prayer: - health wealth love - deeper closer healthier connections with those I love... - healing, on every level, in every way, for all of us - to be radically honest, with everyone, about everything - financial freedom - twin-flame reunion - a tribe of real friends - for all of us to thrive off our talents and passions... - blissful magical wonderous joy, always, in all ways...
Somehow the very act of watching and listening to your vids on shadowwork, is immediately triggering inner work. Things you say bring instant associations or pull up memories and thoughts that might need exploration. I loved the past half hour, I'll be on the lookout for more of this good stuff. Thanx
have been doing shadow work for decades, stumbling along without really knowing exactly what i was doing, in order to process and heal from profound childhood abuse and all the problems that created for me in my adult life. journaling, art, music, dream work, tarot, ritual and meditation have all been invaluable. and yes, my goals for meditation are to allow what comes up to come up and be felt, released, processed, and/or revisited in a dedicated shadow work session. took me a little while to figure out what meditation was and how it is useful to me. so many thanks to your videos, your wisdom and inspiration. xoxoxo
I started meditating before shadow work and even before reading tarot as a tool to help me remain balanced. I feel it has helped me be fair to myself and non-judgemental. Sometimes it just helps me 'be' without any emotion just as an observer. That really helped me with my confidence and anxiety, over the past few years - just being an observer.
This is interesting. According to your video, I have been partaking in shadow work since I was a child. My mother says I've been an adult since the day I was born, and I've used my awareness to analyze my entire life as it was happening, as well as in hindsight. I am 22 years old now, and at this point I am moving more into a spiritual aspect of this "shadow work." I definitely connect with your ideas about memory work. It is important to work through and heal from negative memories. I have also found that viewing those memories from the POV of someone who hurt you helps as well. Understanding their humanity can help resolve personal pain caused by their actions, forgiving the human even if you can't forgive the actions. I'll probably create a spiritual safe space and work with meditation more often. Nice video :)
what you are explaining is also done almost to a T in the clinical field via EMDR for people with PTSD. Interesting:) Your method is much more spiritual....and cheaper Im sure.
This is the clear, straightforward guidance I've been looking for. Thank you for being so practical as well as candid. My therapist gives me exercises to do but I feel like this is more helpful "framework" style advice to help me actually do those tasks (which are, unsurprisingly, all about looking into that void of what the hell is going on behind my problems!)
I realize I've been doing shadow work for years without having the language for it. In fact, I think my entire first book is probably all a result of my shadow work! Love your videos on shadow work. I always get ideas for how to deepen my practices.
Oh dear! I found your video at 4 in the morning and just had to watch in on the spot, which is why I lack the brain capacity to say everything I want to say, ask everything I want to ask, and follow every thought I've thought in regards to all these genius aspects! So I'll just send you mad witchy love for now. I'm sure I'll return to this video more than once!
I for one am pretty new at shadow work in itself as I find that I tend to push back nasty thoughts and I force myself to feel that sensation of ''just being over it'' - Looking back now, I can see that that's not a 'healthy habit' for my mind or psyche... I do sometimes tend to 'fall' in to shadow work unexpectedly, It can be watching a movie, or listening to a song that takes me back to my childhood and stirs up some whirlwind emotions that kind of gets me in the mood to sit there and think about it, journal or meditate on the emotions that have risen to the surface. *Would you say that when you plan to have a shadow work session, do you just see what ''pops up'' or do you intentionally try to work of a particular area of your life? For me I feel, like I said before, it's pretty unexpected, sometimes I feel like I haven't done shadow work in a while and I think about going in deep, but if at that moment in time I'm in a fucking rocking mood, I step back from shadow work...I guess in order to feel like I'm not changing my mood? Does this make sense? I do love these Shadow Work videos, they are trully inspiring Miss Maddox! Thank you! xx
You have helped me so much in these last few weeks to delve into shadow work... You've helped me not only with confronting the painful issues in both my past and present, but also with using shadow work to transform all that darkness and pain into forgiveness, strength, and love... I have only just begun this journey, but I feel like I've made tremendous strides so far (the first few steps are probably always the hardest) and I can't thank you enough. Thank you for living your truth and sharing it with the rest of us... This kind of positive impact is literally transformative and life-changing for all those you've touched in the online community. 🙂 Blessed be. 🌙🌟✨
OMG, I'm so glad to hear that I'm not the only one to use stickers for little notification/reminders/"hey, look at me" sections in my journals! Here I am a grown woman and still using stickers but they are so useful (ok, and they bring out the kid in me too)! This video was so helpful for me. My toolbox of things that I can do for shadow work is overflowing:) I have recently started writing my dreams down and found myself trying to explain why I thought I had dreamed that particular thing. I wasn't sure if others did this in their dream journals but it felt right so I did it. I hadn't really given it thought as to the fact that I was actually doing shadow work. I also feel that that is why we enjoy doing our Leonie Dawson books. They, in themselves include quite a bit of shadow work. I have found them very helpful in being more present for myself, something that I think causes a lot of not so great issues in my life in general. Thanks for your videos. They really help! Much love and light)O( GiddyNightOwl
i'm so glad i found your channel. and i feel that your shadow work videos will help with work place patterns that i've been experiencing over the years. so i've got my sleeved rolled up and i'm ready to get elbows deep in my shadow muck. thank you for shining like a light house.
This video couldn't have come at a better time! When I saw it was posted, I was actually taking a short break from a particularly intense shadow work session, so I was very excited to watch this! I have been dealing with some issues and emotions that I have kept bottled up since childhood, and when I started this process about a week ago, I thought I knew the source of the problem, but once I got into it, I was taken someplace else. This process has been very emotionally draining, but has allowed me to unlock so much of myself that I have kept hidden away, and while I'm very scared to go deeper because I know I will have to access a lot of emotional trauma, I know that it will be very beneficial in the long run. I thought it was very interesting what you were saying about meditation because that first day, I was very emotional. I went to my altar and meditated, but it was the usual kind of meditation. I hugged my knees to my chest so I was sitting in the fetal position and cried and cried and cried. I begged my guides to give me the strength to get through this process. But I came to the realization that I have to deal with this on my own. I can't thank you enough for posting this video! Please keep them coming!
