The Basics of Shadow Work: What is it, Prompts I Enjoy, Resources
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- Опубликовано: 9 сен 2024
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Acceptance of your shadow doesn't happen over night either. Sometimes it takes months or years to accept that icky feeling and shadow self.
Also 5 questions I seem to always go back to
1: Why do you not allow yourself to make simple mistakes, or any mistakes?
2. Why do you not allow yourself to feel X emotion? (excitement, anger)
3.Why do you not allow yourself to be human?
4. Why do you keep moving the goal post instead of celebrating an achievement?
5. Why do you feel directly responsible for negative things that happen? (Example: Friend drops plate at pot luck and breaks it, first instinct sorry I should have gotten paper plates.)
Thank you for this!
Oh my gods thank you so much for this
Especially 5!!!!! I say sorry for EVERYTHING!
My favorite one so far was 'write yourself a letter as someone who hurt you' when i tell u i sobbed the whole night-
Could you elaborate on this? Is it me writing a letter to my abuser or is it me trying to see their perspective?
@@amandaaustin8691 it's writing ''apology'' letter as your abuser towards you. Trying to see their perspective yeah, but not necerassirly forgiving them or something. What it does to me is i get some closure i guess and when i write that letter i am more able to let go :)
Just did that poem style
@@halosandhorns8330 i wish i was creative enough to write poems bruuuh, i love that :)
I have so many people who have hurt me that I have forgotten so many people's names
IF YOU HAVE PTSD OR C-PTSD DO **NOT** DO SHADOW WORK ALONE. i have c-ptsd but i'm also a shadow witch. most of my shadow work has had to involve a therapist that can support me through SEVERE trauma shenanigans. if you try to just do shadow work with these disorders you will have a Bad Time and yes i do know this from experience lmao just trust me
*THANK YOU*!!! This is so so important!!!!!
@@ChaoticWitchAunt oop- Uhh I don't know if i have a mental health condition
ABSOLUTELY. I had enough Bad Times doing shadow work even *with* the guidance and help of my therapist, struggling through trauma therapy and constantly not wanting to accept myself and my reactions and just, ugh, so many breakdowns in the beginning. It's hard. It hurts. Is it worth it? Absolutely, a thousand percent yes. But it's not easy, it's definitely not overnight (I still do shadow work, 8 years later) and it needs help if you have anything even remotely traumatic in your past, and also imo, certain mental illnesses. I suffer from psychosis and that added a butt ton of extra problems in as well.
I've been diagnosed with PTSD multiple times but I dont remember much so I'm starting to think its CPTSD I dont have access to therapy but my bestfriend has straight up told me most of the prompts in this video could I begin shadow work if she helped me? (Shes an empath)
@@jayahmoore7251 so here's the thing: i am not a doctor. and i cannot give you medical advice regarding your treatment. and that's what shadow work is in a lot of ways: a treatment of the scary stuff inside you. and if you have c-ptsd and can't even remember a lot of the Big Bads (like me for many years), then you should really, really, REALLY put a pause on the work before you even start and talk to a licensed professional when you can. i'm sorry if this is disappointing, but it really is in your best interest :(
Me, thinking: “Universe, send me a sign if I need to do my shadow work.”
The Universe: *notification for this video*
Me: “...FINE.”
NO BUT ME TOO IVE BEEN SEEING THINGS ABOUT SHADOW WORK ALL DAY BAAAJAJAMKAK
I LEGIT WAS LIKE I KNOW I NEED TO DO MY SHADOW WORK BUT I CANT BE BOTHERED THEN THEY SENT THIS VIDEO
Hii! I love your videos!
ily
ILY TOO
I love you both
All three of you 🥺🖤
This may sound like an odd technique, but if you instinctively seek out music when having an emotional reaction it's a good step to take a look at the vibe that music gives you. Often we'll instinctively seek out music that embodies either the buried cause of the trauma or the vibe we need to embrace to overcome it.
One prompt I really like is, list 20 things you like about yourself then write an apology letter to yourself for tearing yourself down. It's great for days when I feel like there's nothing to like about me and makes me acknowledge why I feel negatively about myself
I have a lot of respect for you for doing this! I deeply struggle with this too. and I dont think I am currently capable of doing something like that right now. So best of luck to us both I guess
Can I use this for my future shadow work?
