It is difficult to do shadow work on our own as the territory is darkened. There is a lantern in the relational field which can bring illumination to those areas which are hidden and buried. To borrow another's soothed, calm nervous system, to wash our perception with light, to open the secret places in the body and the heart. Who and what this "other" is must be unveiled by way of our embodied vulnerability.
As we provide sanctuary and safe passage to the lost feelings, the abandoned creativity, and split off pieces of the soul, we enliven the inner ecology of psyche. It is not easy to find these ones on our own as the landscape is hazy, the forests of psyche are thick, and we all have within us a propensity to maintain things as they are. While there is a genuine part of us that wishes to heal, there are other parts that know what will be required, which is the unraveling of the world as we have known it.
While there is a certain excitement about this, it is important that we create a home for the visitors of trepidation, fear, and ambivalence, to offer a great feast where all the figures can come. If we deny these ones entry, out of some belief in their invalidity, they will find other ways to come, leaking into our bodies, relationships, work, and dreams. The unwanted ones are not what they appear, but come as light in disguise.
My latest book – The Path Is Everywhere: Uncovering the Jewels Hidden Within You – is now available
My next two events:
The Path is Everywhere: A Weekend Intensive, June 15-18 in Loveland, Colorado
The Great Befriending: A Five-Day Journey of Self-Love, Deep Rest, and Coming Alive (with Jeff Foster), September 21-26 in Loveland, Colorado