This is fantastic! Thank you for this, I've always been uncertain about where to start in shadow work. Your videos on your personal shadow work journey have been super inspiring and I was wanting a bit of a framework to start it myself. Also, I always get mad synchronicity whenever I watch one of your videos - you mentioned stickers /right/ as I was browsing different printing businesses to get some stickers made for a client. A prompt to pay more attention!
This is very good advice. Thank you for taking the time to articulate several means of traversing this path for others to follow. I really appreciate your time and efforts!
Thank you very much for sharing! You've helped me realize that I've actually done a little shadow work without giving it that name. I'm so excited to try your tips for shadow work. Thanks again, angel!
Oooh, so many people have discovered that they've already engaged in shadow work on some kind of formal/conscious level without knowing it had a name and I think that's so cool! I also think lots of people have the same experience with realising that they are pantheists. 'Oh, there's a name for that?' Haha! Too cool.
Was just driving back from grabbing some food and was vibing to some music and told myself I could at least make the trip constructive in some way and was like “I’ll watch some vids on YT on shadow work or something” and the FIRST video when I opened up the app was this. Im still shook lowkey 🤣 don’t know if I manifested it or if Big Brother creeping in on my thoughts 😳😂
Thank you so much. Even just the first few minutes has helped me. I really got to start listening to what my guides tell me. So many times they said in many different ways to fix my relationship with my mother and the problem I face will get better.(which has to do with communication and throat chakra problems) I guess I have alot of resentment attached to her for allowing a certain event to take place resluting in me having to live in homes for youths and random families as a teenager due to my stepdad. Though it wasn't her fault, I can't help but be bitter towards her now
yes I meditate often and I do it very similar as you described. for me, it sharpens the focus on the matters at hand and gives pause to the background chatter. similar to the feeling you describe regarding circle work. I really liked your third eye example whilst holding our own space and providing mercy and comfort to oneself, I did not find that until I was 37 years old and I marvel at your awareness. a beautiful message as always and presented with the delicate charm we've come to expect. Brilliant, thank you :)
Since you asked about meditation... I like to get to the "blue sky" then focus on the storm clouds in the distance, then invite them. I start clean and open, then let the wounds be felt in the space of myself. It gets me deep, in a way, before trying to deal with subconscious resistance i might face if starting with the emotions first. I start with meditation also to begin with the essence of the intention of self love. I don't really think anything or say anything, i just know, and i take a deep breathe or two before going in. The breathe is a kind of "here we go" for myself before i jump off the cliff into the water. Hope this helped in any way.
I have been working on shadow work for a few years, but did not know it by the term shadow work until recently. I definately incorporate meditation and feel it is imperative to truly walk through that door towards liberation.
As always, an excellent video. I don't think I'm ready for shadow work yet, I need to work on self love first, but it is something I definitely want to do in the future.
I am aware now of some of my main shadows and halfway accepted them. I understood where they come from..it's been a big revelation for me.. but now I'm stuck, I don't know how to proceed. I don't know what to do with this information and how to fix it let's say..so I'm very aware..yet stuck. I look forward to one day book some sessions with you Kelly-Ann, I know you will be a catalyst for my development! I know also it'll be hard work and I need to have my mind free and relaxed to be able to make the most out of it. I look forward to that. I hope it'll be soon...thank you for your videos xxx
I think you're amazing and so, so eloquent. You're a big inspiration for me in a lot of ways (including your stylistic look, love your dark lipsticks and your hair!) and I'm grateful you make these videos :)
Aww, thanks so much, there's few things I love more than getting dressed in the morning. :) Experimenting with colour and shape is so much fun! I'm pleased that my videos are helping.
I started not to leave this comment. You're vids on shadow work have really been calling me urgently. I've had this pull for the last 8 years. I knew I needed it but never had a name for it. I am a witch. And I don't trust psychiatrists/therapists. Anyway, preamble! I haven't started because of trepidation. I am a survivor of sexual abuse from the age of 4 to 14. My question is it safe for me to go into this alone. I have no other friends who practice. Should it be embarked on in tandem with professional help? Complements to you, you have gained my trust in your wisdom and experience through your videos! I value your input regarding this very personal matter. I hope this isn't inappropriate to post. I had no other place to turn. Thank you.
Fantastic advice! I really enjoy learning so much from your videos. There's so much to absorb in this Shadow Work video. I never considered memory work but I think it could be incredibly useful for healing emotional wounds and finally move on from them. I definitely need to look at things from a new perspective. There's so much great stuff here that I think I'll come back to take notes. Thank you for sharing such invaluable content such as this and your Tarot Trainee course. They are incredibly helpful!
You know how you said that you value setting time aside for shadow work first and then it becomes second nature? I think I have always, with my hyperactive mind, done shadow work in my everyday but never set time aside too expend the emotions I process from it. It's the main reason I think I'm ready to get started. Thank you for this video.
I can't tell you how much I would just love to sit at your feet, Kelly-Ann. Lol You are so impressive and incredible to listen to. I can't wait to save up to work with you and get a constructive reading from you. :) I think it would be amazingly helpful. Thank you again so much for your videos.
I don't remember what class it was for or why, but when I was about 11 one of my teachers told us a journaling technique; get a different coloured pen for each "voice" in your head and write what each one is saying as if it was an actual conversation. I've only used it a couple of times so far, but I've never forgotten it, and it helped a lot when my head was really screaming, so I'll probably use it more. And one of my friends bugs me about my "two sides", meaning the "happy "side of me that I am around my friends, and the side that comes out when I draw something and that likes darker things. So maybe that journaling technique and working on my drawing skills could be my way of doing shadow work.
I'm aware it is a bit late to post on this video but in fact before I even delved into my witchy path, my cacao ceremony meditation group we're doing Shadow work, and we were actually doing it through meditation. There was no recording of it all, we just went through the depths of emotionally processing. My teacher always sees our mind speaks in images, metaphors and symbolism, so we used to delve into the flashes of things that would come to us, and get into the core of everything.
