Shadow Work - What is it, Anyway?
Big hairy disclaimer on this post: I am not a doctor, a therapist, or a medical professional in any way. If you are someone who is experiencing anxiety/depression/other issues please consult your doctor. There may be possible options for help with mental and physical well-being through your insurance, or support groups. Please, please, please, take care of yourself.
If you’re on the witchy side of any (or all) of the social medias, chances are good you’ve come across the concept of “Shadow Work”. Sometimes in the form of journal prompts, sometimes with the connotation of battling an inner demon. I’m hoping I’ll be able to (in this case) de-mystify the concept a little bit, so it seems more attainable and less intimidating.
What exactly is Shadow Work? To understand what Shadow Work is, we need to go over what the Shadow, or Shadow Self, is. The concept of the Shadow Self is brought to us by Carl Jung, a psychiatrist who was a contemporary of Freud. He found Freud’s consistent assertion that everything boiled down to sexuality too constricting (Thurmond). He split from Freud and began to publish works on what he called the “Shadow”. It seemed to him that the concept of the Shadow Self is a universal one – backed up by folklore, mythology, and works of art worldwide. The Shadow, according to Jung, was the inner self that we repressed – sometimes due to societal norms, other times due to upbringing and other pressures. He believed that the more this self was repressed, the greater the problems would be for the individual (think Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde). Jung also believed that, while the ego was out there in the forefront, people often didn’t even realize they have a Shadow Self (Thurmond).
Now that we’ve discussed what the Shadow is, what work do we need to do? This question is a little more complex and depends on you as an individual. If you are in a place in your life where working with a licensed therapist is a feasible option, I encourage you to do so. It helps to have someone outside of your head help you navigate those darker aspects of being human. If it is not an option, and/or you want to attempt to navigate your shadow work, then I encourage you to take it very slowly and do what works for you.
What works for me, personally? This has been a several-year process for me, beginning with a severe panic attack which led me to an absolutely wonderful therapist, and one of my favorite people on the planet. There have been a lot of tears, and a lot of acknowledgments of things that hurt like hell, and, I am at a place now where I feel able to do self-guided Shadow Work on my own. I started with a relatively inexpensive book on Amazon (link below). I chose the book below for a couple of reasons:
1) It incorporates Tarot. Tarot is great for me because it is tactile and visual. It gives me something to look at, and physically interact with. I could (and probably will) do a whole post on Tarot, tarot resources, and its history.
2) It is relatively inexpensive – for my first Shadow Workbook, I didn’t want to go crazy and buy the most expensive thing. So this one’s smaller price tag worked for me.
What does Shadow Work have to do with witchcraft? Witchcraft in general is pretty rife with psychology. For a lot of witches, working with their shadows, going to therapy, and healing, allows them to find their inner power (metaphorically or literally – it depends on the witch). For me, it’s part of my practice because I tend to be much calmer and more productive when I stop ignoring my shadow and actively work toward healing.
How does someone start Shadow Work? If you are completely new to therapy, mental healing, etc, I would start very simply, and see how you feel during and after the work. If it feels like maybe you want someone to guide you a little more, you might consult a therapist (more on that below). I’m going to include some very basic, beginner Shadow Work prompts next – if you feel it’s the right way for you to go, you can seek out similar prompts through social media, or witchy communities. As always, please check your sources and be careful out there.
Shadow Work Prompts (I chose a few from Jaime Wright’s article – cited below):
- What do I want to get out of shadow work?
- What was I brought up to value in my family? How are my values different?
- In what ways am I like my parents? In what ways do I hope I’m not like my parents?
- How do I define failure?
Where do I start when looking for a therapist? If you have insurance, go to your insurance’s site and check In-Network options for therapists/counselors in your area. Once you have a list, you can start checking them out through a good old-fashioned google search. See who seems like they might be a good fit for you, and see if they’re accepting new clients. Remember that seeking help can be a process, and the first therapist you meet with might not be right for you – and that is totally okay – keep trying and be patient with yourself. If you have a primary care physician you trust, you can also ask them – but I know not everyone has this option.
I do advise caution regarding online therapy – there have, in recent months – been an increasing number of accounts of unlicensed practitioners masquerading as therapists and being thoroughly unhelpful while charging a lot of money. Again: be careful.
This wasn’t particularly witchy, I know, but I’ve heard people call witchcraft “spicy psychology” and there’s a lot of truth to that. For me, that’s largely founded in Shadow Work and has been especially important recently for me as we head into winter (a routinely anxiety-inducing time for me). I sincerely hope this helps others who come across it, and that wherever you’re at in your practice, I hope you’re doing well and having a good day.
-NL
The Shadow Work Workbook I’m currently working through:
Works Cited:
Thurmond, Dana Brook, "The Influence of Carl Jung’s Archetype of the Shadow On Early 20th Century Literature." (2012). Master of Liberal Studies Theses. 32.
https://scholarship.rollins.edu/mls/32
Brookes, Crittenden E. “Jung's Concept of Individuation.” Guilford Press Periodicals, July 2017, https://guilfordjournals.com/.
Wright, Jaime. “30 Shadow Work Prompts for Healing and Growth.” PureWow, PureWow, 16 Jan. 2022, https://www.purewow.com/wellness/shadow-work-prompts.
