We just passed the Last Quarter and here at Mistmoon and Heart the 6 days following are a time to focus on our Shadows. The term Shadow Work refers to the process of facing your fractured aspects from trauma and working to bring those unconscious parts to light.

When we experience traumatic situations or when parts of us are not accepted by society those aspects split off from our consciousness and retreat into the “shadows”. Now, not all of the parts of us that are banished to the shadow are bad or negative, in many cases they are behaviors society doesn’t think a person or a gender should exhibit.

None the less, these acts by society causes us to deny those undesirable parts of ourselves which comes at a high price. We tend to be an out of sight out of mind species. If we can’t see it then it doesn’t exist. With our shadows this just isn’t possible. You are meant to be whole, not split up into good and bad traits, so those aspects which reside within the shadow will seek to be integrated time and again until successful.

We have all experienced a time when everything in life was running smoothly. We had what we needed and maybe a little bit more. We felt safe and secure and felt so much gratitude and then in one instant we experience a situation or person that transports us back to our original trauma.

Here we have two options, we can either work through that trauma or bring that aspect back into the fold or we can continue on with our path without ever looking deeper than the surface. It is vital that you remember that there’s no right or wrong here, I’ll tell you why. This earth we live on operates in cycles, women’s bodies’ cycle through menstruation, spring will always come again after winter, and we know that on the New moon it is only a matter of time before we see the Full moon once more, our lives are no different.

If you cannot work with the trauma and bring about that integration in this cycle it will find a way back to you when you find yourself in a safe enough space. Sometimes, simply becoming aware that what is coming up originates from trauma may be what is needed in this cycle, judging yourself on what you can and cannot work through isn’t helpful. Below are some ways we can ease ourselves into the habit of seeing those triggers as messengers instead of hurdles so that we can begin to work through them at our own pace.

·         Recognize this isn’t an overnight process- So many times I have worked through and integrated an aspect only to see it come back up in a different way later on.

·         This universe is conspiring FOR YOU, not against you- It’s so important that this becomes our base mindset, ask yourself: Assuming the universe loves me (because it does) and is working for my benefit (because it is), then what can this situation teach me?

·         Let go of your resistance to the way things should go or should’ve gone- When I spend time wrapped up in the way things should be happening I’m not in a position to see the messages my Shadow is trying to convey.

Like I mentioned before, this isn’t an overnight practice or even something you can spend a month doing and then move on. This is a lifelong commitment to working through the trauma we experience and undoing the programming forced on us by society. We here at Mistmoon and Heart are always here to hold space for you if you feel that you can’t work through these aspects alone. Until next time seekers….