Panta Rhea That sounds epic - thanks for sharing your experience. I just recently went to a festival where there were cacao ceremonies going on. I didn't have a chance to get involved but it is something I will read about and consider for the future. I will take your mentioning of it as a sign that it could be for me. 👍🏻💕
Kelly-Ann Maddox I think you would really enjoy it. It changed my journey quite profoundly but of course each to their own. Cacao is heart medicine. It allows us to raise our frequency as a partner, it doesn't push us anywhere we are in fear of going so that the high frequency can basically help us release any of the limitations that dont meet this energy anymore. I hope you try it out, and would love to hear how you experience it. 💖
Would love to know how to do shadow work with my voice. I try to be "nice" to strangers, people I do interactions with, like bank tellers, nice/kind/polite people who work in clothing stores, but my voice and smile just can't fool anyone. I simply don't want to talk, and I'm extra fake-nice, because I truly want to get along with all of them and find rapport, but it's so hard. I also want to share more of my journey and spunk and infectious exuberance with the world. They say it takes aaaall your energy just to keep down the shadow side, that we need to work with it to release it and bring it up and out. That's what I truly want to do. Around my voice, and even sexuality. Way to much power and energy stuck in my creative centers that I want to release to the world safely, happily, on purpose.
I find it so difficult to make a lasting change using shadow work, for instance... I do shadow work to sift through and see where my helpless stuck feeling i get everyday originated in childhood. Ive done alot... Of shadow work attempts. Sometimes feels like ive done nothing. :c
Great video. I have a question. I barely remember my childhood. I have a handful of select memories, but nothing else. I know that my childhood was traumatic due to the few memories that I do have. How can I start shadow work without these memories? How do I journal about memories that I don't have?
I have this same question.. how do we recall forgotten childhood memories? A few years ago I sat down on my floor with low lights and closed my eyes and entered meditation and tried to remember everything I could about my childhood. I filled like 4 pages of bulleted things I remembered and honest to goodness when I re-read that journal a couple years later I did not consciously remember any of those memories. It was like they were only accessible in an altered state.. so I suggest starting there but I'm curious if there are other methods
Any thoughts about cracking super-denseness? I can sit with painful thoughts and feelings - just allow them to be there, waiting/looking for the "root cause" or childhood memories... but nothing ever comes up. I never remember dreams or even have a sense that I have dreamed. I have done Ayahuasca and mushroom journeys in attempts to get past my meta-blindiness / super-denseness but never gained any perspective or information or traction. Usually when I "pull it in to myself" to look at myself, I get pulled into a tour of memories of my failures which eventually becomes so intensely painful that I just need to quit. Seems unproductive to just keep replaying the same storyline without gaining any insight on how to embrace them - just to end up with an emotional hangover - an energy draining afterburn. I keep encountering evidence of random memory loss...Someone might ask "Remember when...? " Perfectly ordinary mundane stuff - but it's just gone.. Not generalized memory loss like dementia ... I remember lots of things...but there are gaps - and I'm not even aware of the edges of the gaps. It's just weird... I feel like I am open to exploring / embracing shame&shadow but must actually be in hyper-denial about denial about all my crap. Feels like I'm broken inside in a way that the tools needed to fix me are missing. I've done the counselling / talk therapy / group therapy thing, but those all seen to rely on me generating/remembering raw material to work with. The recent alexisthymia "diagnosis" feels right... "emotional idiot" Like going to a woodworking workshop without remembering to bring any wood or being able to find any. What's doubly weird is that lots of people view me as peaceful grounded centred... but generally I feel socially inept and prefer to be alone and outside
Dear Kelly, Do you mind uploading subtitles? Some of your fans, internationally, have trouble following each word because the accent is very distant to us. Thank you. Warmly, M
Very helpful. Thank you. I have a dedicated daily journalling practice that I want to expand to include shadow work. I use a simple online journal program, and listening to your video I think I might want something more comprehensive. It's been a while since I compared journaling software but I recall some programs have complex labeling capabilities which came to my mind when you were discussing stickers and sticky-notes.
Thank you for your support. I am still unsure if I'm ready or not.. I'll probably wait for a more convenient time when I don't have as much on my plate and just give it a try. Another question that I've been thinking about for a while: I'm using affirmations to gently manipulate and coax my unconscious into serving my "self" better. I have a friend who is heavily into Freuds and Jungs theories and he keeps telling me how much he disapproves of my methods. He says that I'm feeding my shadow by suppressing my supposed weaknesses and that they might eventually backfire. What do you think? I know that according to Jung its nigh impossible to change your shadow aspects and that the aim should be to integrate them. But don't you think it is possible to "emancipate" yourself from certain pattern of your unconscious (by means of affirmations in this case)? Thank you SO SO MUCH! For all you do for all of your watchers and clients out here! You are the best! XX
Aww, thanks, that's very sweet of you. :) I'm obviously not privy to the entire conversation between you and your friend but my feeling is that he might simply be saying that your affirmations don't directly involve facing and embracing the shadow content and therefore the content will still have power over you. Is that on the right track?
There are many techniques but I am definitely partial to creating spread which focus on each negative trait or judgement or whatever I'm looking at. You can check out the links below the video to see shadow work Tarot spreads I've designed which could help you in your practice. :)
I'm thinking about starting my shadow work journey soon, and your videos about it have been very informative. I do have a question, however. Through watching your videos about shadow work, I've realized that all those icky parts of myself that I don't like, come up almost everyday. I feel like I'm always facing some gross part of myself because my depression forces it into my face, as if to say- look at what a bad person you are, look at all your flaws. Do you have any tips or tricks on how to deal with those parts during shadow work, as a person who faces them (quite negatively) nearly everyday?
i hear some archetyping! i have been refreshing myself on that and may give some opinions on them and that way i can give more educated comments since its been years since i learned al lthe stuff lol
Interpreting dreams is an area I really struggle with. I have dreams maybe once a week that stand out from the general, ordinary ones and they are extremely vivid and strange, that I think about for days afterwards. I've researched certain themes but can't find any connection. Does anyone know of a particular exercise to help, or something? Perhaps even someone I could contact, I have no idea. I feel as though i'm missing important messages from this inability to interpret. Any advice is really appreciated
You talk about relationship with your mother but what if almost your entire childhood was spent through many institutions (children's homes) and you have no memory of her or others who were orphans?
+C LB Then your shadow work must be based on that, if indeed you feel that you need to examine it. Many people who were given up by their natural mothers and adopted or had to leave the family home due to abuse have been through a process of working on that via shadow work. Indeed, such experiences can lead to a deep sense of trauma and alienation for which shadow work can have an incredibly healing effect.
