New Worlds of Body, Mind & Spirit Since 1901
When you think of darkness, or the dark within us, what comes to mind? Does it bring up uncomfortable memories, difficult emotions, or the idea of being taken over by something outside of yourself? In my experience as a therapist and coach, darkness isn't something to fear or fix, although we may believe that it is. Darkness, or shadow, is often more about what we've put there than about who we are at our core. Pulling from Carl Jung's conception of the shadow, this inner darkness is not just our anger, jealousy, or shame that cause us to act in ways that may lead to disconnection, but also our disowned talents and hidden desires that have been cast aside. Darkness can be just as much ...
Shadow work continues to become increasingly popular in a multitude of spiritual spheres, metaphysical approaches, and psychotherapeutic work. And for good reasons! Acknowledging and coming to terms with the shadow, in its all of its countless forms, allow us to develop a more complete picture of ourselves and the world around us. When it comes to metaphysics and magickal practice, what do you think of when hearing the term "shadow?" Perhaps the most obvious association, and undoubtedly the most important, is that of the inner shadow. In a Jungian sense, the shadow self is the unconscious aspect of the mind, where traumas, pain, and unresolved challenges are compartmentalized for the ...
The term "energy healing" conjures different images for different people. We often think of energy healing as something deliberate; we may envision a person laying their hands on another, or placing crystals on their body, or playing singing bowls that are aligned with specific chakras. We may also assume that anyone who practices energy healing must have undertaken intensive training, and is probably actively involved in healing circles, reiki shares, and other healing practices. Energy healing is a vast topic, which can make it difficult to know where to start. There are many books, websites, guides, and healers, that the whole thing can feel overwhelming. Not to mention that there are ...
In the old Highland folkcraft ways, magickal protection arose from deep knowing and ancestral remembrance, from standing as one with the land as kith and kin, held in right relationship with the genius loci. Imagine you are standing on the highest mountain top in the Highlands of Scotland. You feel the caress of the wind speaking to you in its own language. You feel anchored and grounded in the ancient, weathered soil beneath your feet, alive with ancient memory. There are no borders here, no straight lines, nor edges imposed by human hand, only the presence of power and place within the Highlands. You lift your arm with respect, extending the power finger, the index, just before the ...
