What is Your “Shadow?”

The famous psychologist Carl Jung coined the term Shadow Self and defined it as “that which we think we are not.” He believed that studying the tarot and using it as a divination tool can help us to understand ourselves better and develop a pathway to the soul. In other words, tarot helps us connect to and CREATE a soul by way of deep psychological study (mindfulness,) which means a dedication to understanding the underlying urges and impulses, demands of the ego, and subconscious desires that drive our thoughts and actions. Understanding our Shadow means identifying the things about us that we fear or are ashamed of. For instance, a fear of being found sexually undesirable might result in thoughts and behaviors centered around sexual deviancy. Shadow work is about spending time with the darker aspects of our psyche with love and acceptance, in order to forgive ourselves for these thoughts and feelings so we can begin to heal and behave in healthier ways.