I don't know if I'm being overly sexist with the following comment with this audience or not.. hope not! lol.. I listened to about a third of this video at the time I write this and I note that you are talking about stickers/scrap-booking plus using funny jargon..like we're speaking different languages :p This sort of shadow work is a process I'd like to learn to find and resolve my inner shit.. I guess I want more of a nuts and bolts process..kinda like find my true self if that makes sense.. This might be tailored for women specifically and/or I missed something.. That said, I think I might have missed previous videos.. I'm gonna go check the channel now.
Thanks for your comment. :) I don't think it's a gender thing - lots of men have connected to what I'm saying and actually I've noticed that an above-average amount of men purchase shadow work readings from me after hearing more about my thoughts on it. I think it's more to do with the kind of mind you have, the dominant functions in your personality etc (at the risk of being too Jungian). Depending on which functions tend to be most prevalent in the individual, my take on things will be useful or not-so-useful. A sensate thinker probably wouldn't get as much out of my approach and thoughts as, say, an intuitive feeler. I often see things in terms of the Jungian typology system or indeed any system which reminds us that we're all looking at things in different ways and have different needs. If you use the search bar on the channel you can find my former videos on shadow work. Some of them might be more helpful to you. If you use Tarot or oracle cards then obviously check out the linked videos I've provided for spreads as they also might help. As for a 'nuts and bolts process', we may have different ideas about what that means.. This video merely offers suggestions for methods which can be used, techniques which might help people to make progress and enjoy the work. There is no step-by-step guide in this video and perhaps that's what you're looking for? I think the way in which shadow work occurs is dependent upon the individual. Finding the tools which work for you is a big part of it, and that's what this video is intended to do. Shadow work is rarely straightforward though, so that could stand to be said.
The Four Queens More thoughts. Talking this over with my boyfriend he made the point that a notable majority of men do like to have a planned route, some instructions, the best and most effective way of doing something.. I mean I must admit that I am always loathed to put things down to gender-based differences because I see gender as a massive spectrum, not just two distinct points. However I suppose I can't deny that he has always been the one to 'put up the bookcase', so to speak, and my past relationships with men have been exactly the same. Stuff with a rigid format and 'one right way' often do fall into the man's comfort zone more often than the woman's. The thing about shadow work is that there is no 'right way' and rather than putting the bookcase together you're kind of expected to design it yourself.. Jung gave us the philosophy but no hard and fast rules for execution. So many great Jungian analysts have chimed in, writing books full of their own theories and suggested methods. But ultimately it's still down to what works for you and the task of finding that and 'sticking it together' rather than having a ready-made prescription given to you. What works for one simply won't work for another. I enjoy designing shadow work systems which take you through various 'hot topic' areas in the psyche and attempt to bring content to the surface. I like to figure out ways of making the work more potent and effective. I am currently writing a course which teaches these methods. But I'm just a drop in the ocean. Finding a formula is actually part of the fun! :D
There are places I don't want to visit because I'm not sure what to expect and because I'm afraid it might go wrong. I'm well aware that this is what shadow work is all about but Im afraid that I might not be able to deal with the situation once certain things get unleashed. Do you think pulling stuff into the light could potentially harm you?
My personal feeling is that there is such a thing as an ill-advised time to do shadow work. There is such a thing as not being ready. Other teachers believe different things - this is just my opinion. This video may help you: th-cam.com/video/3JJgHMuSSKg/w-d-xo.html This blog post accompanies it and clarifies some of my points: thefourqueens.blogspot.co.uk/2014/08/shadow-work-afterthoughts.html
I'm gonna start with stickers?????????????? Wanna know what my shadow is thinking about you in this right now moment? no...I think you do.. and what a waste of my time.
+dom38701 There is no one right way - there are techniques to try, and I have listed quite a few of them here. You must decide upon your own structure and find what works for you. Use the techniques to get you started. Good luck!
+Kelly-Ann Maddox i think it would be helpful to watch you actually do a shadow work session. for someone that is just getting in to this its difficult to know how to start and whay to do. how does one decide what one shoild do shadow work on? what questions should we be asking ourselves? how does one go "deeper" and how does someone "process" emotions? how do we know that anything has beem accomplished? etc. thank you for your help
prayer:
- health wealth love
- deeper closer healthier connections with those I love...
- healing, on every level, in every way, for all of us
- to be radically honest, with everyone, about everything
- financial freedom
- twin-flame reunion
- a tribe of real friends
- for all of us to thrive off our talents and passions...
- blissful magical wonderous joy, always, in all ways...
Somehow the very act of watching and listening to your vids on shadowwork, is immediately triggering inner work. Things you say bring instant associations or pull up memories and thoughts that might need exploration.
I loved the past half hour, I'll be on the lookout for more of this good stuff.
Thanx
have been doing shadow work for decades, stumbling along without really knowing exactly what i was doing, in order to process and heal from profound childhood abuse and all the problems that created for me in my adult life. journaling, art, music, dream work, tarot, ritual and meditation have all been invaluable. and yes, my goals for meditation are to allow what comes up to come up and be felt, released, processed, and/or revisited in a dedicated shadow work session. took me a little while to figure out what meditation was and how it is useful to me. so many thanks to your videos, your wisdom and inspiration. xoxoxo
You are the only one who gets to sign off on a dream. YES. Too true!
I started meditating before shadow work and even before reading tarot as a tool to help me remain balanced. I feel it has helped me be fair to myself and non-judgemental. Sometimes it just helps me 'be' without any emotion just as an observer. That really helped me with my confidence and anxiety, over the past few years - just being an observer.
Great observations about the broader value of meditation in relation to shadow work. :)
This is interesting. According to your video, I have been partaking in shadow work since I was a child. My mother says I've been an adult since the day I was born, and I've used my awareness to analyze my entire life as it was happening, as well as in hindsight. I am 22 years old now, and at this point I am moving more into a spiritual aspect of this "shadow work."
I definitely connect with your ideas about memory work. It is important to work through and heal from negative memories. I have also found that viewing those memories from the POV of someone who hurt you helps as well. Understanding their humanity can help resolve personal pain caused by their actions, forgiving the human even if you can't forgive the actions.
