Notes on Shadow
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For this edition of the newsletter I am sharing excerpts from my notes from a lecture on the shadow that I attended in March which was led by Someone who Knows: The shadow can contain amazing qualities, but it is dark and mysterious and taboo. "I'm not a thief, but I steal from convenience stores when I'm drunk." This is an attempt to return to psychic wholeness, to acknowledge what is suppressed within us. Light: "I want to save everyone!" // Shadow: Uncompassionate acts. The shadow arrives when we are relaxed or tired. Light: "I'm LGBTQ+ friendly!" // Shadow: But actually not so much for trans people. We might enjoy having our boundaries crossed. We might enjoy crossing other people's boundaries. You can own your desire without acting on it: detached desire. Attachment: Needs from the chronically unmet self. "If you can't put something down, why?" When making sweeping generalizations, what we judge is in the shadow. "Oh my god in America everyone's dietary needs and neurodivergence is so much!" -> SHADOW Breadcrumb: Radical Honesty by Brad Blanton... RH with self, RH with others on a need-to-know basis, tearing down the identities that people place on you. Meet people's messes with compassion, understanding, and acceptance. Get curious, ask questions, assume the best in others. Things I made:
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