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Shadow Magic
Shadow Magic
Magic
A SHADOW WORK
GUIDEBOOK
TAYLOR AELINA
Dear Soul,
I'm of the belief that we're all infinite,
spiritual beings having a temporary
human experience. We have WAY
more power within us than we are
conditioned to believe. There are
pieces of us that get buried &
forgotten as we travel through out this
life. This guide is meant to help you
uncover those parts of yourself to
understand the whole of who you are.
.
Earth is our playground where we get to feel the warmth of the sun
caressing our skin. We experience the feeling of a belly laugh so deep, we
nearly piss our pants. It's the place where we get to explore our deepest
desires and a beautiful rainbow of emotions. Earth also happens to be a
school that facilitates our souls' higher education. It teaches the lessons we
need for our individual & collective growth. Sometimes in life, you're the kid
at recess trading Pokemon cards & eating pudding cups. Other times you're
the kid getting smacked in the face with a dodge ball, or being laughed at
because you got double-dog dared to lick a pile of ants. Earth is a space of
duality. There's a contrast between the light & the shadow, masculine &
feminine, inhale & exhale. Both sides of the coin are equally important, yet
as a society, we're taught that one is better than the other. We're taught to
fear the unknown and never peak into the dark. Yet, there is so much
opportunity for expansion and growth when we decide to befriend our
shadows instead of painting them as monsters.
Examples of Shadow
Aspects
Anger or rage Jealousy & pettiness
Oversharing Anxiety
Difficulties with intimacy Have a hard time asking for what you
Tries to uphold the "good girl" image media, sex, video games, nicotine)
way
While these earlier points are typically the starting space for our shadows,
not all shadows are created this early. Sometimes they’re born through our
adolescence, teenage years, and adulthood. These shadow aspects can
come from toxic relationships, toxic friendships, family situations, abuse or
assault, a global pandemic, being bullied, not having our needs met, etc.
As humans, we have basic needs that have to be met for our survival. These
include physiological needs, safety & security, and a need to belong. As kids,
we more freely express ourselves without fear of judgement, until we receive
cues from our environment that suggest we should do otherwise. If we
expressed traits that were viewed positively, we got praise & felt
acceptance. When we expressed traits that were viewed negatively, we got
punished physically, verbally, or sometimes ignored. We are hardwired for
survival and in order to survive, our brain likes to avoid the pain, whether it
be emotional or physical.
the process of exploring the hidden depths of your subconscious and spirit. By
doing this work, you create space to be able to live more freely, authentically,
and deeply connected to who you ACTUALLY are. By bringing the shadow to the
surface, you can explore it and integrate it's positive attributes into who you are.
You already posses the skills to see the Awareness & Honesty
shadows in others. One time or
another you've noticed a friend harshly That's why awareness and
judging someone's appearance. It honesty are so important. You
probably made you feel awkward or have to have a certain level of
uncomfortable but you chalked it up to self-awareness and be ready &
their own insecurities. What your friend willing to be deeply honest with
was doing is called "projection". And yourself. This is the key to going
you were able to observe them farther than you've gone before.
projecting their shadow onto someone Awareness of your shadow is the
else. It's much easier to see the first, and sometimes more difficult
shadow from an outside perspective, step. You can't explore something
but the difficulty lies in being able to further if you aren't aware of it's
recognize these shadow aspects in existence in the first place. A lot of
yourself. The shadow can be elusive these prompts and exercises will
and your natural defenses are help you gain greater awareness
designed to keep your shadow so you can dive deeper within
repressed and out of sight. yourself.
a practice. It's something that you will do again and again. That's because life is
constantly changing and so are you. Think of yourself as a computer and
shadow work as your software updates. You need them to run smoothly, and you
know that this won't be the only update your computer will ever need.
uncomfortable, painful, and honestly kinda brutal. If you're not going into the
gut-wrenching depths, you're not doing it right. With that being said all of the
answers you're seeking often lie within this space. You know how in every movie
about finding treasure there's always a dramatic adventure? Yeah, this is it.
What can you learn from your answers? What lessons are hidden
between the lines? What can be said for the words you left out or didn't
say? Do the words you write convey how you actually feel? Why or why
not? If not, what's holding you back from writing how you truly feel?
If you censored yourself, go back and answer the questions again until
your answers align with how you ACTUALLY feel about that topic or
question. If you felt like you had to respond a certain way, what made
you feel like that? Where else in your life do you notice you do this?
You can cuddle up in a blanket and listen to your favorite songs, eat a
healthy snack, sit outside in nature, go for a walk, take a bath, or talk to
a friend, family member, or other trusted individual about your
experiences (if you feel comfortable doing so).
Have a go-to affirmation or mantra that makes you feel good when
you repeat it. Something light, encouraging, positive, or comforting. Be
sure to repeat this after your shadow work session to practice some
self-compassion. It can be really easy to fall into being hard on
yourself after a shadow work session.