I'll probably create a spiritual safe space and work with meditation more often. Nice video :)
what you are explaining is also done almost to a T in the clinical field via EMDR for people with PTSD. Interesting:) Your method is much more spiritual....and cheaper Im sure.
This is the clear, straightforward guidance I've been looking for. Thank you for being so practical as well as candid. My therapist gives me exercises to do but I feel like this is more helpful "framework" style advice to help me actually do those tasks (which are, unsurprisingly, all about looking into that void of what the hell is going on behind my problems!)
💗 I am so glad it helped! X
Your lipstick is fabulous!…So are you.
I realize I've been doing shadow work for years without having the language for it. In fact, I think my entire first book is probably all a result of my shadow work! Love your videos on shadow work. I always get ideas for how to deepen my practices.
Oh dear! I found your video at 4 in the morning and just had to watch in on the spot, which is why I lack the brain capacity to say everything I want to say, ask everything I want to ask, and follow every thought I've thought in regards to all these genius aspects! So I'll just send you mad witchy love for now. I'm sure I'll return to this video more than once!
Oh man, I've been there! :D No worries, come back at me when you're feeling more awake if you think of questions. x
Blessed be Kelly-Ann Maddox. You give us so much... constantly. Thank you.
I for one am pretty new at shadow work in itself as I find that I tend to push back nasty thoughts and I force myself to feel that sensation of ''just being over it'' - Looking back now, I can see that that's not a 'healthy habit' for my mind or psyche... I do sometimes tend to 'fall' in to shadow work unexpectedly, It can be watching a movie, or listening to a song that takes me back to my childhood and stirs up some whirlwind emotions that kind of gets me in the mood to sit there and think about it, journal or meditate on the emotions that have risen to the surface.
*Would you say that when you plan to have a shadow work session, do you just see what ''pops up'' or do you intentionally try to work of a particular area of your life? For me I feel, like I said before, it's pretty unexpected, sometimes I feel like I haven't done shadow work in a while and I think about going in deep, but if at that moment in time I'm in a fucking rocking mood, I step back from shadow work...I guess in order to feel like I'm not changing my mood? Does this make sense?
I do love these Shadow Work videos, they are trully inspiring Miss Maddox! Thank you! xx
You have helped me so much in these last few weeks to delve into shadow work... You've helped me not only with confronting the painful issues in both my past and present, but also with using shadow work to transform all that darkness and pain into forgiveness, strength, and love... I have only just begun this journey, but I feel like I've made tremendous strides so far (the first few steps are probably always the hardest) and I can't thank you enough.
Thank you for living your truth and sharing it with the rest of us... This kind of positive impact is literally transformative and life-changing for all those you've touched in the online community. 🙂 Blessed be. 🌙🌟✨
OMG, I'm so glad to hear that I'm not the only one to use stickers for little notification/reminders/"hey, look at me" sections in my journals! Here I am a grown woman and still using stickers but they are so useful (ok, and they bring out the kid in me too)! This video was so helpful for me. My toolbox of things that I can do for shadow work is overflowing:) I have recently started writing my dreams down and found myself trying to explain why I thought I had dreamed that particular thing. I wasn't sure if others did this in their dream journals but it felt right so I did it. I hadn't really given it thought as to the fact that I was actually doing shadow work.
I also feel that that is why we enjoy doing our Leonie Dawson books. They, in themselves include quite a bit of shadow work. I have found them very helpful in being more present for myself, something that I think causes a lot of not so great issues in my life in general. Thanks for your videos. They really help! Much love and light)O( GiddyNightOwl
Oh and I have bought some lovely stickers of stars and little sheep leaping! Am cheering up all my paperwork.Jx
i'm so glad i found your channel. and i feel that your shadow work videos will help with work place patterns that i've been experiencing over the years. so i've got my sleeved rolled up and i'm ready to get elbows deep in my shadow muck. thank you for shining like a light house.
This video couldn't have come at a better time! When I saw it was posted, I was actually taking a short break from a particularly intense shadow work session, so I was very excited to watch this!
I have been dealing with some issues and emotions that I have kept bottled up since childhood, and when I started this process about a week ago, I thought I knew the source of the problem, but once I got into it, I was taken someplace else.
This process has been very emotionally draining, but has allowed me to unlock so much of myself that I have kept hidden away, and while I'm very scared to go deeper because I know I will have to access a lot of emotional trauma, I know that it will be very beneficial in the long run.
I thought it was very interesting what you were saying about meditation because that first day, I was very emotional. I went to my altar and meditated, but it was the usual kind of meditation. I hugged my knees to my chest so I was sitting in the fetal position and cried and cried and cried. I begged my guides to give me the strength to get through this process. But I came to the realization that I have to deal with this on my own.
I can't thank you enough for posting this video! Please keep them coming!
This is fantastic! Thank you for this, I've always been uncertain about where to start in shadow work. Your videos on your personal shadow work journey have been super inspiring and I was wanting a bit of a framework to start it myself. Also, I always get mad synchronicity whenever I watch one of your videos - you mentioned stickers /right/ as I was browsing different printing businesses to get some stickers made for a client. A prompt to pay more attention!
This is very good advice. Thank you for taking the time to articulate several means of traversing this path for others to follow. I really appreciate your time and efforts!
you are a very very eloquent speaker, wisdom seems to just flow from you. thank you for the word and knowledge here.
This was exactly what I needed to hear with all the drama I'm going through
Thank you very much for sharing! You've helped me realize that I've actually done a little shadow work without giving it that name. I'm so excited to try your tips for shadow work. Thanks again, angel!
Oooh, so many people have discovered that they've already engaged in shadow work on some kind of formal/conscious level without knowing it had a name and I think that's so cool! I also think lots of people have the same experience with realising that they are pantheists. 'Oh, there's a name for that?' Haha! Too cool.
Awesome work. So glad I found you at the perfect time. I am ready to face those shadows of mine and work my alchemy. Blessings and wholeness to you.
