Using Astrology to Guide Your Shadow Work
Shadow work is a very popular term in the new age spirituality community. So many people talk about looking at their shadows and facing the depths of their soul to find some sort of enlightenment, or so they claim. It seems like everyone is doing shadow work but what even is it? How do you do it?
I’ve unintentionally become well acquainted with shadow work. As an avid journaler (since middle school) and self proclaimed instropective queen, shadow work is my jam. For me, shadow work is simply an intentional exploration of self. While some may look at shadow as simply addressing the “darker” parts of yourself, I think shadow work can be used as an umbrella term for all inner work. The thing with shadow work is, it’s an extremely sacred and personal practice. What I consider shadow work probably isn’t what you consider it and that’s okay. We all have different trauma, insecurities, bad habits we ignore, etc so this work is unique and will look and feel different for everyone.
The thing is: we all have shadows to face. We all have layers to uncover about ourselves. There is always work to be done. The journey to know and fully love yourself is never ending – which is both exciting yet daunting. The inner journey is one that many embark on but few welcome with open arms. It is terrifying looking at the parts of yourself you may not love or to look past the layers of conditioning and give yourself permission to live the life you have always desired.
How to Get Started with Shadow Work
This work isn’t easy and often the reason why it feels so daunting is because of how broad it can be. The basis of shadow work is practically, “take a look at yourself and figure out all of the things you ignore then reprogram that and you’ll be fine.” Ok, it’s not that simple but you get what I’m saying! Do you start with dealing with your childhood trauma? Or your relationship with money? Or maybe all the things you don’t love about yourself? Sounds fun, huh?
Over the years, as I have forged my own journey into the depths of my being, I have acquired a few tools and resources that have majorly helped me with my inner work. Journaling being one of those tools, alongside a consistent practice, mantras and affirmations, and guiding my reflections. I’ve learned that when you have a structure in which you do this work, it is easy to focus your attention and be more intentional on your journey. I talk a lot about intentions and I do love setting intentions for the month or year, I like to be intentional in everything I do.
In regards to shadow and inner work, being intentional helps me not to get lost. I have found that having a structure, focusing on different aspects of myself or my programming, helped me to go deeper and not get stuck in the shadows. Because this work can dig up deep wounds and trauma within us, it is important to be mindful and not ruminate on the darker aspects of our self. When doing inner work of any kind, I always highly suggest doing this work alongside a mental health practitioner such as a therapist. It is important to put your mental health and well-being above all else.
How does Astrology fit into all of this?
Since developing a deeper understanding for astrology in the past few months, I have begun to understand the archetypes of each sign and the energy that each season evokes. For example, Aries is all about the self, Taurus is related to the physical realm and possessions like money, and Pisces is deeply spiritual. When asking myself, how can I guide others through their own inner journey with shadow work, it made perfect sense to bridge the gap with the energy of astrology. By harnessing the energy of the season, I choose to focus on the things that will already be coming up throughout the month in order to dive deeper into those aspects of self.
My latest offering, ASTROSHADOW, combines my two passions for shadow work and astrology and gives you a deeper understanding of the energy of the season as well as the opportunity to use this energy to deepen your connection to self. A monthly email with an in depth report on the astrological season, focuses for each week alongside various journaling prompts related to the theme for the month. This offering is meant to be a gentle guide to the inner work–I hope to create a container for you to feel safe and prepared on the journey inward.
It’s important to note that shadow work looks different for everyone. My offering is not the right way nor is it the only way. I am simply sharing some of my practices, things that have worked for me in the past few years of intentionally discovering myself. I hope that I can simply guide you to find your own groove and to find what feels and works best for you. The beginning is often the hardest part and I’ve found that once I began, I intuitively knew where to go. Let this be a beginning point for you. An opening and turning point where you consciously choose yourself and choose to unveil the mask that has been laying on your soul all this time.