The New Leaf - coaching & kinesiology
  • home
    • policies
  • coaching
    • programs
  • shop
  • blog
  • about
    • contact
    • Testimonials
    • Links
A Step-by-Step Workbook

How To Stop Feeling Stuck

DOWNLOAD FREE TODAY!

the solstice and the shadow self

17/6/2022

0 Comments

 
self awareness for the summer & winter solstice 
Picture
​The winter and summer solstice occur every 6 months around June 21st and December 21st. They take place when the sun is at its furthest degree north or south and causes the longest or shortest night of the year depending on the hemisphere.

​This perfect balance of extreme light and dark is ideal for healing the shadow self.
​
​understanding the shadow self
 
The founder of analytical psychology Carl Jung believed that understanding our shadow self was essential for proper healing.
​
​​“Your visions will become clear only when you can look into your own heart. Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes.”
― C.G. Jung

​Hidden within each of us we have a DARK SHADOW and a GOLDEN SHADOW.

The DARK SHADOW is the part of us that we push away because it is perceived as being ugly, stupid, shameful or harmful in nature. ​It is imperative to face the dark shadow and give it love and forgiveness in order to heal, move on and grow.

​​“People will do anything, no matter how absurd, in order to avoid facing their own souls. One does not become enlightened by imagining figures of light, but by making the darkness conscious.”
― Carl Jung, Psychology and Alchemy

​The GOLDEN SHADOW is the part of us we suppress because it has the potential to be brilliant and successful, which can feel daunting and debilitating. The Golden shadow needs encouragement and support in order to develop our finest skills and experience our greatest dreams and desires.
​
​​“Every human life contains a potential, if that potential is not fulfilled, then that life was wasted...”
― Carl Gustav Jung

Use the light and dark of the solstice to embrace your inner shadows and reveal your true self.
​
The WINTER SOLSTICE is the longest night of the year, the darkest of the dark.
It is a time for quiet inner reflection and accessing the DARK SHADOW.
 
The SUMMER SOLSTICE is the longest day of the year, the lightest of the light. 
It is a time for openness, sharing and expressing the GOLDEN SHADOW.

“The privilege of a lifetime is to become who you truly are.”
― Carl Gustav Jung
​
​reveal and heal the shadow self

Here are a couple of simple activities to reveal and heal the dark and golden shadows. It is recommended to do both activities around the solstice, starting with the dark shadow and finishing with the golden shadow.

To discover what is hiding in your DARK SHADOW ask yourself what you need to recognise about yourself and what you need to let go of or forgive.
 
An easy way to clarify the answer is to draw a picture; you may be surprised by what you see. Even if you can’t draw grab some coloured pencils or crayons and start scribbling on to paper, it doesn’t have to be a masterpiece as it’s for your eyes only. Interpret your picture as best as you can to reveal what your dark shadow wants to say.

You can also write it down or make a voice memo but a picture can work best.
 
Please note; resist the temptation to keep what comes up during your dark shadow reflection. Once you’ve gathered what you need from it burn it or throw it away, release it with the intention of letting that stuff go.

Bring to light your GOLDEN SHADOW by visualising yourself happy and radiant and focus on what you can see yourself doing.
 
Imagine yourself at your happiest and most fulfilled, write down or draw what you see. Explore as much of this vision as you can. Where are you? Who are you with? What are you wearing? Where have you come from? What are you doing that evening? What will you be doing the following day and weekend? What are you doing differently in your vision than what you are doing currently?  

​Get a really clear picture and feeling of what being happy, fulfilled and radiant is for you.
 
Keep what you express about your golden shadow near and refer to it often particularly when you need inspiration or direction.
 
____
​
This is a rudimentary look at exploring the shadow self and sometimes that’s all we need, a little 6 month solstice refresher to get clarity around letting go and remembering what we wish to develop.

Consider checking in with your shadow self at this time to help you stay in touch with the natural rhythm of contracting in winter and expanding in summer.
​
​“We are not what happened to us, we are what we wish to become.”
― C.G. Jung

​Photo by Thomas Kinto on Unsplash
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Access Octomono Masonry Settings

    Author

    Zoe Davis is the founder of The New Leaf coaching and kinesiology.

    Since 1997 Zoe has  helped thousands of people who feel stuck clear their life path and confidently move forward.


    As well as a regular blog, The New Leaf offers 1:1 coaching, online courses, downloads and more...


    ​🌱
    Get empowering articles, updates & offers!
    ​
    Join The New Leaf News...

    Join!

    Categories

    All
    Acceptance
    Achievable Goal Setting
    Align With Self
    Awakening
    Building A Stress Free Life
    Building A Stress-free Life
    Centre Yourself
    Clarity
    Confidence
    Discipline
    Embrace Change
    Emotional Balance
    Emotional Intelligence
    Empowerment
    Energy Reset
    Energy Updates
    Feeling Stuck
    Full Moon
    Get Centered
    Goal Setting
    Holistic Healing
    How To Stop Feeling Stuck
    Immune Boosting
    Intention
    Jupiter In Capricorn
    Letting Go
    Manifesting
    Meditation
    Mindfulness
    New Moon
    Nutrition
    Passion Tips
    Personal Growth
    Personal Transformation
    Positive Mindset
    Present Moment
    Procrastination
    ​progressive Realisation
    Reduce Stress
    Release And Let Go
    Saturn In Aquarius
    Self Healing Activity
    Self Help Activities
    Self Improvement
    Self-improvement
    Shadow Self
    Success Mindset
    Take Care Of Yourself
    Tips To Avoid Burnout
    Turning Things Around
    Work Life Balance
    Work-life Balance

    Archives

    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    December 2021
    October 2021
    October 2020
    September 2020
    July 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    June 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    December 2017
    September 2016
    December 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    November 2012
    July 2012
    October 2011

    RSS Feed

TESTIMONIALS
SUBSCRIBE 
CONTACT
​
SHIPPING
© the new leaf - coaching and kinesiology 2022
  • home
    • policies
  • coaching
    • programs
  • shop
  • blog
  • about
    • contact
    • Testimonials
    • Links