I just realized I've been accidentally doing shadow work activities thanks to a very good councilor I had who taught me how to breakdown my reactions and emotions. Big thanks to that guy, I don't know how far I would've gotten without him.
I accidentally set myself up to be prepared for shadow work because I'd imagine a version of me who had never undergone through these traumatic events, and they became this person I needed but never had: a person who spoke up about how wrong the things I've experienced are, and through that I began to realize that my self-perception is flawed and needs reflecting
Same. I didn’t even realize I’ve been doing shadow work for so long without even realizing it. I had to do “shadow work” before I could go to therapy when I was child. It’s interesting how a lot of people have done this but didn’t even know.
Can you guys give some practical tips on how to break stuff down? Im a complete beginner and dont have anyone to guide me
I really liked that you included the fact that therapy isn't always available or an option for some people. I feel like we tend to forget that and we definitely need to recognize it. those questions made me feel icky which I suppose means I have more shadow work to do myself lol
when I do shadow work, I like to work through my triggers and why those specific things are triggers for me and how I can work through them in a positive way. I also think it's important to validate yourself while doing shadow work. writing down the words "it's okay that you're feeling like this" or "my feelings are valid and are not wrong" helps me A LOT
I was literally just about to research how to do shadow work when this came up on my phone.😯🙃
That upside-down smiley face is...terrifying.
@@Myke_thehuman I like this combo 🙂🙃
Top tip we all have a shadow side, I've found the light seer tarot very inspirational that challenges you to acknowlege the shadow and embrace it, I'm 60 years old now I'm a crone, this is a gentle approach, hope this helps. Blessed Be
saw this at 111 liked
same hahaha
As a licensed therapist, I think you did great job explaining this concept. I appreciate you also letting people know that there are going to be times when therapy will be needed, especially when there is some pretty complex trauma. :)
These are particular ones for me-
1.Why do you have the same negative physical reaction to excitement as you do to fear?
2.Why does finding out that you are wrong about something inconsequential make you feel humiliated and stupid?
3. Why do you get angry, spiteful, and aggressive when someone points out a personal flaw that you know is true?
4. Why won't you allow yourself to be bad at something until you've put in the necessary time to be good at it.
Number 3 hits hard like a truck... I feel called out
This entire list resonates deeply for me.
Shadow work is so difficult for me. My brain has so many blocks and walls up that prompts literally trigger nothing, zilch
same !!
I've tried doing shadow work but honestly its just made me realize how many problems I have, not how to solve them.
If I could heal through shadow work, I would but I genuinely don't know how because most prompts aren't "deep" enough to make me feel something.
When you get to a block ask where that came from. When did i build this wall? What am i trying to protect myself from? Allow the wall to fall away with trust not force.
@@halosandhorns8330 that's actually really helpful, thank you
@@JacquelineParker glad i could be helpful. ❤
@@oliviam3551 But where do those problems stem, and why are you avoiding them? Why don’t you address them?
So im actively telling people that they need therapy. WE ALL COULD USE SOME THERAPY.
My shadow work prompt:
Your shadow self manifested into a physical form (a person) and you have a conversation. Write it out. You can write in tandem or shadow then yourself.
Not me avoiding Shadow work and my bestie reminding me only for me to see this video thanks Frankie🧍♀️
I'm working on a prompt where you break down the qualities of a character you obsess over and a character you despise, see why you have that strong emotional response to that character, and identify the traits that you share with those characters. It's been a really interesting and enjoyable one!
But, then again, I really like shadow work. It's like a huge weight coming off my shoulders every session! I like to think shadow work is like you're disassembling yourself, cleaning and polishing the parts, then putting everything back together again!
This is a really good idea! Thank you for sharing it!💜
Some of my favourite prompts to cry over & ones I have to revisit regularly:
What is it that makes others genuine but not you? What would make you good enough/real enough to what you project? Why do you consider yourself false where you trust others?
Why do you make allowances for others you would not give yourself?
