Iāve made a start and Iām putting together my own thread to keep my thoughts in orderā¦
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I am really interested in joining in this challenge. I have never done any shadow work officially but I have wanted to. It is definitely needed! I printed out shadow work cartomancy session and the shadow work workbook so that is where I am going to start.
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Anne, you donāt need to go through grief and or grieving in any sequential order. Sometimes you do suppress rage, or disbelief, or whatever, we all do.
Whatās right for you, is your road to acceptance. itās not easy and you may even revisit the steps. There is no wrong in healing.
Anne, you are not alone. We keep you in our thoughts.
I give you soothing energy, not to stop your rage, you both need and have a right to your ārageā. It will pass, but but it takes time.
Forgive yourself and everyone else you need to, when youāre ready your heart will lighten.
Love and strength will be sent to you as I light a candle for you .
And cinnamon for strength and healing,
As it is said, so mote it be.
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This was my first foray into Shadow Work. I had never heard of it before this challenge. I did this challenge late Saturday night. The moon was 10% ā almost dark. I like Correspondences and had a feeling Saturday was a good night for this.
I did a little background reading but still felt fuzzy on the concept so I went with your suggestions and Spells8 spells. If you donāt know how to cook, use a recipe book, right?
- I started with the Lunar Ritual for tonight, which happened to be Hecateās Justice Prayer. Nice fit! I made an offering of mushrooms and garlic and lit a Dragonās Blood incense stick.
- Next, I did the Spells 8 Shadow Work worksheet. I could tell I have a lot to learn.
- I did the Return to Sender Spell. That felt right. I wonder what I should do with the lemons, though, after the spell is done?
- I did the Quick Banishing spell for two people who have been giving me so much grief for many years. Iāve tried everything I know to improve the situation and now itās time to just get rid of them (without harm). I also put some bad habits of my own down to banish. Instead of using a tealight, paper, meditating and throwing the remains away, I used a white, uncoated paper plate and a white birthday candle, I wrote the banishment on the plate, I adhered the candle to the plate with wax and chanted the banishment until the candle burned down. The repetition definitely enhanced the power of the spell for me. Then I tore it up and burned it in my cauldon outdoors, right at midnight, coincidentally, how magic is THAT?! LOL. Burning the remains felt more in line with the burning part of the Return to Sender spell I had just completed. I liked this spell a lot and felt like I really connected to it. I had been leery of banishing anyone in my life before but in this case, I felt like I was taking back my power more than, I donāt know, shunning anyone. Although I will avoid them.
- I wrapped up with Silver Bearās meditation and journaling on Shadow Work. It was difficult for me ā and yes, a little scary, I did see some meaning but still felt unsure if I truly understood it. I will keep reading about this topic and maybe it will become clearer to me. Thank you for these terrific challenges! Learning so much here
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For your first time doing shadow work, I find you did well. Sometimes everything takes time before it is mastered and some of the thing you are not to good at yet becomes the things we do very well at the end of it all 
Wellā¦ for the lemons for what I know, you can either dispose of them or bury them into the earth. Everything else was well outlined. You did a great job for your first time. 
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I have put together a thread to my witchy challenge for this week since it was a bit lengthy Shadow Work Spell Thank you so much in advance for reading 
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I did some journaling a few nights ago as part of my Shadow Work.
One of the questions I asked myself was why Iāve been getting very angry lately when people are rude to me while Iām working or shopping. Sadly, the people in my town arenāt that friendly. One time, when I was in Walmart, a woman yelled, āHello, youāre in my wayā instead of saying, āexcuse meā. I had the urge to just stand there defiantly and not let her through. But it was a week or two before Christmas and Yule and I didnāt want to make things difficult for other shoppers.
My friendly/polite customer ratings have gone down a bit at work. My boss has told me thatās itās not that difficult to be friendly and polite. That he works more than I and always try to be friendly and polite. I too always try to not be rude, even when Iām tired or just having a bad day (which Iāve failed to do occasionally). My grandpa has and dad has the attitude that āif I can do it, so can you.ā Unfortunately, I carry this attitude with me sometimes.
I try to give everyone the benefit of the doubt and remember that everyone canāt do what I can do because weāre all different physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Everyone has a reason for why theyāre being rude, but that doesnāt necessarily mean thatās just part of their personality. They might be tired from work, might not be feeling well, under a lot of stress, and a myriad of other reasons.
This challenge was a bit difficult for me because itās never easy to confront the darker aspects of yourself, but none of us are perfect beings and itās not shameful to admit or acknowledge your flaws.
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Anne2,
They say the best medicine is laughter! 10-4
Jeannie
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For this challenge, I turned to a book I got last month, called Journaling the Tarot. How it works is when you pull a card a day it has a list of questions you can use as journaling prompts. Like the cards some are happy and some not so nice.
So I went to the Nine of Swords, the most depressing card in the deck in my opinion, and went to the first question. āWhat are you overthinking? How might you form a better sense of balance?ā
And I realized that I still overthink what people say and think about me. I shouldnāt care but I do. I worry about if Iām polite enough if people will like me, all those superficial things. Because society demands we conform probably, not sure why else I would worry. As much as Sesame Street and Mr. Rogers tell you itās okay to be different, school kinda beats it into your head that everyone has to be the same.
Not quite sure when this turned into a phobia for me, but it did. Iām getting better though, and at least Iāve admitted itās a problem and am now working on it. Something for me to journal on in the future.
So thatās what I worked on for Shadow Work. Hope everyone else is doing okay.
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TW/Content warning: Blood, depression, anxiety. I will blur out any parts that may cause discomfort, but just a headās up that it will contain content about blood and mental health. Please feel free to skip over this post if that will make you uncomfortable.
