Next to the Law of Attraction, the ascension process seems the favorite topic in New Age spirituality these days. Loads of channeled information about the journey of Gaia and her inhabitants
toward higher states of frequency flood the planet on a daily basis. From itching toes to cardiac problems, there is very little left that is not called an “ascension symptom” yet what is rarely
mentioned is the unpleasant fact that all of these symptoms point us toward something we would much rather ignore.
To ignore that which is washed to the surface right now, however, is to defy the ascension process itself because THAT IS the purpose of the rising energies on this planet. There are those who
believe that the elevated vibrations on this Earth will automatically propel us to the next level of evolution if we just sit and wait it out. That is not how I see it.
What I see is that it is the job of these spiking energies to bring to the surface that which needs to be transformed within us. Naturally, then ascension symptoms are part of that process, as
they shed light on the areas where we hold resistance.
A while ago, I came out of a meditation with a statement in my mind that since then has burned itself into my neo-cortex: There is only Love—and resistance to it.
Love energy vibrates on an incredibly high frequency and as the purpose of the ascension process is to align organisms with these rising frequencies on Earth, whatever issues arise for us on the
inner and outer planes, they are important markers for us as they point us toward the areas in which we practice resistance that require our attention.
Such issues can be purely physical, simply because our vehicles ache under the tension caused by the increasing energy field in which we exist, and now we are being asked to attend to whatever we
can do to lighten this burden for our bodies.
The other, less popular, aspect of this is the stuff that comes up for us on the mental/emotional planes. Themes (especially when they are recurring) flying in our faces during this time are
potent reminders that we have work to do—and what a gift for us that the spiking energies on Earth so accurately point us to what needs to be healed!
In fact, the time was never better for the healing of such wounds. The problem is just that the work it requires is not soooo popular.
”One does not become enlightened by imagining figures of light but by making the darkness conscious.” Carl Gustav Jung
Nobody said it better than Carl G. Jung and few offered a more powerful approach to shadow work than this initiate of the last century.
But what exactly is shadow work and how is it done?
A shadow is a part of the content of our psyche that has been suppressed to such an extent that it is now buried in the recesses of the unconscious, meaning we are not even consciously aware it
exists. The reason why it was suppressed in the first place is usually to be found in our upbringing alongside cultural and collective conditionings. For a myriad of reasons, the environment we
were born into did not allow for such energies to be expressed, so we made sure to hide this aspect of ourselves so that no one would see it. Doing so allowed us to continually cling to the
illusory sense of safety and belonging one gains from being part of a cultural and communal structure.
What happens when you suppress something to the extent that it is no longer seen? You give it power. It has no choice but to fight for its existence by pushing through to make itself seen or
heard. And the way this happens is through projection. We unconsciously project that part of our psyche we are unaware of. As Robert Johnson puts it:
“Unless we do conscious work on it, the shadow is almost always projected, neatly laid on to someone or something else so we don’t have to take responsibility for it.”
Of course, who is eager to face their own shortcomings, weaknesses and negative aspects (judged by human standards)? Who wants to admit to being selfish, weak, dependent, manipulative, and many
more unpleasant things?
The answer: Those who strive to realize the Truth.
It so happens that within the darkness of our psyche resides the potential to achieve higher states of consciousness and hence experience freedom from the constrains of our 3D awareness. It is
the Prima Materia, as Jung calls the primal substance of the unconscious, that holds the key to our salvation. By shedding light on the darkness and making ourselves aware of our suppressed
aspects, we liberate ourselves from binding emotions and set the stage to go Home.
No funny business, nope. But necessary and well worth it.
How do we start? By looking at what triggers us. Any emotional reaction we have is indicative of a triggered shadow aspect within us. That co-worker you can’t stand, the bus driver who is always
late, your brother’s girlfriend who you cannot stand … what are the characteristics you reject in them? Sit down, sit still, feel into your heart and with all the courage and sincerity you can
muster up, ask yourself: Do I have some of that within me as well?
Acknowledge, accept, forgive yourself … and fold your hands in prayer to give thanks to those who served as projection surfaces for you so you could continue to growth and enlighten
yourself.
How do you know you have truly enlightened that dark aspect and released the shadow? You will feel a rush of energy. You will feel either relieved or elated, or both. At first, perhaps tired, but
in most cases the release of that trapped energy causes a surge of power in your system. The last time I did successful shadow work, I ended up cleaning my whole apartment, including washing
windows and floors all afternoon without tiring and singing mantras the entire time!
For a shadow aspect to be released from our psyche or cellular memory, the power applied must be greater than the energy that our system has used to hold it into place. Hence, the moment you
direct the spotlight of your awareness on it to make it conscious, you crack it open and all the energy is released in one bust.
You have done amazingly well. You have faced what most humans attempt to avoid their entire lives, and you have moved one step closer toward our inner liberation.
In fact, you have now found the Philosopher’s Stone, the essential substance of your psychic structure that can now work to transform you, liberate yourself from the prison of the matrix and set
your free. For freedom is with those who know themselves.
