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Shadow Work

Origins, Meaning and Utility

The Structure of the Mind

Carl Jung theorized the existence of three levels/spheres in the human psyche: the Ego, representing the conscious mind, the Personal Unconscious where memories are contained and the Collective Unconscious, where all knowledge and experiences of the species are shared.

Each Sphere has in it a certain number of Archetypes, used to better describe the components of those structures, and the Shadow is one of them.

What is the Shadow

The shadow can be seen as a instinctual or primitive part of ourselves, it exists as part of the unconscious mind and is composed of repressed ideas, weaknesses, desires, instincts, and shortcomings.

It is this archetype that contains all of the things that are unacceptable not only to society, but also to one's own personal morals and values, normally going against social norms and rules as well as what we personally consider right.

The Shadow is often described as the darker side of the psyche, representing wildness, chaos, and the unknown, and it is common for people to deny this element of their own psyche and instead project it on to others.

The Shadow in Witchcraft and Benefits of Shadow Work

Art: Unknown

The Shadow, in witchcraft, can represent The Unknown, hidden depth of ourselves. Speaking in terms of energy, this is an area that can be a deep source of energetic issues, because it’s locked up in the dark and always striving to reach the light.

To not work with one’s Shadow is to make it greedy and aggressive, as well as denying a big part of oneself, making everything a half of a whole.

Through that brief explanation, we can already establish the importance and role of the Shadow in witchcraft, and with that in mind, comes the concept of Shadow Work.

Shadow Work can be seen in a number of practices, meditation, trances, inner journey’s, lucid dreaming, astral travels, spells and divination.

The method can change, but the principle is simple: Centering your intent to self discovery, self knowledge and self acceptance.

Working with one’s Shadow is not only beneficial to one’s craft, as it allows one to get in touch with their intuition as well as allows for easier connection with one’s guide/guides, but it also allows for healing and acceptance of one’s feelings and needs.

Think of all aspects of life as a wheel. If there is one part bent, the wheel can turn, but with more effort. If the owner spends time fixing that bent part, the wheel will turn in a much more smooth manner.

That is what happens when you take the time to do Shadow Work, you have to put in effort, and most of the time it’s not easy, but once done, all other components on the wheel of your life will be relieved to move on without that obstacle that makes their job harder.

The Shadow is not evil, as evil is just a moral compass invented by humans. It is a part of one’s nature, and to deny it is to supress a connection with yourself.

Take the time to know and accept your shadow, and you’ll see that life will be a little easier.

References:

A Natureza da psique (Structure & Dynamics of the Psyche) by C.G. Jung

The Archetypes and the Collective Unconscious by C.G. Jung

Witchy Aesthetics

green witch: freshly pressed flowers, walking through a field of wildflowers, talking to the trees, terrariums, plants sitting on the windowsill, forest sounds

kitchen witch: cookbooks, stirring tea with intent, lots and lots of jars, herbs and more herbs, the smells of baking, tea blends swirling in jars 

storm witch: lightning crackling, calling up a storm, dancing in the rain, getting excited when you feel a storm coming, checking the weather activity

dream witch: sleepy eyes, soft blankets, meditating in the mornings to remember your dreams, reality checks, sleeping with crystals under your pillow

divination witch: wearing your pendulum as a necklace, sleeping with your tarot deck, shaky hands, too many tarot decks, meditating with your tools

sea witch: jars of seawater, walking barefooted on the sand, sitting on the beach at night, missing the seashore, balmy sea breeze, seashell collection

lunar witch: setting alarms for moon phases, talking to the moon, making moon water, getting ready for the next lunar eclipse, quiet moonlit nights

spirit witch: bonding with spirit companions, feeling the presences in a room, setting out offerings, seeing shadows out of the corner of your eyes, amethyst

fire witch: a whole bunch of scented candles, the smell of incense, cosy warmth, dancing flames, jars of ashes, almost burning the whole house down

crystal witch: keeping crystals in your pockets, crystals sitting on your windowsill under the moonlight, crystalline light reflections

water witch: way too many jars, running out in the middle of a storm to collect water, carrying a jar everywhere, shower cleansing and grounding rituals

tech witch: embedding sigils in code, stereoscopic light of a phone screen, ambient soundtracks, witchy phone apps, emoji spells, digital grimoires

music witch: jamming to your tracks over a spell, shufflemancy, headphones on earbuds in, charging tools with your speakers, playlist for every occasion

urban witch: dollar stores, carrying around their magickal tools, sigils for not missing the bus or train, finding that one witch book in local bookstores

glamour witch: sigils on the mirror, rose quartz in random places, makeup bags, looking fly, youtube channels on makeup, on-the-spot glamours

closeted witch: hiding grimoires in drawers, sigils for invisibility, waiting for everyone else to go out, performing spells behind locked doors at night

art witches: moon water in your paint cup, paint-stained fingers, charmed drawing tablet, colour corresponding your art supplies, local bookshops

Gentle Witchcraft

Just a collection of witchy things that give off a gentle, loving energy without being focused on self love or romantic love specifically <3

It’s the little things:

Gentle little witch things to do

Witchy blessings

I AM… spells

Witch’s morning routine

Glamours:

Glow like the moon

Shine like the sun

To radiate a loving aura

Spells:

To attract kindness

Soft shores bath spell

Quartz wellness bath

Here comes the sun

My love soothes you pet spell

Dandelion wish spell

Restful sleep and sweet dreams

Rose water spells

Room healing spell

Ease the pain

Tarot spreads:

Good morning!

