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Writer's pictureRegina Powers

Exploring the Shadows Within: A Reflection on Self-Discovery




In Santa Barbara, the beautiful morning skies are frequently decorated with a fine layer of dew spread across the foothills. This sight prompted me to contemplate the hidden aspects within us, known as our shadows. These shadows represent the facets of ourselves that elude our awareness. Shadows are often depicted through various art mediums, music, and some spiritual practices. It occurred to me that we harbor numerous concealed shadow elements within our physical and mental beings, as well as in our interactions with ourselves and those around us.


Recently, I encountered "Owning Your Own Shadow" by Robert A. Johnson, a book brimming with captivating tales. It delves into the notion of loving our enemies, emphasizing the importance of first embracing our inner enemy (shadow) before extending love outward. By fully accepting our true selves, we can authentically love those in our lives. Johnson presents this as an opportunity to harmonize our ego and shadow, light and dark sides, virtues and flaws, and masculine and feminine aspects to gain insight into life's dualistic essence. Through this process, we can experience a sense of equilibrium amidst turmoil and reunite with our spirit, the home, or the temple within ourselves.


Bringing ceremonial rituals is a lovely way to create space for our shadows to come forward. The concept of the Mandorla, an almond-shaped light encircling a religious figure such as the Lady of Guadalupe, symbolizes unity. Upon closer inspection, these depictions reveal a coexistence of darkness within the figure and a light surrounding it. The presence of Mandorlas in various ancient artists' drawings suggests a deliberate effort to introduce darkness for the sake of restoring balance. By recognizing the shadow, one can achieve harmony with oneself, openly sharing it within the ceremony as an acknowledgment. One way to start may be by drawing two intersecting circles as a means to recognize and accept our shadow and light merging as one and coming home to ourselves whole.


Remember the well-known radio program "Detective Story" that started with the phrase,

"Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of individuals? The shadow knows." By accepting all aspects of ourselves, we enhance our overall being. Recognizing and embracing our hidden facets may be challenging, but it is essential in achieving completeness, encompassing the positive, negative, and less desirable aspects. Imagine walking on a beam with your arms outstretched, enjoying the moment, when suddenly the beam collapses. You feel surprised and angry, almost as if the beam collapsed on purpose. These entrenched "shadow" aspects within you are so rigid that you couldn't have overlooked the significant crack in the beam!


In some way, we all recognize that certain aspects are not as positive as others. If we ignore them entirely or focus on them too much, we fail to fully accept all aspects of ourselves. I believe that a balanced center exists within each of our hearts. The place where we can forgive, and even find humor in all aspects of ourselves to understand them better. Perhaps it's about recognizing a constant companion in the background, gently nudging us at times to remember our humanity.


Balance & Blessings,

Regina

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