What are your problems with authority and why do you always fold in the face of authority despite wishing not to?
how did you reply 8 hours ago
@@shibalol1969 patreon
@@lolal-t2027 i didnt know that was a existing thing , 2 reply early LMAO thank you
Thank youuuu so much oml this are the exact prompts I need
Just gonna throw it out there, have you ever considered turning no. 2 around as well? Why do you not make the allowances you make for others for yourself? Just a thought from a perfectionist with sometimes unhealthily high standards for her self...😅
My 3 prompts i got from this are:
When you think of the word failure, what springs to mind?
What does your inner, truly real and authentic you look like? In what ways do the inner and outer selves not match up?
How many times per week do you feel strong negative emotions? How often out of those times do you dismiss and/or feel guilty about those emotions?
Also, one thing that can be helpful is to remember that shadow work doesn't always have to use prompts. if they don't work, you can just sort of feel around and try to see what you can address at that point. That's how mine goes because a lot of the time what I have to address is directly tied to a trauma, and it can be extremely dangerous to try and process something you aren't ready for. Though, this doesn't mean just avoid it, rather I guess just sort of wait and listen to your mind for what it is ready to address.
I start mine with meditation
I started my shadow work by writing down who I am. The cut and dry facts like my height, colour of my eyes and such. Then the next thing I did was writing how I see myself, allowing my insecurities to do the talking.... Gave me alot of insight what I need to work on ^^'
We were just learning about the shadow and shadow work in my Theories of Personality class. My professor said to watch out for shadow work workbooks sold online bc lots of them are just looking for profit and guarantee gaining things in your life bc of doing/buying their shadow workbook that's not ever guaranteed! So just a tip to be careful of for anyone in the comments. I think it's important to keep in mind that Jung was a racist, pro-colonization, nazi-sympathizer, sexist, religious forcing, and stole some of his work from other cultures as his own ideas.
Yes! This! Carl Jung also didn't "invent" it. He coined the term sure and placed them in an organized study. But the idea and many techniques within shadow work existed within many different cultures, practices, and religions before he came along. He just put it together.
👏👏
Wait what?! I did not know anything about him 😅 i guess that's what I get for getting all my info on RUclips lol
Um, what? Those are some pretty hefty allegations that would go better with some cited source material.
@@shepherdessofskymeadow I had just replied but no longer see my reply. I'm not sure if it's because I provided links in my reply? Or maybe Chaotic Witch Aunt does not want links in their comment section. If emails are allowed you can leave yours and I'll be happy to resend my reply.
what you said about mental illness not necessarily being a thing that needs to be ‘fixed’ hit so hard for me. i’d been thinking and saying for awhile about how my mental illnesses aren’t just these components or problems that have been “put on” me, they’re an aspect of who i am. and as you said, shadow work and the likes is more so about *accepting* these parts of yourself and working from there (obv i’m not saying to continue being depressed or anxious etc., but more so don’t view these things as something that makes you less than)
I haven’t done shadow work because I’ve never known how to start but then I saw this and I was like *CLICK CLICK CLICK*
If anyone is Buddhist or interested in Buddhist meditation, I highly recommend "Feeding your demons" by Lama Tsultrim Allione! There is a guided meditation here on RUclips and you can also buy her book I believe!
Great for non buddhists, as it's not an actual Buddhist practice but inspired by it.
Well now we need a statue of Frankie called the all knowledgeable Frankie.
Not me pulling The Devil card reversed right before I saw this video. Tarot deck said "You about to level up but you need to do some letting go" :)
I just wanna heal the depression that has always been with me and that is extremely painful. I just wanna be happy and feel joy being born from within me.
my favourite prompt is "What am I afraid of being true right now and what would be so bad about that being true?". If I'm able to remember "when was the first time I felt a similar feeling?" .
Another great source for shadow work is Teal Swan. Highly recommend her videos on this topic.
I would definitely say that successfully establishing a harmony with our Shadow allows for an accelerated ascendance into enlightenment. It's easier to navigate our mental landscape when you can see your whole self
"I don't thinkmy mental health needs to be fixed" loves that and feel that soon much.
I do the same thing!! I ask what their child needed and say "okay now give that to yourself now. You still need it." and i'm so glad i'm not the only one pushing that message. It's so important!