Reduce anxiety 

The new you

Let go and grow

Sigils:

Shimmer and shine

Radical softness

To promote peaceful feelings

Inner peace

I will make it through this

I am comfortable in my own skin

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A Deep Room Cleanse

The state of my room is extremely important to me. It’s a direct reflection of my mental health, so when it’s messy, my energy levels are low and I just feel yucky. There’s no way I’m getting any kind of work done, magical or mundane. When it feels good and clean to be in, it’s a lot easier to deal with my symptoms and be productive. You don’t have to do every step every time of course, but each step has helped me so I figured a list like this might help someone. 

Change the lighting. Use natural sources of light (like pulling back the curtains and letting the sun in) over artificial ones. If you have salt lamps to turn on, those are still very nice. If you need artificial light to keep it from being too dark, try to prioritize light bulbs you like the color of, and ones that don’t whistle quietly when they’re on.

Change the airflow. Open a window, if you can. Often our rooms feel yucky because the air is stale. Get some fresh air moving. If it’s too cold, it’s okay to only keep it open for a few minutes or put on a coat while you work because you’re stubborn like me.

Change the sound. Put on your favorite cleansing music. Let it soak into the room. I tend to go or ambient spa stuff, or playlists that sound built for a rainy day. (Note: the music that helps you cleanse the best may not be the same as what you like the most. The playlist should keep you focused/uplifted while you work and reflect the vibes you want your room to have.)

Change the smell. Take out the trash, maybe refresh the sheets on your bed. Light a scented candle, some incense, heat up some oil, something to make your room smell distinctly different from the mucky-feeling room from before. (If your method of choice is something short like a room spray, I actually like doing it at the very end.)

Actually clean and organize. Nothing junks up the energy of a room more quicker than actual junk. Organize everything as much as you can (this might mean finally gutting your closet, even if you can close the door and hide it.) Wipe down any surfaces that need it, get everything fresh and functional again. Do some laundry while you work. If you have clothes or trinkets that are just collecting dust, extra points for purging them! 

 Cleanse any sacred spaces by themselves. A lot of us have altars or shrines in our rooms. A sacred space can also be just an extra important area of your room, like a reading nook.  Make sure to give them extra attention! You don’t need to wipe the board energetically (and probably shouldn’t), but taking a little extra time to clean surfaces, straighten up, and make sure everything feels okay on them goes a long way.

Cleanse in your regular way. Bust out the herb bundles, the bells, the ribbons, the broom, whatever you usually do to cleanse a space! The room is SUPER primed for it now, most of the negative energy probably already feels removed if not broken down. A good once-over with your favorite cleansing method should finish it off nicely. 

Refresh any wards or protections. Self explanatory. If you maintain energy borders in your room, now is a good time to check in on them and zhoosh them if needed. Keep the space clean for longer! 

Practice self-care. Take a shower, a nap, eat some food, whatever you need. You’ve put in a lot of work and you deserve it. 

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Rejuvenating Witchcraft

Things to help you move on and recover from a long day, a rough night or a good cry.

Spells and magic:

Rose quartz healing tears spell

Ease the pain spell

Here comes the sun spell

Self love bath / Shower ritual

Cleansing ritual body scrub

Quick pick me up glamour

Seashell charm for self acceptance

A simple spell to release stress

Full bloom spell

Sunrise magic

Things to make:

Self care sachet

Self love and healing spell bottle

Inspired healing bottle

Self love jar

To move forward:

I move on sigil

Restarting spell

Clarity spell

Letting go - banishing spell

Spell for reassurance

Self empowerment spell jar

Little things to do:

Surround yourself with crystals like rose quartz, carnelian, amethyst, rhodonite, citrine, pyrite and more!

Use rose water or honey to sweeten up your day.

Witchy thing to do right now

Magical self care

Self care magic

Self care for the witch

Witch self care tips

What to do if witchcraft drains you

Drinks:

Self love latte spell

Overall positivi-tea*

‘Give me sunshine’ potion for happiness*

A warm heart tea recipe*

Healing heart tea*

Mental reboost tea*

More in this masterpost!

*Please research herb safety before using!

Odds and ends:

The new you tarot spread (3 card)

Moving forward tarot spread (5 card)

Magics for heartbreak

Witchcraft for the grieving

Gentle witchcraft

Magic to replenish energy

Links updated August of 2020. Please inform me of broken links via askbox!

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Misato’s outfits in Neon Genesis Evangelion (1995)