Facing the Shadow

Today we go to The Underworld with The Wild Unknown Archetypes Guidebook from Kim Krans. Those parts that we do not want to look at. Yeah, we are going there.

I gotta say, I still want to deny that this card even exists. I want to say "Oh, no thanks! Lets get a more positive card for OUR FIRST CARD BLOG PLEASE!". But of course thats not how it works.

Lets face it, there are hard things, difficult times, nightmares, suffering, painful experiences, etc. Even death is inevitable. It is truly unavoidable to live a life without suffering. So what do we do about it?

The first thing we must do is acknowledge its existence. This has been extremely difficult from a personal standpoint because I was taught to see the positive in everything. To look at the bright side and shove those feelings deep down inside. To "stop crying", "get a grip" or "stop overreacting", and in order to keep the peace, I did just that.

As Kim Krans says, "Not visiting The Underworld (or denying its existence altogether) is what gives it dangerous power.". As a pressurized volcano eventually erupts, so too do suppressed emotions and those feelings we denied existed. That dangerous power came through for me as misdirected frustrations, misplaced anger, depression, anxiety, panic attacks and so much more. Not until I saw a therapist to confront those deep looming fears was I able to witness what this suppression was doing. While I do believe that there is a lesson to be learned in literally every situation, which i guess is "positively" looking at it, you have to be able to see it honestly and truly as it really is. To acknowledge how it feels and validate the emotions behind it to be able to truly grow from it and allow it to pass.

We cannot deny that the night exists. When it comes, we can embrace the dark. What magic lurks here? What if in the shadows we can find our most useful gift/s? Some of the most remarkable humans use what they may see as the most shameful parts or painful parts of themselves to become their best and highest selves. Artist such as Frida Kahlo with her self portraits depicting her suffering or Edvard Munch "The Scream" showing anxiety. An AA mentor using their life experience to help another through their addiction. Actors who use personal suffering to embody a character. Where might you be able to go a little deeper in an area you have been avoiding or ignoring because it is easier that way and too hard to look at directly?

We can ask, what could I actually be missing out on in life by denying The Underworld? What if i just muster up the courage and run right into it? This is by no means an easy task, and I don't want to make it seem so. It is difficult, but so is it on your soul, heart, mind, by not facing it. What if we embrace it and then on the other side you find a greater, more courageous, stronger and wiser version of yourself. Your pain can be turned into your loving power. Since this is no easy task, support is extremely valuable. Therapist, friends, family, your partner are all resources to provide the strength needed to get through. You don't have to do it alone, and if it feels like you do, then I highly recommend therapy. There is no shame in human support. We were put here with other humans for a reason and we should use the resources provided.

Then there are also times when we really and truly decide to look at that shadow. We decide to lift the covers and open our eyes and the monster we think we are seeing is really no monster at all, just simply our coat and boots that our mind conjured as a tricky illusion. Our feelings have run amok without knowing the truth of the situation.

Let us face The Underworld to reach a greater good for all.

 "Fear of life is really the fear of emotions. It is not the facts that we fear but our feelings about them." David R. Hawkins

This disclaimer ensures that the reader comprehends that while this blog can offer guidance, it shouldn't replace professional advice like that from a doctor or therapist. I am not a doctor or therapist, the above excerpt is opinion based and to be taken at your own discretion