Episode 13 - You Are Strong Enough for Shadow Work

Are you ready to call in your feminine strength in your shadow work journey?

Join me in this week’s episode as we prove you are strong enough for shadow work and provide guidance for a safe and empowering experience.

Together we’ll begin:

🌿 Exploring the significance and empowerment of shadow work, emphasizing that it can be transformative and life-changing when approached with awareness, acceptance, and accountability.

🌿 Acknowledging the triggering aspects of shadow work, both in personal experiences and the role of external systems, while emphasizing the importance of creating a safe and sacred container for this work.

🌿 Encouraging bravery and reclaiming power on the feminine path by seeking support from ancestors, archetypes, and community, and highlighting the significance of honoring our lineage and signaling openness to growth.

Feel the call to your own shadow work but want to do it within a loving sisterhood? Join us
August 21st at 7PM Eastern | 4PM Pacific
for a live shadow season ceremony:

Show Notes:

Hey sister. Welcome to episode Lucky/Sacred Number 13 of Rooted Feminine. It is the final episode in our Shadow Work series, and so we will be bringing this topic to a close. It's been fun to explore this buzzwordy type topic, especially in the spiritual space, and to examine it through the feminine lens and an empowering lens, right?

We'll talk about how it doesn't have to be shitty and how you can do it without becoming obsessed. And in today's episode, you are absolutely strong enough for this. You're strong enough to do this work, and sometimes it's hard and ugly, but you're absolutely strong enough.

That's what we're gonna cover today, and I'm really looking forward to empowering you through this concept. As a reminder, next week is our wisdom event. We're gonna have a circle called Womb Work, three energies to support you in your Shadow Work, even if you've never been to the dark side.

This event is designed for those of you looking for an initiation into a season of Shadow Work. Even if this is your first intentional and guided experience with Shadow Work, this workshop is totally appropriate. As a reminder, I am a former licensed psychotherapist, so I'm trauma-informed and able to hold safe and productive spaces for this work. Even if you're familiar with Shadow Work, the event will still be valuable. We'll have energetic practices and work with archetypal energies.

So, it will be educational and ceremonial. We'll learn about archetypes and their role in Shadow Work, how they can help us, and how we can seek their support and guidance. Then we'll engage in ceremony as well. I can't wait to have you join us again. The event is on August 21st at 7:00 PM Eastern, 4:00 PM Pacific. If you can't be there live, you can register for the replay. But if you can join us live, it'll be more beneficial and create a sisterhood feeling.

So, try to be there if you can and save your spot at rootedfeminine.com/shadow. Shadow Work can be scary, right? You're signing up to look at all the painful stuff you've been through or done to others. It's a sobering experience as you see the roles you played in the crappiest times of your life. Of course, let's make it clear that there are things that happened to you that are not your fault.

Separating the idea of role and fault is important. You're not at fault for abuse or certain traumas. You can think about how you had a role in those situations without assigning blame or shame. When you realize the role you played, it can be eye-opening and sobering. There's a tendency to blame and shame ourselves, but through Shadow Work, we aim to become aware, accept, and take accountability. However, this doesn't apply to certain traumas where you had no fault or responsibility.

When it comes to things like cheating, breaking someone's heart, or lying, those are part of your Shadow Work. You can have awareness, acceptance, and accountability for those actions. Before doing Shadow Work, you might blame the other person in a relationship, but as you delve into it, you realize your own contributions. It's a sobering effect when you examine your behavior objectively.

Besides being sobering, Shadow Work can also be triggering. That's why it's crucial to create a sacred and safe space and choose knowledgeable guides. You'll explore the roles of others and the impact of systems like the judicial system, police system, or school system. I've personally experienced Shadow Work around the school system, being told I was too much and should be quiet in class.

I remember an instance in eighth grade where I was skipped during a pop quiz because I had already answered multiple questions. It felt shameful and like I was doing something wrong. This may seem insignificant to others, but it's a memory that has stayed with me for over 20 or 30 years.

And it's still stuck with me. So when I'm doing this trigger work or the shadow work of not having a voice, or when I'm doing this shadow work of being too much, these are the memories that will come up and trigger me. I'll see other people's role in it and my role in it, right?

People and systems, like the school system and the healthcare system, can be triggering. I have medical anxiety and certain things around the medical system trigger me as well. So not only will it sober you up to your role in certain things, but it also has the potential to trigger you when examining other people's roles or system roles, right?

No doubt that trigger or shadow work is scary, but it's also necessary. Shadow work can be life-changing when you go through the process. Remember awareness, acceptance, and accountability. That's the shadow work process. Become aware of the situation, like what happened in that eighth-grade civics classroom. Understand why you were triggered or ashamed.

Become aware of your side and the other person's side. Gain acceptance around the situation. It happened, it sucked, and it embarrassed you. Take accountability. Is there anything you need to make amends for? Is there something you need to apologize for or take responsibility for? That's accountability.

Through this process of awareness, acceptance, and accountability, big shifts happen. Remember, you're not broken, and your shadow doesn't need fixing. But you can show up in a more soul-aligned and empowered way. You are absolutely strong enough for this. It may be challenging, but you are strong enough.

When you doubt your strength, you play into the patriarchal narrative that women are weaker. But we have the ability to reclaim our power. We can honor our ancestors by doing this work, by looking at generational patterns, breaking curses, and being cycle breakers. We have the power to write our own narrative and signal to the universe that we're open to growth.

Flex your bravery muscles on the feminine path. Ask for help. The feminine path is communal, and we build community. Call on your ancestors and guides in your practices. You don't have to be alone spiritually, energetically, or physically. Reach out to friends or join a supportive community like Rooted.

Next week, we're having a free event where we'll work with the Seductress, Witch, and Dark Goddess archetypes. Learn about them, their support, and engage in embodiment and energetic practices. If you're looking for feminine support and community in your shadow work journey, join us for the Shadow Work event.

You are strong enough and can do this in community. Save your spot at rootedfeminine.com/shadow. I'll see you next week for the event and back with another episode. See you in Temple Space.