Autumn Energy = Metal = Self Reflection

There have been some significant shifts in energy this month which I have seen reflected in the faces of my patients and in the content of our dialogue. 

Between the lunar eclipse and the full moon, it has been a potent time for self reflection and illumination of our shadow self. 

Carl Jung believed that everyone has a shadow self; the shadow holds repressed thoughts and feelings, not all of which are necessarily “bad”. 

Positive traits could be held in the shadow if those parts of ourselves were invalidated or minimized by others, leading us to repress those parts of ourselves in order to belong.

We all come into the world open and free of judgement but over time, we have experiences that cause us to judge ourselves. 

We learn from society, culture, family and our community what is considered acceptable and what is not, those unacceptable things about ourselves are pushed into the shadow.  

Sooner or later those repressed parts of ourselves tap us on the shoulder and want to be seen and expressed. When we are able to invite those parts back in, we truly belong to ourselves.

We are in alignment with our whole and authentic self when we meet with and nurture what we have repressed.

According to Jung, “Everyone carries a shadow, and the less it is embodied in the individual’s conscious life, the blacker and denser it is. At all counts, it forms an unconscious snag, thwarting our most well-meant intentions. “ 

I had the fortunate opportunity to spend three days at Kripalu Yoga and Meditation center this month, and it just happened to be at the time of the lunar eclipse. It was divine timing, indeed, as eclipses are opportunities to delve into the shadows.

I have so much gratitude for the lessons I learned, the synchronicities experienced, and the peaceful tranquility of being in a place that allows for deeper self work and self reflection. 

I was blessed to watch the sun and moon rise and set every day, to spend time in nature, and practice yoga 3 times a day, all of which allowed me to still my heart and mind. 

This was the first time in my life I have ever taken a personal retreat and I think it is a new practice I will be weaving into the fabric of my life year over year.  

November can be a very challenging month for folks; the rapidly decreasing daylight creates a sense of dread and foreboding for many. 

We are fully into the season of autumn which is associated with the emotions grief, sadness and melancholy.  The gift of this time of year is that we have the energetic support we need to look at the darker side of our psycho-spiritual self and if we are willing, to look at what has been hidden or may be hiding in plain sight. 

If we want to experience lightness, we must experience darkness. 

November is a quiet invitation to go inward and look at the aspects of one’s self that have been shoved down, tucked away, and kept hidden from ourselves for fear of our own humanity. 

Fear  that our dark feelings and dark thoughts will be “found out”, rejected and erroneously judged.  Fear that we may be “bad”, “unworthy” and “wrong”. Fear that we don’t fit into what society says we should be, or how we should think or feel.

We are all on a path of healing, regardless of how imbalanced, damaged or diseased we may be.  To heal means to become whole.

In order to become whole, we need to consider the entirety of our being, from the physical to the emotional to the spiritual. 

I invite you in these energetically contractive times to embrace your darkness, for it is part of the work of healing and becoming whole.

“Wholeness for humans depends on the ability to show their own shadow.” — Carl Jung