One topic that gets me every time is "What was one time you remember feeling wronged as a child? How did you react? Has this affected you into adulthood? How?" Whenever I think about it, it can cause 2 emotions, sometimes I can feel myself get frustrated especially if im physically talking about it to someone or it makes me cry.. but I feel like most of my issues now stem from my childhood... ive tried to accept it and just move on but I found that even tho I say I've accepted it and will move on from it, whenever the topic pops up I still find myself in the same emotions of anger and/or sadness.. which makes me feel that I still have yet to fully accept it and forgave those that hurt me in my childhood..
You pronounce J in Jung like y in yoghurt.
yuuuuuung
Joghurt
✨ Prompts ✨
9:00
10:00
13:05
14:20
Love this intro! Carl Jung's name is pronounced like "yung" 😊
I would love for you to do a video on veiling! I feel drawn to the practice but feel like I can’t do it bc I don’t have a good enough reason- it wouldn’t be for a deity or because I’m an empath. Maybe you could discuss different reasons for veiling within the witchy and pagan communities and your experience with it?
They talk about veiling in their empath protection videos if you haven’t seen them!
Surrender, the past and what it holds, forgive the present for its trials, accept the future and imbrace the change you want to experience.
Started shadow work this week. Been avoiding it for a while.
me too, i started on march 1st but i always avoided it tooo.
In my opinion, in my non-professional opinion lol, I feel like shadow work is similar to EMDR. Very similar. Except, EMDR would be more so to “fix” specific traumas. EMDR is don’t with a therapist, not on your own. Very hard to do on your own, without a therapist!! I love your descriptions on everything. Thank you!
I don't know how others do it but for me, I imagine a little me inside of me. Whenever i get triggered or feel strong emotions, I imagine hugging her tight and crying/feeling the full spectrum of emotions along with her. I let my emotions run its course. It helps for now
thank you! I was so tired of people being like “do ur shadow work🤬🤬” and it just gave me so much anxiety, especially thinking I had to do it by myself :/ thank u!!!!!!! ily!!!!!!!!!!!
👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏
THIS ALL OF THIS YESSSSSS
As a psych student and an avid fan of Carl Jung's work, this is so good! Thank you so much for making this! It's all therapeutic work! It takes time, energy, and can often be life long work. It is okay to go and seek therapy, and it is okay to to explore "shadow work". Carl Jung also discussed dream work as a form of shadow work and believed the tarot can also help as a therapeutic practice!!
I LOVE all the definitions, tips, and advice you gave on the subject of shadow work, but particularly that you encouraged people to study the psychological roots of it in Carl Jung. He's such a giant resource in psychology, and I feel often gets glossed over in the modern arena of mysticism, psychology, and self-improvement.
One of my personal prompts in shadow work is based off of the old saying, "The mark of insanity is doing the same thing, and expecting different results." When I find myself in a rut, to which the solution isn't readily evident, I ask myself, "What in this situation have I been repeating, that hasn't helped me get to my desired goal?" Sometimes it takes a lot of introspection, but sometimes just looking at the patterns, the problem becomes self evident, and just starting by eliminating the repetitive element starts me on the better path.
I’m so happy you mentioned the stewing on your emotions part! I sort of started shadow work without knowing what it even was in the sense that I started trying to acknowledge the parts of me I didn’t like, and the one thing that always got me was I would always try to be that “bigger person” right away; I wouldn’t allow myself to feel my emotions and instead approach them head on with “why do you feel that way?” It ended up being an alternative way of invalidating my emotions which was what I was trying to heal in the first place lol
for me, shadow work is feeling things from the past and working though those emotions. I try to understand why some things happened or why i did some things instead of hating myself or being ashamed of it. I slowly make it easier to think about traumatic events and think through what happened. Most of this was without a therapist, because when I was in therapy it was really stressful for me. Currently I'm focusing on my anxiety and figuring out causes and how to cope so I can go to therapy again and continue going to therapy.
I really feel this, and understand that therapy is difficult and stressful for a lot of people. This sounds like it's working for you, and that is the most important part.
I’ve seen other comments make this statement but I’m going to add it as well. if you are someone who has PTSD/C-PTSD, DID/OSDD, And BPD it is not recommended to do shadow work alone. I am someone who has C-PTSD and I can speak from personal experience. It is highly recommended to have a therapist or a counselor to help you with that. Since those disorders are trauma based disorders, it can be very difficult to work through those disorders on your own without treatment. Now I know that therapy is a privilege and not everybody has access to them, so work at your own pace and with the resources that you have. I hope everyone is doing well and being able to push forward on their healing journey. I’m proud of all of us❤️
i realized how much i’ve let my mental health go and then five minutes after i came to that conclusion this can up on my feed. thank you. i really needed this
BEST shadow work video (article, read etc etc) I have ever seen.
