By Michelle Nollsch Inspired by Victoria Moseley‘s deck
Shadow Self
Night has fallen, and a young girl pauses beneath a stone portal, perhaps seeking guidance from the raven above. The raven stands on high as the all-seeing gatekeeper, hovering between the realm of the conscious and unconscious mind. A harbinger of powerful secrets and and revealer of omens and signs, this powerful totem was said to fly out of the dark womb of the cosmos, bringing the gift of light from the sun’s rays.
And so it is in this world of duality. If the light we carry within reflects the Higher Power and the shadow self is the reflection of the dark karmas. We find this keeps us anchored in our unwillingness to face primitive emotions and impulses. Patterns often manifest in the form of unresolved conflicts, and the negative judgements imposed on others and ourselves. Carl Jung characterized the shadow self as “that which we think we are not”.
We deem our shadow self a weakness and strive to keep it hidden from the outside world. This act of repression, however, only succeeds in wasting energy and empowering negativity. Over a lifetime these patterns can become rigid, blinding us to the fact that we carry and project them to the world. We only know our lives or relationships are not working. We feel separate, divided, and imprisoned by our reactions, instead of empowered by our wise actions.
This is a powerful opportunity to see how our shadow self could be preventing you from finding peace. It could well be the missing link. By exposing your fears to the light, you will dissolve the power they once had and transmute them into powerful allies.