What is the Shadow?
Transformation through the Gene Keys
What comes to mind when you hear the word ‘Shadow’?
If you have a religious background, like me, your mind might immediately think of darkness, evil, or something demonic. There are a lot of misconceptions and misunderstandings about what the Shadow is.
The Shadow is not some sort of outside force lurking in the dark ready to pounce on an unsuspecting soul and possess them. Certain aspects of our Shadow can be seen as parts of our evolution. Others can be a product of our upbringing, societal conditioning, and woundedness that has taken place.
Carl Jung is best known for bringing the concept of the Shadow to public awareness in our modern times. However, this aspect of ourselves has long been recognized as a common feature in all human beings. In 1886, before Jung, Robert Louis Stevenson created the story of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. This story is analogous to the story we all live in regards to our Shadow aspects, albeit in quite a dramatic fashion. In the story, when Mr. Hyde, Mr. Jekyll’s Shadow personality, gains dominance over him he causes tremendous chaos in his life.
The bottom line is that Shadows are aspects of our nature that cause suffering. At their deepest level, they are rooted in fear. In Gene Keys, it is recognized that a Shadow expresses in two different ways - Repressive and Reactive. The Repressive Shadow is an aspect that is unaccepted, subdued, and hidden but destructive. The Reactive Shadow is an aspect that is unleashed regularly and perhaps more obvious. It can also be common to vacillate between both expressions.
As an aspect of who we are, the Shadow is not something that we can or should rid ourselves of. It would be like having a cut on one’s arm and deciding to amputate the entire arm. The arm, cut or no cut, is still important to the body. Cutting off one’s arm due to a wound does not make a lot of sense. Likewise, cutting off an aspect of ourselves is unwise and unskillful.
In Gene Keys, we say that the Gift, the higher expression of that Key, lies in the Shadow. So the Shadow must be first accepted, then allowed, and finally embraced to transform into a higher expression. It is not the rejection nor the resistance to the Shadow that causes it to transform. It is quite the opposite.
The Gene Keys are a courageous journey to embark on. This work invites developing humility through contemplation, inquiry, gentleness, and patience. It is a synthesis of practical wisdom to help guide you to a deeper understanding of yourself and your true potential. Like a precious treasure map, this work invites you on a journey of self-discovery to find the true higher purpose of your life.
Blessings!
April
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