I’ve mentioned the ShadowSelf a few times here and there, but I don’t think I’ve ever gone into explanation about what I mean. Simply, the things that you are willing to share with other people and are considered positive values or that come naturally are the things that are in the light – everything else is in the dark.
So, as an example, moments of happiness are light moments, where moments of anger or envy are shadow moments. But it can get a lot more complicated.
I have (had?) absolutely brilliant attention to detail, which is a positive attribute to be considered of the light. But I struggled with the perfectionism that drove it, which made it part of my Shadowself. Things can be both at the same time. My Virgo-ness has a light side, but it also has a dark side.
Unlike The Force, the dark side is not to be denied or avoided, but, instead, should be accepted, understood, and loved just as much as your light side. It is not in the feeling or experiencing of things that we do bad things, but in our reactions to them. And so we want to develop a relationship with these shadow things where our reactions to them propel us forward and help us evolve.
Secrets are also shadow things, simply because we hide them from the light. So while one person’s musical ability may be solidly on their light side, another’s may belong to their shadow self.
Drew Jacobs of Rogue Priest left a comment with a link to this really wonderful description of some views of the Shadow that may prove enlightening: How to See in the Dark by Sarah Lawless.
I’ve been considering for a couple months doing a webinar on the ShadowSelf and how to make friends. Please let me know, by way of comment, contact, or otherwise, whether or not this is something that you’d be interested in.
Nathara