Was just driving back from grabbing some food and was vibing to some music and told myself I could at least make the trip constructive in some way and was like “I’ll watch some vids on YT on shadow work or something” and the FIRST video when I opened up the app was this. Im still shook lowkey 🤣 don’t know if I manifested it or if Big Brother creeping in on my thoughts 😳😂
Love this Lady she is brilliant and honest ....your way of delivering information is sincere 🦋🦋🦋
Wow, just beginning to learn about this topic and and you explain everything beautifully and completely. Thanks for this video and all of the others!
Thank you so much. Even just the first few minutes has helped me. I really got to start listening to what my guides tell me. So many times they said in many different ways to fix my relationship with my mother and the problem I face will get better.(which has to do with communication and throat chakra problems) I guess I have alot of resentment attached to her for allowing a certain event to take place resluting in me having to live in homes for youths and random families as a teenager due to my stepdad. Though it wasn't her fault, I can't help but be bitter towards her now
yes I meditate often and I do it very similar as you described. for me, it sharpens the focus on the matters at hand and gives pause to the background chatter. similar to the feeling you describe regarding circle work. I really liked your third eye example whilst holding our own space and providing mercy and comfort to oneself, I did not find that until I was 37 years old and I marvel at your awareness. a beautiful message as always and presented with the delicate charm we've come to expect. Brilliant, thank you :)
More inspiration - you are a human dynamo! Love your work and style.
Since you asked about meditation... I like to get to the "blue sky" then focus on the storm clouds in the distance, then invite them. I start clean and open, then let the wounds be felt in the space of myself. It gets me deep, in a way, before trying to deal with subconscious resistance i might face if starting with the emotions first. I start with meditation also to begin with the essence of the intention of self love. I don't really think anything or say anything, i just know, and i take a deep breathe or two before going in. The breathe is a kind of "here we go" for myself before i jump off the cliff into the water. Hope this helped in any way.
I have been working on shadow work for a few years, but did not know it by the term shadow work until recently. I definately incorporate meditation and feel it is imperative to truly walk through that door towards liberation.
I find it interesting that you go in the fetal position. I go into child pose.
***** Yeah, child pose is deep, good choice. :)
As always, an excellent video. I don't think I'm ready for shadow work yet, I need to work on self love first, but it is something I definitely want to do in the future.
I love your videos on shadow work. Thanks for sharing what you've learned. :)
The content you've provided in this video is golden. Thank you so much for opening up your wellspring of wisdom.
My shadow is so dark and shameful that I spend most of my energy denying it. I don't know how I can possibly face it.
I am aware now of some of my main shadows and halfway accepted them. I understood where they come from..it's been a big revelation for me.. but now I'm stuck, I don't know how to proceed. I don't know what to do with this information and how to fix it let's say..so I'm very aware..yet stuck. I look forward to one day book some sessions with you Kelly-Ann, I know you will be a catalyst for my development! I know also it'll be hard work and I need to have my mind free and relaxed to be able to make the most out of it. I look forward to that. I hope it'll be soon...thank you for your videos xxx
I think you're amazing and so, so eloquent. You're a big inspiration for me in a lot of ways (including your stylistic look, love your dark lipsticks and your hair!) and I'm grateful you make these videos :)
Aww, thanks so much, there's few things I love more than getting dressed in the morning. :) Experimenting with colour and shape is so much fun! I'm pleased that my videos are helping.
Never mind. I commented towards the end of the video and then discovered you covered the tarot question at the end. Thank you for the links!!!
:D No worries honey x
I keep coming back to you...! I'm ready to commit to really doing shadow work and I need you to be my mentor.
I love you Kelly Ann!!! You are a precious gem, thank you for sharing yourself with us, my sweet pancake :)))
I started not to leave this comment. You're vids on shadow work have really been calling me urgently. I've had this pull for the last 8 years. I knew I needed it but never had a name for it. I am a witch. And I don't trust psychiatrists/therapists. Anyway, preamble! I haven't started because of trepidation. I am a survivor of sexual abuse from the age of 4 to 14. My question is it safe for me to go into this alone. I have no other friends who practice. Should it be embarked on in tandem with professional help? Complements to you, you have gained my trust in your wisdom and experience through your videos! I value your input regarding this very personal matter. I hope this isn't inappropriate to post. I had no other place to turn. Thank you.
Very informative. Thank you so much! Blessed Be
+Lilith Rose Thanks for checking it out. :)
This was so helpful! Thank you so much for making this video and explaining this subject so well, greetings from Uruguay ♡♡♡
Fantastic advice! I really enjoy learning so much from your videos. There's so much to absorb in this Shadow Work video. I never considered memory work but I think it could be incredibly useful for healing emotional wounds and finally move on from them. I definitely need to look at things from a new perspective. There's so much great stuff here that I think I'll come back to take notes. Thank you for sharing such invaluable content such as this and your Tarot Trainee course. They are incredibly helpful!
thank you thank you thank you... this video was much needed. doing my first "shadow session" tonight. Bring it on!
Art of the Unknown Podcast Awesome, honey! Enjoy! 👍🏻
You know how you said that you value setting time aside for shadow work first and then it becomes second nature? I think I have always, with my hyperactive mind, done shadow work in my everyday but never set time aside too expend the emotions I process from it. It's the main reason I think I'm ready to get started. Thank you for this video.
Just what I was thinking👏
I can't tell you how much I would just love to sit at your feet, Kelly-Ann. Lol You are so impressive and incredible to listen to. I can't wait to save up to work with you and get a constructive reading from you. :) I think it would be amazingly helpful. Thank you again so much for your videos.
I don't remember what class it was for or why, but when I was about 11 one of my teachers told us a journaling technique; get a different coloured pen for each "voice" in your head and write what each one is saying as if it was an actual conversation. I've only used it a couple of times so far, but I've never forgotten it, and it helped a lot when my head was really screaming, so I'll probably use it more. And one of my friends bugs me about my "two sides", meaning the "happy "side of me that I am around my friends, and the side that comes out when I draw something and that likes darker things. So maybe that journaling technique and working on my drawing skills could be my way of doing shadow work.
So glad, I found your channel. New subscriber here👋🏾
I love your shadow work videos :)
These Videos are so helpful, thank you!
I'm aware it is a bit late to post on this video but in fact before I even delved into my witchy path, my cacao ceremony meditation group we're doing Shadow work, and we were actually doing it through meditation. There was no recording of it all, we just went through the depths of emotionally processing. My teacher always sees our mind speaks in images, metaphors and symbolism, so we used to delve into the flashes of things that would come to us, and get into the core of everything.
