the parts of ourselves that we have shamed, repressed and hated. That's how those aspects of ourselves have turned into shadows, from shame, hate and judgment. That's why giving ourselves compassion, kindness and understanding when going within is VERY important and those are the light we shine to our Shadow.
Give it ourselves. We deserve it.
Journalling is a great way to do Shadow healing. The point of journaling isn't to be the next Shakespeare. It's to put your thoughts somewhere we can visibly see and re-read; not all our thoughts and feeling are facts. Journaling helps us pull ourselves when we began to get lost in the past when we are reflecting. It is also a great way to keep 'a log' of the process of our healing. When we do get days where we feel like we are back in square one, we can look back in our journal with the process we have made.
This is where we need compassion, kindness and understanding to come in. We have to understand that we are all following blueprints and programs that we are not even aware of. We are wearing lenses that are tainted from our past wounds and hurt. That's why we need to give our self the compassion and understanding we project onto others. We need to give those aspects to ourselves first to fully thrive in life.
Bringing our light down to the depths of ourselves is important because we can easily get lost in the depths of ourselves that we sometimes pour more shame and hatred. When that is not what is needed. Our light is the tool that we use to accept and understand those aspects of ourselves. That part of ourselves is beginning to be seen and accepted, which is what the Shadow needs and wants.
EMBRACE AND INTEGRATE:
Part of Shadow healing is integrating our Shadow with ourselves as one. Meaning accepting those parts of us and embracing them. When we have integrated our Shadow those aspects of ourselves will be reflected back to us and then begin to identify them. Our Shadow Self mostly operated and dominates during the cycle when we are not very self-aware with the depths of ourselves or the term 'awake'.
When integrating our Shadow we gain a new source of energy and power from within. Something that we can use to cultivate to bring forth manifestations and creating our heaven on Earth. We are the source of this new energy and we just embraced, integrated and transmuted the Shadow Self energy into a more helpful source of energy for us.
We can transmute this energy through art, psychical activity, meditating, journaling, etc.
ANY energy can be transmuted.
Healing and spirituality come hand in hand. Because each and one of us have been through something painful that we still carry till this day, even if we are not aware of it. It doesn’t matter how much love and light we preach, without dealing and acknowledging our Shadow Self it doesn’t do any good. We have chaos and destruction around us, why wouldn’t be within us? Chaos and destruction within are self-sabotage, negative self-talk, self-doubt, fear. These are what the Devil energy is.
I'd like to emphasise that life IS NOT black and white. It comes with many shades of greys and colours, it's up to each individual to heal and then integrate the knowledge we have acquired during our OWN process. Healing isn't a competition there is no finish line where we will be rank and receive gold medals. That's not how healing works. It's the concept of changing the reconstructing our blueprints, program and self to become a better individual. An individual who is not pouring their wounds and hurt onto others. An individual who is seeing the present moment for what it is and not through the lenses of their past and suffering.
An individual who is willing to thrive in life no matter what cards they were dealt with, as those DO NOT DEFINE US AND OUR FUTURE. Having compassion and kindness, to ALL the versions of ourselves. We are not born evil or bad. Nobody is, it's the way some have been programmed and have been blindly following it.
Be Kinder, Less Critical