Facing Your Shadow

There was once a young boy (in the mind of Walt Disney) who desperately chased his shadow. His name was Peter Pan. As the story goes, there was much struggle in this chase, as his shadow remained elusive until finally it was caught, and with the help of Peter’s new friend, Wendy, it was sewn back onto Peter’s body; thereby, making Peter whole once again. An interesting part of this tale is that Peter first had to stop chasing in order to accept his shadow before it could be reattached to him. 

In Peter’s case, his shadow represented a lost part of himself–his maturity and connection to the “real” or adult world, but because Peter was more aligned with forever staying young, his shadow came to symbolize a deep inner conflict about growing up.

We all have a Shadow.

And not just the physical one made from the play of light and darkness; but from the one created from pieces of ourselves that we hide, avoid, loathe, or suppress. We stow the shadow away until we’re ready (if ever) to hold it or we’re forced to face it.

We usually fear it…. What will happen if the truth comes out? Will I be looked at or thought of differently? Will it consume me or control my life? Will it stigmatize me forever into a ball of shame?

This is what we do with trauma or those parts of ourselves we feel are too ugly to bear. But by tucking them away, we’re only adding to the shame, guilt, fear, anger, rage…. Whatever our emotional baggage may be.

I did a workshop many years ago in which I talked about our emotional wounds–our “baggage” and compared this to actual pieces of luggage…. A small handbag, a purse, a backpack, a duffel bag, and the granddaddy of them all–a steamer trunk. I chose this example of the different sizes of luggage to represent the various types of shadows that come along for the ride of life. And don’t think you’re not carrying at least one of them, if not all of them in your luggage set. (When they become too heavy or before they do, crushing your body and spirit to the ground, please ask for help–whether you turn to a trusted friend, advisor, mentor, or counselor.)

The “symptoms” of the unacknowledged shadow show up in different ways:

• We remain silent out of a fear of negative consequences for ourselves or others if we speak up or speak out.

• We rage at the machine or at injustices that evoke a similar response, not a loving and kind one.

• We swallow our childhood abuse and trauma due to deep shame and hurt, which turns into progressive, physical illness or disease.

• We live an unbalanced lifestyle, driven by a belief system based in social or cultural conditioning or a limited perspective of personal power.

We must face our shadows to allow us to heal and find true balance and authenticity within ourselves.

Light cannot exist without the darkness.

I said: “What about my heart?”
He said: “Tell me what you hold inside it.”
I said: “Pain and sorrow.”
He said: “Stay with it. The wound is the place where the Light enters you.”
–Rumi

The natural world provides us with an arena for doing this very important shadow work. The physical world holds us, shows us, teaches us, and ultimately loves us. The unseen world is always whispering within our hearts–”Become whole again. You are not your pain.”

Within our physical reality, we are blessed with the soulful presence of animals. A powerful team of spiritual guides. But we tend to sidestep around the ones that scare us or frighten us, or those that disgust us….

The Snake

The Spider

The Rat

The Lizard

But could these creatures, also of the same world with the puppies and the kittens, have something to teach us about ourselves? Might they represent a shadow part that has been waiting to be seen, to be heard, to be healed?

I say Yes.

I say do not waste another day without sitting with this part of you that yearns to be acknowledged. In doing so, you may find that your Shadow may become your friend, your ally, or your trusted companion, instead of a dreaded or feared enemy.

And as for Peter Pan?

After becoming reattached with his Shadow, he decided he wanted to remain forever young, and chose to remain in Neverland.

And as for Wendy?

She decided that she wanted to return home to England and to grow up into an adult with her own family.

Both embraced their true nature. Their missing pieces were returned.

I gently encourage you, dear reader, to embrace your own missing pieces…. Whatever they may be.

Face your Shadow.

Til next we meet in the forest….

Love,

Amanda♥️