Carl Jung's work is popular to quote in witchcraft spaces. As with any work by a human being, it is subject to bias and imperfection. Jung himself did not call Jungian Psychology “Shadow-Work.” But I can see how witches would gravitate towards the idea of shadow work. Witchcraft itself that is often seen as a shadowy practice. It's something to keep secret, especially in the south. But on witchtok it's a popular idea that to be a good witch, you have to work with your shadow.
In my personal experience there is some truth to this.
The more popular idea of shadow work I've seen on the internet is closely echoed by Scott Jeffrey's idea of the shadow. On his website he explains “Anything incompatible with our chosen conscious attitude about ourselves...Everything we deny in ourselves—whatever we perceive as inferior, evil, or unacceptable—becomes part of the shadow.” Maggie Colwell, a licensed therapist and Jungian dream analyst explained “if consciousness is light, the things that you can see, the things that you’re aware of, then the things that fall outside of the light and are in the dark are, they’ve fallen in shadow.”
Both perspectives give us something to gain. Something to think on. From the white male, self-taught CEO echoing the more popular idea of “shadow work,” to the queer art therapist speaking from experience on Jungian psychology. The practice of working on both the unconscious and the conscious shame society has taught us is a worthwhile endeavor, in my humble opinion.
As a southern queer I grew up with Christianity as my first religious practice. As time went on I learned to find the beauty in every religion I have encountered. Such as with people, religion has it's good and it's bad. It's light and it's shadow. Christianity is a good example of this type of work. The followers of Christ see themselves as good. However those outside of the religion can often see it's shadow.
It seems a big part of shadow work is forgiving the parts you don't like about yourself. One of the more “light” aspects of Christianity that influenced me was the idea of forgiveness. The Bible talks about forgiving your self and others. I still hear Joyce Meyer's voice talking about how forgiveness is not for them, it's for you. “Resentment is like drinking poison and waiting for the other person to die.” Later on I learned she did not come up with that quote herself. It's attributed to many people such as Nelson Mandela, St. Augustine, and Buddha.
It seems no matter the religion, forgiving your self for the things you hate about you, the parts you wish didn't exist- is a form of releasing the poison your hold in yourself. We can understand the shadow side as the 'bad parts.” Some of these shadows are bad. Some are just misunderstood. Some are just angry and need to be loved.
It sems to me, accepting only the good in yourself is a form of being out of balance with nature. As witches we understand the importance of balance. We celebrate seasonal changes, and honor the necessity of death within one's life. These changes are all a part of the balance of what we deem good and evil, light and dark, easy and difficult. All of this is up for interpretation. What is lit up and what is in shadow depends on where you are standing.
As humans we have been programmed to lie, cheat, and steal as a form of survival. Without the ability to do these things humanity would not have survived the way it did. Do I condone it? No. Do I accept that while a painful truth, it is the truth of life? Yes. The unacknowledged cannot be changed. The unacknowledged often fights for control, secretly, becoming more and more angry until it takes over, and you do things you do not hold in your character.
When I realized this I wanted to go all in. I wanted to be sooo good at shadow work in my practice. However I realized striving to finish your shadow work so you can be healed and perfect is another form of the shadow. It cannot always be healed, it may be integrated and accepted. Or it may need to be accepted and fought as is, if the shadow is something particularly heinous.
I think of the song Sympathy Magic by Florence + the Machine. She sings
"I do not find worthiness in virtue, I no longer try to be good.
I didn't keep me safe, like you told me that it would."
In Witch Dance she sings, “After all there's nobody more monstrous than me.”
If you are a witch on the internet, you have most definitely heard the phrase “A witch who cannot curse cannot heal.” I think it's also true that a witch who has not looked at their shadow, is one that cannot see their true light.
All of this also relates to queerness. Often, especially in younger folks, the queer self is the shadow self. The one that was taught to repress it's own longings, the things it loves, and the things it hates, for the comfort of others.
If being lesbian, gay, transgender, or queer in any form is looked down upon by your upbringers, of course it will be come a shadow. In both the psychological shadow (unconscious) and the shadow self (conscious, but ashamed) sense of the words. So much so that the self-hatred that forms in one's body may never be fully healed. But through working with a good therapist and a little magic, I think we can heal this “shadow"self. Or at least see them from a different perspective.
Coming out of the closet is shadow work. It is bringing the shadow into the light to finally see how colorful, beautiful, and fun life can be. Accepting your queerness is accepting all the things society, family, and religion taught you was the darkness. You may come to realize your queerness was actually your light.
Some queer people are at the place of acceptance, some are at the point of fully loving and integrating the queerness into their lives. Forming your life around your queer identity after shedding the skin of their past, is often one of the scariest, most loving and brave things one can do for themselves.
So here I have tried to create a space where queer mystics, or as I like to call them “Mystical Violets” (yes, a Sappho reference) can explore their queer identity and their magical identity. Whether you are in the closet, in the broom closet, or coming out of a closet to find beauty in your shadows- I hope you find something here that helps you heal, accept, and find the magic within yourself.
I love you,
Candice
Links/Sources
https://www.thesap.org.uk/articles-on-jungian-psychology-2/about-analysis-and-therapy/the-shadow/
https://www.reddit.com/r/Jung/comments/1gxynv3/the_definitive_shadow_work_guide_by_a_jungian/?rdt=34873
https://scottjeffrey.com/shadow-work/
https://columbusarttherapy.com/the-truth-about-shadow-work-and-carl-jung/
https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/how_different_religions_practice_forgiveness