As the Winter Solstice approaches, we felt called to lean into the deep, quiet darkness of the season - to honour the longest night & the darkness with it. In doing so, we also wanted to make space for our shadow selves to surface, to be seen, and to exist without shame or fear.
Shadow work (rooted in Carl Jung's psychology) asks you to hold all of who you are - the parts that shine through and the parts that hide. When you dare to turn inward and face what's been buried, you can start to recover pieces of yourself that you didn't even know were missing. And in putting those pieces back together, you might feel a shift, become more grounded, more alive & more fully yourself.
Shadow work can be as specific as looking at one aspect of your life - eg. Identity & Self image, Money, Family Dynamics, Relationships - or it can be an overall perspective, allowing whatever comes up to come up. This solstice we are writing a letter to our shadow selves, seeing all the parts of it that we may hide from ourselves and others.
DISCLAIMER - there are many ways to approach shadow work, if you don't feel comfortable doing this alone or are dealing with mental health issues or trauma please seek out an appropriate therapist / practitioner that is right for you to discuss this with.
A Letter to my Shadow Self Ritual:
Create a sacred space. somewhere you feel safe and at ease. This could be a cosy nook in your home, simply your bedroom, or your favourite spot in nature.
Grab our sanctuary blend. This blend is intended for this kind of inner work & connecting with our emotions & experiences, it offers a blend of ylang ylang, rose & vetiver - oils known to offer a sense of safety. Mist the sacred space you have created, use the balms or diffuse the oil.
Light a black candle (optional). To recognise the dark aspect of ourselves, our shadow, light a black candle (or any colour you have on hand) in your space, use it as your guiding light exploring the dark parts of your psyche and self & honour the longest night of the year.
Take a moment. Sit in your space, take some deep breaths & clear out your thoughts. Imagine your shadow self sitting across from you, acknowledge them, sit with them for a moment.
Write the letter. Find a piece of paper, use a journal, type it, voice memo it - whatever works for you. Let the words flow out of you rather than overthinking it, it doesn't need to be a literary masterpiece, this is for you & your shadow only. Let your intuition guide you.
If you are unsure what to write, you can ask yourself these questions: What parts of myself do I hide from others? why? / What experiences have taught me to avoid or reject certain emotions? (eg. vulnerability, anger) / When has my shadow protected me in the past? / What do I need to understand about my shadow?
Send it to your shadow self. After you have read it, light a fire & let the letter burn into ash, watching the smoke rise imagining the words being sent into your subconscious self. Or safely burn it in a fire proof dish (please be safe!) and scatter the ashes in your garden. Or you may simply read it out loud to yourself & choose to keep it tucked away somewhere to refer back to.
Acknowledge the work. Going inward and facing feelings & memories can be hard work, allow yourself a moment to acknowledge the effort & uncomfortable feelings that may have risen up.
Pull a card (optional). If tarot or oracle decks are your thing, pull a card for yourself and see what comes up, see if there is a message from your subconscious acknowledging your thoughts and words you sent it.