Showing posts with label immrama. Show all posts
Showing posts with label immrama. Show all posts

Monday, April 23, 2012

Shadow work- an introduction

There comes a point in every soul's spiritual development when we must face the less pleasant parts of our soul.  Shadow work is a good description of this process.  Shadows are merely places where light i not seen due to being blocked. Once we understand this, we can rearrange or remove the block so that we can see the light again.

Each of us has a very different experience with the dark places inside.  Some people ignore them, others embrace them, and most of us fall somewhere between.  Even once we acknowledge these places, we all react differently. There is nothing wrong with that, it's simply part of being individuals.

Examining our shadows takes several things: courage, a willingness to understand, compassion towards ourselves, and honesty. These are not always the easiest things to summon up, so i would recommend holding off on shadow work when you are in crisis, ill or in need of serious spiritual and/or psychological help.  When you undertake this part of your Otherworld journeys, I recommend you write down your experiences, reactions and any illuminations your receive. They have a way of making repeat performances when we least expect.

Shadow work is not comfortable.  It's not meant to be; it is about honoring all that is within us, accepting past actions and experiences and incorporating the lessons learned from darker experiences into ourselves to be whole.  By accepting those parts of ourselves that cause shame, despair and pain, we can let go of their influence and heal.

Friday, March 18, 2011

Welcome!

This is an offshoot of my Cauldron Full of Stars project, but this one is different. This blog is very personal and dear to me. Here, I will share some of my spirit journeys with you and give you guideposts for taking your own voyages/journeys of the spirit.  This is something I feel passionate about, and it has changed my life for the better.

"It is only in adventure that some people succeed in knowing themselves- in finding themselves."  -Andre Gide

This is an adventure that takes you inside yourself.  Each place visited is a lesson.  Each being met, a teacher.
I have thought out what I want share of this voyage.  Some of the stops that I have made will not be to your liking; we all have different lessons to learn and different psyches.  Some stops come from ancient stories, others from more modern sources, like guided meditations or folklore.  I will cite these, so you can go back and experience them for yourself, if you'd like.  Others are places that I have visited in my journeys. The inner landscape changes frequently.  Some places are mundane, others exotic.  Some places are full of magic that is not bound by the physics of the outer world.  They are still real, just not as tangible.  Feel free to skip around the way posts.  Once you begin to journey, the road will not disappear.  If you need, or want, to retrace your footsteps, you can.  Don't be afraid of breaking new ground.  You are safe here.

Visit the places you are comfortable with, visit places that you create or that you are drawn to.  Your lessons, and your teachers, will be different from mine.  I am merely giving you a copy of my map.  You may explore places that I never dreamed of, and that is wonderful.  Please feel free to share these experiences here.  Ask questions, look for answers, seek help.  This journey is one that takes time and effort.  Some lessons begin painfully, maybe you need to confront your past or current behavior, maybe you need to let go of the things that hold you back in life. Don't let uncomfortable experiences scare you off.  Maybe you need a mirror so that you can see yourself, good and bad.  Whatever your life lesson is, these journeys can help you create the life you want, by helping you to learn yourself.

The posts in this blog will be individual segments of the journey.  I did not experience these all in one go, and I don't expect that you will either.  They have happened over several years, a piece at a time.  If you'd like some background about spiritual journeys or an explanation of my methods for "traveling", please check the stand alone pages on at the top of this blog.

Blessings,

The Cauldron Keeper