Aspire Magazine: Inspiration for a Woman's Soul.(TM) Dec/Jan 2019 Aspire Magazine Final | Page 59

The essence of shadow work is to get in touch with all that we are, embrace our wildness, embody our deep knowing, and reconnect with our Divine Sacredness. By keeping a shadow journal monthly, you are saying yes to stepping towards a more completely integrated and accessible acceptance of the whole-ly and holy of who you are. Practicing the Ritual of SHADOW WORK Practicing the ritual of shadow work takes commitment and courage. It’s a process to be cultivated and embraced. Setting aside a time each month to conquer those pesky shadows is how you start. I set aside time 2 or 3 days away from the new moon lunar phase to dive deep into the darkness of my shadows. During this time the energy is ripe to face the darkness. I sit down with my journal, pen and a candle and I start my ritual. Before beginning to write I get comfortable, sit a few minutes in silence and set an intention. The process then begins by asking yourself questions to journal upon. As you start this ritual for yourself a few things to remember are be gentle with yourself, its not always easy to face the monsters that lurk within. Remember your shadow is an important part of you, each shadow is a message to work with and befriend. Lastly, this is a way to understand more deeply about yourself and work on releasing wounds and beliefs systems that are not yours. Journal Prompts for SHADOW WORK : 1. In what ways do you feel judge yourself? Explore how many of these judgments might originate from someone else. Who was this person, when do you remember it beginning, what was the circumstance? 2.  What are your fears? How do these fears influence your relationships, everyday decisions, your desires, needs and wants? Our fears 90% never happen. Fears keep us stuck and unable to move forward. 3. What are your inner wounds that won’t heal? Allow yourself to acknowledge your wounds. Some of our wounds are self-inflicted. When we don’t take responsibility, we disempower our self and wounds don’t heal. 4. Where are you lacking self-bliss? Self-love and self-compassion in your 59 Working with our shadow is like finding our Spiritual gifts. I know this was true for me. For example, I discovered true Goddess given talents, dormant passions, my creative genius and spiritual gifts, such as self-love, self-compassion, forgiveness and open- mindedness within my shadows.