I really love your explanation. I am still in an environment where I'm in survival mode and have tried to do the shadow work so I can feel better. But I should be patient with myself and know when I'm ready instead of forcing.
Uplifting fallen Humanity...is definitely not easy but well worth the Awards.Thank you...
Thank you for making this video, this is the first video i've seen that explains it well. Also without even knowing it, i've been doing shadow work for about a year and a half now, it started then I started therapy, and that was the number one thought that came to my head when hearing about this: therapy.
Thank you for the recommendation of Jim, I went directly over to his page. I've been practicing for well over 17 years now but never had the opportunity to have a mentor due to the fact that I live deep in the Bible Belt South. I was even bullied out of one middle school for being called a witch, being 2004, they loved Harry Potter and The Craft but hated the fact that someone might actually be a witch. I just turned 30 this year and I still growing, so for anyone feeling lost or stuck, it takes time, I'm glad we are all able to share on this platform.
I have done shadow work with a therapist (didn't know that was what it was called, it was just a visual exercise) and I can confirm it is I N T E N S E but rewarding once you start working with it.
I struggle with anxiety, so I like to journal about what made me anxious and why it brought up a fear reaction
I've been an avid listener of Around Grandfather Fire and a fan of Jim Two-Snakes for so so long. I feel like this is the best crossover EVER.
The mentioning of your inner child immediately made me cry.. I'm gonna go write about that, I guess
I just started getting interested in this today, and after listening I’ve realized that I’ve been doing some of this for a while already, analyzing my emotions and why
I love this because I agree some people use it in a weird way and don't even know what they are talking about as the concepts they are working on. It's really interesting cause I also break it down into those. Most of mine are fear based. Sometimes it's just but recently I forgave something that was taking up too much space. It took a year of intensive therapy to get to that point. It's very hard work and important.
I just started my shadow work journey this week, i will be watching this video on repeat for a bit don’t mind me
Hi, I recently got into witchcraft and feel really overwhelmed with what I should be doing and how I should start. At first I saw your tiktoks and now I found your RUclips channel. And I really like watching your content. I hope to learn a few things from you as a baby witch. Sending my love.❤️
Cleansing, protection, grounding, shielding, centering, meditation, etc
@@ClownzTownz yes, thank you. I have started with reading and researching more books on witchcraft and they have been helping me understand most of the things now.
I'm glad I seen this video before buying one of those prompt book.
I've been seeing horoscopes and tiktok videos about starting shadow work. My sister told me to do it. And now this video? That's a sign I've ever seen one.
You are my favourite witch. What I have learnt is that the people who you love the most, those are the ones who can make your shadow emerge faster than strangers.
back here again rewatching
When I do my shadow work I use a “who,what,when,where,why and how” prompt. This way it allows me to grow off of each entry and see my growth and progress!
i’m really glad i found this video because i was going to start my shadow work mainly because there are people on tiktok or social media who say “if you’re a beginner, do your shadow work” and i just blindly listened, i haven’t started yet, it after seeing this i don’t think i’m starting soon, i will when i’m ready :)
I am honestly so absolutely greatful you started this channel, I was so lost within the world of witchcraft and finding myself but you and your videos have guided me so much. I appreciate you dearly❤
I've been doing something akin to shadow work in my mind for the past five years or so - maybe even lifelong - but the journaling bit is new. Here's to hoping the journaling part actually helps, because doing it "hands-free" only causes emotional spiraling and overthinking.
discovered your account on TikTok and literally cannot stop watching. The deities are so fascinating
For me shadow work helped me to accept my autism instead of brushing it under the carpet. It is useful as if i know truly what i want, who is my core self, my spellwork becomes more powerful. ❤😊
I recently bought shadow work cards. Each card has a different word or idea that we may struggle with or need to work on and art that represents it. On the back of the cards are questions to get me thinking about it and an affirmation. Love these cards they’ve really helped me put meaning and words to what I feel! I’m really looking forward to continuing shadow work! Good luck to others who are also working on themselves ✨❤️
Very insightful and informative.
