Shadow Work & Dark Goddess Magic-Embracing your Darkest Self to find Personal Alchemy and Healing

In modern day spiritual evolution and practices we are often told to stay positive, overcome our flaws, and only embrace the light along out path to enlightenment. However, is it possible that if we ignore the darker, repressed, untamed and fearful parts of our psyche that we are robbing ourselves of personal alchemy, cohesion and full transcendence?

Psychotherapist Carl Jung made popular the idea of different parts of psyche-including the shadow, the light, the persona are a ways we become fragmented from childhood to only show what we think the world wants to see and hide away that which is taboo or not socially accepted. The word persona is derived from a Latin word meaning mask, and he suggests that we put on a persona with certain archetypes of roles we play in life, the social masks we wear, if you will. These archetypes are fragmented parts of ourselves to organize how we experience life in different roles, what we would like to be or how we wish to bee seen in the world. (the mother, the co-worker, the spouse, etc.) Some say in today's modern day it's simply our persona we put on social media, not expressing the deeper, darker aspects that may not be accepted. This of course all up for debate, and I certainly don't accuse anyone of not living a full, authentic life, but I find this is something to explore....so let us dive a little deeper.

The shadow according to Jung is the hidden place within our own subconscious that holds repressed ideas, beliefs, weaknesses, impulses, fears, embarrassments, perversions and the untamed and chaotic parts of ourselves. That these accumulate along our life journey and often time ignored causing a block of living a fully authentic life and to truly love ourselves. If we allow ourselves to acknowledge these core wounds and dark spaces with full ownership can we then work to let go of anger, guilt or shame? Can we change the pattern of self-sabotage if learn that we hate to feel vulnerable and weak? 

We've been taught our whole lives to be afraid of the dark, but there is a strong creative energy in that space that longs for you to shed your light upon it. Seeds take roots in the darkness and we can often find a fertile underground just waiting to be tapped. There cannot be light without the darkness, and we are after all the sum of all of our parts...so why not explore, acknowledge and walk boldly and lovingly into our darkest of places? We are all light and dark, weak and strong, and can find a balance of all that we are with love. 

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I love to find creative ways to move towards transformation, and I'm all about ritual and Goddess work to bring about aspects of myself I want to explore and shift. So here are a few ways to can delve into the darkness for creativity and exploration, and Dark Goddesses we can call upon when doing our own shadow work.

How to Explore  your Shadow Self:

• I believe your should begin with a strong foundation, support, and love for yourself. Meditation on the first 4 Chakras (root, sacral, solar plexus and heart) can be a good starting point in moving towards shadow work. 
• Open-monitoring meditation-leave yourself open for any and all emotions, thoughts and ideas to come into your consciousnesses. Allow yourself to play the role of the observer, without judgement in exploring your light vs. your dark aspects, see what bubbles up to the surface and accept it with love and never judgement.
• Creativity thought art. Do you have an artistic side? Or even better want to create one? This may be the perfect way to begin to explore your shadow. Grab a piece of paper, pens and pencils. Allow yourself to simply put pen to paper and see what it creates as you open yourself to explore  your deeper thoughts, fears, desires and archetypal selves. Scribble words, let pictures form and thread the darkness within the light to find a sense of cohesion and completion.
• Writing-This is one of my personal favs on ways to express myself and create. Try to create a story based on your shadow self as well as your light. It can be your own personal Jekyll and Hyde or superhero vs. villain story, or perhaps your light self walking in the dark, shadowy woods to find that they are not so scary. Start with words, themes and ideas and fuse together your own shadow v.s light story
• Keep a shadow book, writing down when these aspects come up. Ways to explore these aspects is practice asking why. When you come across a shadow trait or thought, ask yourself the questions, but why? And when you get to that answer, ask again, but why? I find this to be the best way for me to explore and get to the root of a situation......and of course this is never to take the place of therapy or ways of dealing with deep rooted problems or emotions that need extra attention! If you need additional help, seek out a therapist, friends or family for insight. 

Now these woman are not to be feared, but revered! Working with Dark Goddess energy can bring about a sense of personal power, protection and creativity. These Goddesses embrace the shadow, follow the darkness and tread where others only fear. Create your own ritual to call upon one of these bad asses of the dark to illuminate your truest self so that you may wrap your arms around every aspect of yourself-mind, body and spirit. 

Kali-The Bad Ass Destroyer
Kali, meaning black, is the Hindu Goddess of destruction, chaos, transformation, rebirth and primal energy. She helps to liberate us from who or what we think we are, so that we may find wholeness. Call upon her to help slay some demons and explore the darkness from which the entire universe was created. Read more about Kali here.

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Hekate (Hecate)-Queen of the Underworld
The Dark Moon Goddess-of the night, and of the crossroads. Hekate is the guardian of the spirit world, protectors of travelers of the crossroads & Goddess of all witches, magic, ghosts and witchcraft. Her sacred animal is the black dog and she is depicted holding two torches-call upon her for protection, insight and guidance in the dark. Petition her for direction at the crossroads and she will give you the key to taking your own, truest direction.

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Persephone-The Balance between Darkness & Light
The story of Persephone, daughter of Zeus and Demeter, is one that leaves her another Queen of the Underworld. Abducted by Hades, Lord of the Underworld, she became a symbol of the cycles of the seasons as well as death and rebirth. When first abducted Demeter called upon Hekate to help find her child. This Goddess of harvest and fertility was made to live among the shadows and the dead for half of the year, and each time she left her mother Demeter dried up the earth, creating winter. When she was allowed to return into the Upperworld in the spring, the earth would then come back to live with new growth. She was tricked into eating pomegranate seeds during the negotiations of her return, and she's forever obligated to make this return to the Underworld each year. 

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Inanna & Ereshkigal-Sisters of Light and Dark
Inanna, Sumerian Goddess of Heaven and Earth, love and war. Ereshkigal, her dark sister of the Underworld, and represents the unseen parts of ourselves. There tale tells us that neither side is more important than the other. When Inanna ventures into the Underworld her sister kills her, they then merge into one reminding us that that we are both the light and the darkness. Read their full story here. 

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To work with these Goddesses follow your own intuition to invoke these energies.
Create your own ritual to petition for guidance and support as you explore your Shadow as well as your Light. Some ideas for ritual can include:

• Ritual bath with herbs and oils to cleanse your energy and prepare to enter sacred space
• Black and/or silver candles to light for the Goddess of your choosing, you may choose to add other candles based on what your work entails
• See what other elements to add to your ritual and how to set up and altar space here and follow your own inner guide...the best rituals are those you create yourself! Be true, love yourself and live your magic. Every day.