Know Yourself: Become One

Greetings everyone.

This post will be very long, thank you for your attention, and time.

Shadow Work: Meeting Yourself

I would like to write in more detail about shadow work. I have already shared part of my thoughts on this topic, (In Iotron) and in this post I will expand on them.

What is the shadow, and what is the concept of the shadow?

This concept is often associated with Carl Jung. I also drew inspiration and knowledge from his work.

The Shadow and the Lower Worlds

I believe that "hell" (the underworld) is an allegorical concept for the hidden sides of a person, the ones they most often run from and try to suppress as much as they can. Nietzsche, for example, is said to have put it this way: "To rise to heaven, one must put down roots in hell." I believe this metaphor means that in order to earn "heaven" (the higher self, your daemon), you must first descend into the underworld, meaning you must get to know your shadow, and not only get to know it but integrate it into your life. After that, you rise from there into the world of illusions, where, having come to know your whole self, you are cleansed of illusions. In this concept, Poseidon is the one who "washes away" illusions. When you truly learn who you are, you open your eyes and begin to notice the illusions created by your own fear and anxiety. "People suffer more in imagination than in reality." After that you become conscious, and the door opens to "Heaven," to Zeus, where you unite with the true Self and become one.

A sequence for clarity: the lower world of "Hades" (your traumas, your suppressed self, desires, and fears) → acceptance and integration of these qualities into everyday life → cleansing from illusions and awareness ("Poseidon") → awareness and unity (Heaven, "Zeus").

How to know yourself better and meet your shadow

According to Carl Jung, the people around us are our mirrors, through which we can come to know ourselves better. For example, you are standing in line at the checkout and someone cuts in and goes to the front. Your likely reaction? Displeasure and aggression. Now look at it as a mirror of yourself: why might this have made you so angry? Many will say, "Because they broke the order," but I think the truth is far more interesting. Ask yourself, why did I get so angry? Because he did what I wanted to do but didn't allow myself. He did what you yourself wanted, right before your eyes, and allowed himself to do it.

Does this mean you should break the rules and give free rein to your hidden desires and impulses? Partly yes, and partly no. You must learn to integrate your shadow in such a way that it doesn't harm society, and above all yourself. It is better to integrate it safely than not to integrate it at all.

Your strength and hidden talents

The brighter the light, the deeper its shadow. If in everyday life you are a very positive, kind, gentle person, your shadow is most likely the complete opposite, and you may secretly be harsh and domineering. Your hidden talents may be the very ones you have always tried to hide. Do you have huge, aggressive, pure energy that you suppress? You could make a good fighter, warrior, or athlete, for example. Your shadow is a generator of your vital force, and according to Jung the shadow cannot be "killed," and even if it were possible, it could lead to "psychic death."

Where does the shadow come from?

Remember your childhood, and the moment when you wanted to do or say something but weren't allowed, and that desire was suppressed in you. Were you free and full of energy? Your parents might have said to you: "Be more modest, be more obedient, don't do that, it's not nice, don't do this, it's shameful, people will look at us funny! My friend's son is better, don't embarrass me in front of her!" After that a barrier appears in you that FOREVER repeats your parent's voice. Even if you live alone, that voice has become a copy of what you were told in childhood, and after that you closed yourself off.

"If I do this, people will look at me funny..." This is not your thought, it's an echo of your parent's words. What you consider your own thought never even was your thought, but only a command.

Kundalini and the Shadow

This part of my article may be unusual and controversial, but I want to share it.

I believe the Shadow is an essential part of the rising of kundalini. As many have heard, when the serpent rises, it destroys all barriers, blocks, and traumas, and it can manifest what you feared, your traumas, and in general, if you have serious blocks, it can harm you badly. This is where work with the Shadow comes in.

Please try sitting in a calm environment when you are alone, put your phone aside, stay alone with yourself, and let all thoughts come and go as if you were a spectator and not a participant. Hear yourself, hear your desires, write them down somewhere or say them out loud, and don't be ashamed of them.

Then ask yourself: why do I want X? For example, you want fame: why do I want fame? So that I'm noticed and admired. "Why do I want to be admired and noticed?" Because I was told in childhood that if I don't do X well enough, someone will be better than me, that love must be earned. "And what do you really want, then?" Love, I want to experience love. "Then answer me once more: do you need fame, or love after all?" I need love.

That was one example. I don't want to chew through all of it, because the whole practice would lose its meaning. Everyone has an individual shadow, and you have to think for yourselves too. I only open the doors to the shadow and extend a hand.

And now, back to kundalini. When you become one with yourself, you begin to understand who you are, what you want, and what you need to do for it, and in this way you can work through your traumas and blocks.

"How can I be substantial if I do not cast a shadow? I must have a dark side also if I am to be whole." - Carl Jung

Remember, a Hero isn't someone who has no secret desires or fears, but someone who keeps moving forward despite everything.

Thank you for your attention and time.

-Andranox

Hail Queen Aphrodite! Hail Lord Ares! Hail Lord Apollon!