When you say shadow work is only recent in terms of being regarded as essential you are 100% right. I was part of the witchcraft community from about 1999-2007ish and only recently came back to it in late 2018 - when I did, I had NEVER heard of shadow work. Or if I had, it wouldn't have been in a memorable way. So while I have a lot of knowledge from those years in the noughties, shadow work was a completely new concept to me.
For the record I had also never heard of black salt 🤔🤔
Thank you for this video.
I have that problem of taking things personally....but asking "why did this upset me?" Is a good way to gain perspective.
I found you on tiktok and ilysm 💜
THERAPY YES. I started shadow work at a recommendation from my therapist when we started trauma therapy because of how much I was struggling to accept the things I was learning. Ended up deeply tying it into my spiritual practice because my Tarot deck was amazing at slapping me around and going "No, that's not right, you're lying to yourself, be *honest*.", and it helped, so much, with so much of my life.
Thank you for this! I greatly appreciate the energy, thought, research and time you put in to your videos. 💗
You may not be "The All-Knowledgable Frankie", but you are, to me and many, a source of inspiration and information.
Be well and safe, all the best to you and yours. 💗
I'm happy you recommend someone to see a counselor before doing shadow work because somethings can causes triggers. I thought I was the only one that thought that but you confirmed thank you for this video.
“Why do you take everything so personally”
I took that personally😑
Hi! Coming from just not having an idea what to journal about and your videos about shadow work and trauma-based promts were popping u on my suggestion page, thanks for explaining it more.
You are so young to be so wise; I respect you, and I value your voice, despite the fact that I am ancient.
i really really enjoyed this!!! blessed be
Literally me looking up shadow work prompts yesterday and now this
I’m a newbie; I appreciate your labor here. Thank you.
When you talked about not being able to do shadow work because of a situation in which it’s just surviving and protecting yourself 24/7 I felt understood on such an astounding level for the first time, so thank you! I’ve managed to find an amazing therapist recently who is scary good so in about five months I’ll be able to do more self working outside of my sessions 🥰🥰
The past 3 spreads I’ve done have reminded me to finally start shadow work so.... here we are 🤪✌️
Wow! This is the first time I heard someone else other than myself say to start shadow work with therapy, and make it continuously
Thank you for this. It was really educational.
I'd actually never heard if "shadow work" before this. But it sounds almost identical to trauma work and mindfulness to me (I've been in therapy half my life, too). I'll probably do more reading up on it soon.
This video was so insightful thank you
Thank you. 💙💙✨✨💮
This was amazing, thankyou ❤
This kind of makes me think it would go hand in hand with mindfulness that I've done with a psychologist.
I love your cardigan.
Thank you!
I’m usually a person that has a lot to say but when those prompts were read I had absolutely nothing
Well damn guess I've been doing shadow work for years and didn't even know neet stuff nice to be able to put a word to it
Had issues with trying to do more with my shadow work, I´ve gotten the light stuff over with. But now I have to dig through the heavy stuff. thanks for this upload
We love it when auntie (Chaotic witch aunt) posts!!!!!!
Seems I've been doing Shadow Work instinctively my entire life
I feel like I recently stumbled into shadow work. I've been in counseling for several months now, maybe close to a year. I had a recentish fallout with a friend, and I'd been holding onto so much anger for several months over it. My counselor sent me a worksheet on forgiveness where I analyzed the conflict and got me to understand things differently, and also to look at my own reactions and what part I played in the conflict.
I've also been doing a workbook that helps you look at how childhood trauma plays into your emotional reactions as an adult. It's been eye-opening in some ways. I've also started journaling infrequently. I should stick to it more, but it can be difficult. Also also, I've started reading Jung and about the shadow for the first time, and it's very enlightening.
What's kinda frustrating is I've not found very much direction from it. Like, I'm learning these things about myself, I'm revealing harsh truths, I'm (slowly) trying to heal from old wounds, but... then what? What do I do with this new information? How do I apply what I'm learning from the shadow work to changing my reactions, behaviors, habits, etc.? Any wisdom people can share with me would be greatly appreciated. 💕