"The Shadow" Knows Everything

Myth Matters

Send Catherine a text Message

“How can I be substantial if I do not cast a shadow? I must have a dark side also If I am to be whole.” ― C.G. Jung, Modern Man in Search of a Soul

The creation and maintenance of a shadow aspect of the personal and collective psyche is an inevitable part of psychic life. When consciousness and a sense of personal identity emerges, so does a shadow.

Recognizing your shadow and maintaining a healthy relationship with it is a central psychospiritual task. Owning your shadow is essential to self-awareness, ethical behavior, and psychological wholeness.

The dangerous machinations of the psychological shadow are revealed in this creepy adult fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen.

"If you imagine someone who is brave enough to withdraw all his projections, then you get an individual who is conscious of a pretty thick shadow. Such a man has saddled himself with new problems and conflicts. He has become a serious problem to himself, as he is now unable to say that they do this or that, they are wrong, and they must be fought against… Such a man knows that whatever is wrong in the world is in himself, and if he only learns to deal with his own shadow he has done something real for the world. He has succeeded in shouldering at least an infinitesimal part of the gigantic, unsolved social problems of our day." --- C. G. Jung, “Psychology and Religion” CW 11

Support the show

Email Catherine at [email protected]
Post a positive review on apple podcasts!
Learn how you can work with Catherine at https://mythicmojo.com
Buy me a coffee. Thank you!