---

Additional Astrological Advisory

SHADOW WORK PROMPTS

Yesterday, today, tomorrow—and even the next few days thereafter—especially, especially through the symbolic darknesses and depths of Scorpio terrain: amazing, growth-supporting, self-empowering opportunities for shadow work are that much more powerfully inspired, and appropriate.

Some of you might already be privy, and even prompting this practice simply knowing that when the moon is in Scorpio it’s a prime time for it. For those of you who aren’t familiar with shadow work—allow me to introduce you…

Shadow work is when you actively pursue a new understanding of your own inner shadows—without blame or shame.

Another way of thinking about shadow work is delineating deeper meanings for the things that trigger you. There’s always a reason—much more fundamentally rooted than consciously realized—and when it’s found out: you are taking your power back, essentially, in that you’re able to actively break cycles and begin new healthy patterns.

Shadow work is all about waking up CONSCIOUSLY to those parts of ourselves that we have deemed bad, not good enough, wrong, different. When we put those parts of ourselves into an unconscious shadow, we fail to realize that anything that we cannot see actually has more power over us.

Scorpio energies are so, most naturally, associated with these notions, particularly with balance—specifically in regard to when, precisely, the medicinal nectar begins to spoil and become poisonous. In turn, when, within ourselves, does the healthy medicinal shadow become a poisonous, vacuous darkness…

Some points to consider when opening to explore within yourself more deeply—it is essential to look at the extremes: to describe, explore, and understand both what brings you joy, and what triggers pain. Further, honesty is the only way to work with your shadows—particularly when it’s harsh, ugly, and/or uncomfortable—and with yourself, in all ways, really. It’s also important to acknowledge that there is a potential for growth in even the strangest, most unfamiliar ways… even small steps forward are worth celebrating if it opens you to a new perspective of yourself.

Sadly, for whatever reason, many people are fearful, hesitant, or not at all interested in understanding themselves in deeper, darker, more meaningful ways… but it’s absolutely imperative should you seek to navigate yourself through more enlightening and personally evolving environments of growth.

Being uncomfortable with some of the aspects and angles of yourself is actually healthy…

Again—until it isn’t.

One can go too far with one’s own pain, and sadness—so far to the point of it becoming harmful, dis-eased… dangerous.

There are many ways our shadow parts show up in our conscious lives—

• Jealousy

• Addiction

• Depression

• Anxiety

• Codependency

• Creating or being part of a lot of drama in life

• Self-sabotage

• Power struggles

• Lies

• Procrastination

• Resentment

• Passive-aggressiveness

• Bitterness

• Aggression, anger and rage

• Violent behaviors and abuse

• Victimization 

• Guilt and shame

• Reactivity

• Discontentment

Your shadow will control your life and keep presenting you with uncomfortable opportunities to integrate it.

We can’t heal what we don’t see or feel—and these are the types of feelings many of us try very hard to very deeply bury within ourselves—and so it will keep causing challenges for you, make you and others miserable and sick.

Still, exploring yourself honestly and unapologetically, should be liberating—not upsetting or triggering. Sure, it might be disappointing from time to time, or even painful—but this is where healthy discomfort can actually motivate one to improve and make necessary changes, rather than consume one into an egoically tangled rut.

Here are several more hints to help you recognize how you try to shadow your shadow—

• having a lack of self-confidence; having a fear of speaking up

• blaming external circumstances

• having weak or nonexistent boundaries

• having fears around putting yourself and your creative work out into the world; a fear of judgement; procrastinating; possessing self-sabotaging patterns

• denying yourself joy or success; intentionally failing to do what you know you want to do and what is good for you

• struggling with money and possessing success issues or fears of failure; judging others who make a lot of money, or are otherwise very outwardly successful

• struggling with relational issues and dramas; having anxious or avoidant attachment styles

• allowing everything that scares you to sink deep into your shadow

What are the fears that you repeatedly have to deal with?

Even actively trying to work with yourself—and work with your fears, however rational or irrational—in such an honest and psychically raw way is something to celebrate… not fear.

Again, shadow work is not—and shouldn’t be—about blame, shame, judgement, or appropriations… it is simply the personal observations upon one’s own deeper behaviors, preferences, fears, triggers, and patterns—with the intention of delineating the root of any of these so that unconscious conditioning can be, shall we say, course-corrected to better suit your needs and personal potentials.

Here are some shadow work prompts to contemplate and consider through today and tomorrow, and through these times the moon is balsamic in Scorpio (which will occur monthly, through January)—

• What are your triggers and what caused them?

• Is there anyone you hold a grudge against? If so, what is holding you back from letting go and moving on?

• Do you feel misunderstood? If yes, what misconceptions do people have of you?

• What do you dislike about yourself most?

• What’s the worst thing you’ve ever done and why did you do it?

• Are you happy with where you are in your life? Is there anything that you can do to improve it? 

• Was your childhood negative or positive? Outline the most prominent memories that you have of your younger years.

• What is your relationship like with your family? Has your connection strengthened since you were a child or has it gotten worse?

• What are your parent’s best and worst personality traits? Do you see any of them within yourself?

• Who are you closest to in your life and do they positively reflect who you are? Are you holding on to people that don’t deserve your time and affections? Are you honestly happy in your relationships?

• Are you comfortable in your skin? If there is something that you would like to change about yourself, what is it and why?

• Do you lie to yourself to avoid addressing your fears?

• What characteristics and traits do you dislike in others?

• When are you hardest on yourself and why?

• What emotions do you tend to avoid?

• Do you enforce boundaries with others or are you the type to let people cross lines?

• How did you deal with trauma in the past and what do you do to combat it in the present?

• Are you 100% yourself around others? Do you put on a persona or mask to blend into the crowd? Do you know who you are?

• Do you forgive yourself when you have done something wrong? When you make mistakes can you move on from them or do they continue to hurt you?

• What are your toxic traits?

• Are you happy to be alone in your own company? Do you use other people to fill a void?

• Do you respond well to constructive criticism? Are you over-sensitive to any form of feedback?

• Do you allow yourself to be vulnerable in your romantic relationships? Do you put up walls around yourself and your partner or are you completely open?

• Do you accept yourself as you are?

• What is your deepest, darkest fear?

• Is there anyone in your life that you are competitive with? If yes, what caused this rivalry?

• Do you feel as though people respect you?

• What is your biggest regret and why?

• Do you have any unhealthy attachments or habits? What are you doing to curb them and why have you continued to entertain them?

• Do you practice self-care? Is there more that you could be doing for your wellbeing?

❝This confrontation is the first test of courage on the inner way, a test sufficient to frighten off most people, for the meeting with ourselves belongs to the more unpleasant things that can be avoided so long as we can project everything negative into the environment. But if we are able to see our own shadow and can bear knowing about it, then a small part of the problem has already been solved: we have at least brought up the personal unconscious. The shadow is a living part of the personality and therefore wants to live with it in some form. It cannot be argued out of existence or rationalized into harmlessness.❞

—Carl Jung