Panta Rhea
That sounds epic - thanks for sharing your experience. I just recently went to a festival where there were cacao ceremonies going on. I didn't have a chance to get involved but it is something I will read about and consider for the future. I will take your mentioning of it as a sign that it could be for me. 👍🏻💕
Kelly-Ann Maddox I think you would really enjoy it. It changed my journey quite profoundly but of course each to their own. Cacao is heart medicine. It allows us to raise our frequency as a partner, it doesn't push us anywhere we are in fear of going so that the high frequency can basically help us release any of the limitations that dont meet this energy anymore. I hope you try it out, and would love to hear how you experience it. 💖
thank you, sister, for sharing your wisdom!
Would love to know how to do shadow work with my voice. I try to be "nice" to strangers, people I do interactions with, like bank tellers, nice/kind/polite people who work in clothing stores, but my voice and smile just can't fool anyone. I simply don't want to talk, and I'm extra fake-nice, because I truly want to get along with all of them and find rapport, but it's so hard. I also want to share more of my journey and spunk and infectious exuberance with the world.
They say it takes aaaall your energy just to keep down the shadow side, that we need to work with it to release it and bring it up and out. That's what I truly want to do. Around my voice, and even sexuality. Way to much power and energy stuck in my creative centers that I want to release to the world safely, happily, on purpose.
Good work! Thank you!
I find it so difficult to make a lasting change using shadow work, for instance... I do shadow work to sift through and see where my helpless stuck feeling i get everyday originated in childhood. Ive done alot... Of shadow work attempts. Sometimes feels like ive done nothing. :c
beautiful video like always :-)
Great video. I have a question. I barely remember my childhood. I have a handful of select memories, but nothing else. I know that my childhood was traumatic due to the few memories that I do have. How can I start shadow work without these memories? How do I journal about memories that I don't have?
I have this same question.. how do we recall forgotten childhood memories?
A few years ago I sat down on my floor with low lights and closed my eyes and entered meditation and tried to remember everything I could about my childhood. I filled like 4 pages of bulleted things I remembered and honest to goodness when I re-read that journal a couple years later I did not consciously remember any of those memories. It was like they were only accessible in an altered state.. so I suggest starting there but I'm curious if there are other methods
Thank you
Thank you so much!
Any thoughts about cracking super-denseness?
I can sit with painful thoughts and feelings - just allow them to be there, waiting/looking for the "root cause" or childhood memories... but nothing ever comes up.
I never remember dreams or even have a sense that I have dreamed.
I have done Ayahuasca and mushroom journeys in attempts to get past my meta-blindiness / super-denseness but never gained any perspective or information or traction.
Usually when I "pull it in to myself" to look at myself, I get pulled into a tour of memories of my failures which eventually becomes so intensely painful that I just need to quit. Seems unproductive to just keep replaying the same storyline without gaining any insight on how to embrace them - just to end up with an emotional hangover - an energy draining afterburn.
I keep encountering evidence of random memory loss...Someone might ask "Remember when...? " Perfectly ordinary mundane stuff - but it's just gone.. Not generalized memory loss like dementia ... I remember lots of things...but there are gaps - and I'm not even aware of the edges of the gaps.
It's just weird... I feel like I am open to exploring / embracing shame&shadow but must actually be in hyper-denial about denial about all my crap. Feels like I'm broken inside in a way that the tools needed to fix me are missing. I've done the counselling / talk therapy / group therapy thing, but those all seen to rely on me generating/remembering raw material to work with. The recent alexisthymia "diagnosis" feels right... "emotional idiot"
Like going to a woodworking workshop without remembering to bring any wood or being able to find any.
What's doubly weird is that lots of people view me as peaceful grounded centred... but generally I feel socially inept and prefer to be alone and outside
Do you have Asperger's per chance?
Dear Kelly,
Do you mind uploading subtitles? Some of your fans, internationally, have trouble following each word because the accent is very distant to us. Thank you.
Warmly,
M
This really helped...thanks
Good advice.
Very helpful. Thank you. I have a dedicated daily journalling practice that I want to expand to include shadow work. I use a simple online journal program, and listening to your video I think I might want something more comprehensive. It's been a while since I compared journaling software but I recall some programs have complex labeling capabilities which came to my mind when you were discussing stickers and sticky-notes.
Thank you for your support.
I am still unsure if I'm ready or not.. I'll probably wait for a more convenient time when I don't have as much on my plate and just give it a try.
Another question that I've been thinking about for a while:
I'm using affirmations to gently manipulate and coax my unconscious into serving my "self" better.
I have a friend who is heavily into Freuds and Jungs theories and he keeps telling me how much he disapproves of my methods. He says that I'm feeding my shadow by suppressing my supposed weaknesses and that they might eventually backfire. What do you think?
I know that according to Jung its nigh impossible to change your shadow aspects and that the aim should be to integrate them. But don't you think it is possible to "emancipate" yourself from certain pattern of your unconscious (by means of affirmations in this case)?
Thank you SO SO MUCH! For all you do for all of your watchers and clients out here! You are the best! XX
Aww, thanks, that's very sweet of you. :)
I'm obviously not privy to the entire conversation between you and your friend but my feeling is that he might simply be saying that your affirmations don't directly involve facing and embracing the shadow content and therefore the content will still have power over you. Is that on the right track?
This was lovely! Do you use your tarot in your shadow work? If so, how please? Thank you.
There are many techniques but I am definitely partial to creating spread which focus on each negative trait or judgement or whatever I'm looking at. You can check out the links below the video to see shadow work Tarot spreads I've designed which could help you in your practice. :)
I'm thinking about starting my shadow work journey soon, and your videos
about it have been very informative. I do have a question, however.
Through watching your videos about shadow work, I've realized that all
those icky parts of myself that I don't like, come up almost everyday. I
feel like I'm always facing some gross part of myself because my
depression forces it into my face, as if to say- look at what a bad
person you are, look at all your flaws. Do you have any tips or tricks
on how to deal with those parts during shadow work, as a person who
faces them (quite negatively) nearly everyday?
Kelly-Ann, what do you do if you have very very limited memories? How can one bring them forward
very nice video. but i still dont understand rly what would i do with it when it comes to my conciouse.pls help. thank u)
i hear some archetyping! i have been refreshing myself on that and may give some opinions on them and that way i can give more educated comments since its been years since i learned al lthe stuff lol
Awesome, it will be great to have your perspective.
I love you so much😍
You are god send
Interpreting dreams is an area I really struggle with. I have dreams maybe once a week that stand out from the general, ordinary ones and they are extremely vivid and strange, that I think about for days afterwards. I've researched certain themes but can't find any connection. Does anyone know of a particular exercise to help, or something? Perhaps even someone I could contact, I have no idea. I feel as though i'm missing important messages from this inability to interpret. Any advice is really appreciated
I think I'm in love. Again.
Have you seen the shadow work put out by teal swan and Julien from rsd? what do you think of it?
Does shadow work if your working in an image of a teenage self ?
How did you learn about shadow work in depth? What books did you read?
Thanks.
You talk about relationship with your mother but what if almost your entire childhood was spent through many institutions (children's homes) and you have no memory of her or others who were orphans?
+C LB Then your shadow work must be based on that, if indeed you feel that you need to examine it. Many people who were given up by their natural mothers and adopted or had to leave the family home due to abuse have been through a process of working on that via shadow work. Indeed, such experiences can lead to a deep sense of trauma and alienation for which shadow work can have an incredibly healing effect.
I don't know if I'm being overly sexist with the following comment with this audience or not.. hope not! lol.. I listened to about a third of this video at the time I write this and I note that you are talking about stickers/scrap-booking plus using funny jargon..like we're speaking different languages :p This sort of shadow work is a process I'd like to learn to find and resolve my inner shit.. I guess I want more of a nuts and bolts process..kinda like find my true self if that makes sense.. This might be tailored for women specifically and/or I missed something.. That said, I think I might have missed previous videos.. I'm gonna go check the channel now.
..very good energy ma'am ;) ..I can see why you have a following
Thanks for your comment. :) I don't think it's a gender thing - lots of men have connected to what I'm saying and actually I've noticed that an above-average amount of men purchase shadow work readings from me after hearing more about my thoughts on it. I think it's more to do with the kind of mind you have, the dominant functions in your personality etc (at the risk of being too Jungian). Depending on which functions tend to be most prevalent in the individual, my take on things will be useful or not-so-useful. A sensate thinker probably wouldn't get as much out of my approach and thoughts as, say, an intuitive feeler. I often see things in terms of the Jungian typology system or indeed any system which reminds us that we're all looking at things in different ways and have different needs.
If you use the search bar on the channel you can find my former videos on shadow work. Some of them might be more helpful to you. If you use Tarot or oracle cards then obviously check out the linked videos I've provided for spreads as they also might help.
As for a 'nuts and bolts process', we may have different ideas about what that means.. This video merely offers suggestions for methods which can be used, techniques which might help people to make progress and enjoy the work. There is no step-by-step guide in this video and perhaps that's what you're looking for? I think the way in which shadow work occurs is dependent upon the individual. Finding the tools which work for you is a big part of it, and that's what this video is intended to do. Shadow work is rarely straightforward though, so that could stand to be said.
The Four Queens More thoughts. Talking this over with my boyfriend he made the point that a notable majority of men do like to have a planned route, some instructions, the best and most effective way of doing something.. I mean I must admit that I am always loathed to put things down to gender-based differences because I see gender as a massive spectrum, not just two distinct points. However I suppose I can't deny that he has always been the one to 'put up the bookcase', so to speak, and my past relationships with men have been exactly the same. Stuff with a rigid format and 'one right way' often do fall into the man's comfort zone more often than the woman's. The thing about shadow work is that there is no 'right way' and rather than putting the bookcase together you're kind of expected to design it yourself.. Jung gave us the philosophy but no hard and fast rules for execution. So many great Jungian analysts have chimed in, writing books full of their own theories and suggested methods. But ultimately it's still down to what works for you and the task of finding that and 'sticking it together' rather than having a ready-made prescription given to you. What works for one simply won't work for another.
I enjoy designing shadow work systems which take you through various 'hot topic' areas in the psyche and attempt to bring content to the surface. I like to figure out ways of making the work more potent and effective. I am currently writing a course which teaches these methods. But I'm just a drop in the ocean. Finding a formula is actually part of the fun! :D
thank you
Your website link is down love
There are places I don't want to visit because I'm not sure what to expect and because I'm afraid it might go wrong. I'm well aware that this is what shadow work is all about but Im afraid that I might not be able to deal with the situation once certain things get unleashed. Do you think pulling stuff into the light could potentially harm you?
My personal feeling is that there is such a thing as an ill-advised time to do shadow work. There is such a thing as not being ready. Other teachers believe different things - this is just my opinion.
This video may help you: th-cam.com/video/3JJgHMuSSKg/w-d-xo.html
This blog post accompanies it and clarifies some of my points: thefourqueens.blogspot.co.uk/2014/08/shadow-work-afterthoughts.html
Enjoyed this video! Check out my one on "how to reclaim the shadow": th-cam.com/video/sy1bFTCKDms/w-d-xo.html
what's your lipstick color?!
+kitsune deva Hmmm.. I think it might have been Black Cherry by Revlon. :)
thank you! I love that color! :D
I tend to think of Melanie Martinez when I look at you
❤️
😘
Jessie J?
_!_
Quite confusing!
She has a boyfriend 😡
God damned !
I'm gonna start with stickers?????????????? Wanna know what my shadow is thinking about you in this right now moment? no...I think you do.. and what a waste of my time.
Are you a Christian
you talked for 30 min but never gave any concrete instruction on how to do it!!!!!!!!!
+dom38701 There is no one right way - there are techniques to try, and I have listed quite a few of them here. You must decide upon your own structure and find what works for you. Use the techniques to get you started. Good luck!
+Kelly-Ann Maddox i think it would be helpful to watch you actually do a shadow work session. for someone that is just getting in to this its difficult to know how to start and whay to do. how does one decide what one shoild do shadow work on? what questions should we be asking ourselves? how does one go "deeper" and how does someone "process" emotions? how do we know that anything has beem accomplished? etc.
thank you for your help