As I said earlier in this thread, this was a perfectly-timed challenge because Iāve been wanting to delve deeper into Shadow Work, and to start working on harnessing the energies of the Dark Moon, especially as it relates to Hekate.
Iāve been working through a flare-up of my depression and anxiety symptoms the past two weeks or so, so I havenāt been diving into this challenge quite as deeply as Iād like to, and Iāve been as gentle as possible on myself while still working to embrace my shadowy side. I have saved the workbooks shared by @Artemisia (thank you for sharing these! ^_^), and will work through them after Iāve worked through this cycle of not-perfect mental health.
In the meantime, Iāve been journaling and trying to figure out how I can continue to push through and continue this up-swing Iām currently on. I reached the conclusion that a large portion of my anxiety and depression has been related to my tendency to procrastinate.
Iāve had a huge boulder on my shoulders lately: Iām turning 26 in the next few days, and on that day, Iāll be losing my health insurance coverage because Iām ageing out of my parentsā plan. Iāve been so stressed out and absolutely overwhelmed by all the different options and how complicated and expensive healthcare is here in the US. I was finally able to pull myself together enough to overcome my mental shut-down and just bite the bullet and sign up for a health plan. As soon as I finished the process, I felt a HUGE weight lifted off my shoulders, and feel like I overcame a massive block in my self-improvement.
Now that that obstacle is out of the way, I can focus on working on overcoming my procrastination.
My journaling has also revealed the root of several of my other stressors and Iāve been able to work through what I need to do to work on overcoming them as well.
In terms of working with the energies of the Dark Moon, Iāve been working on forming a relationship with Hekate. I donāt want to go into too much detail because I feel like I want to keep something information personal. I will say that in addition to my usual devotion/offering to Hekate Iāve been doing, I suddenly got the urge one night to offer a bit of blood to Hekate. I got this feeling that she was waiting for me to show some sort of serious effort on my part, so I picked up some sterile single-use lancets.
The next night, I anointed a candle with Hekate Oil from WitchLab, and pricked my finger with one of the single-use lancets. I added three drops of blood onto the candle, one for each of the three aspects of Hekate. I lit the candle and reflected on Hekate as the Bearer of Light, and asked her to illuminate a proper path for me. Again, I donāt want to go too deep into the personal details, but I will say that I had a very intense experience, and feel like Iām a step closer to having a more full-on working relationship with Her. I CANNOT wait for the date of the actual Dark Moon, which isnāt until May 11!
At the expense of trying not to ramble too much, Iāll go ahead and end here. I thoroughly enjoyed the Shadow Work and Dark Moon work Iāve done during this weekly challenge period!
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@Amethyst I can totally relate to where you are coming from, but as I get older is when something I heard long ago now comes into my mind and I try to repeat this whenever I have similar thoughts running through my head.
Other peopleās opinions about me are none of my business.
I repeat that to myself a few times so it sinks in and those moments pass. I would consider myself a good person, I always try and do the right thing, but I realize that some actions may not bode well with others. I try not to say anything about anyone that I would not say to them face to face. And for me I follow the Rede āan ye harm none, do as ye willā.
Despite all of that there will still be those that feel the need to criticize the things I do, and I suppose it is their right, just as it is my right to do as I choose and not let their opinions impact me.
You can also do a daily affirmation to help when necessary. But remember you are an amazing person on an amazing path, we are here to help lift your spirits and provide support along the way.
Blessed be.
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I made a separate Post for this weeks challenge 
Blessed Be
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@Jewitch CW: blood 
Iāve sometimes had a similar feeling with Lilith, that she might appreciate an offering of blood. How to practically extract it has been more of a problem than my willingness really! Sterile lancets sound just perfect for that, thank you for the idea.
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Thank you @Saulamay! Thatās incredibly kind of you. Iām doing better at the worrying over people thing, I used to be highly paranoid. To the point that if someone sat beside me at work one day and moved the next I wondered what I did to make them mad. If they were laughing at me behind my back.
Thank goddess that with time and meds and therapy itās not that bad anymore. Still, your words make sense, I canāt control what other people think of me. And Iām blessed to have found this place on my path.
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Iāve recently started a Book of Mirrors that also doubles as a Shadow work journal, and Iāve been pretty happy with my progress with it. Iām finding spending a little extra on the look and feel of it was a good choice and helps me connect better with it.
Shadow work is an important aspect of my Craft, and complements my therapy sessions well too. My latest finding there has been automatic writing when consumed by strong emotions: excitement, frustration, sexual arousal, you name it! It gives a healthy outlet for the feelings and helps me express them in a more constructive and structured way if I so choose, and also leaves a record to come back to later with a different mindset.
Iām also waiting for the post to bring me this Archetype deck by Caroline Myss to explore archetypes with, and how I relate to them! Should be exciting! 
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CW: blood
Yeah, Iād recommend the sterile lancets ā theyāre clean, quick, relatively painless, and not excessive 
Iām not necessarily advocating blood offerings, and Iām definitely not advocating self-harm, but I will say that I feel like Hekate appreciated the gesture
You can get single-use sterile disposable lancets on Amazon, or you can get one of the reusable lancing devices and a decent amount of the single-use needles for use with the lancet surprisingly inexpensively! 
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Yep it is @Jeannie1 , GinTama taught me that, itās because of how utterly ridiculous the show is most of the time
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Beautiful job with your journalling and the shadow work prompts, @Christina4! 
Hard work indeed- but I love how you put it! Really great job
Congrats on your shadow tarot spread and prompts! You are doing wonderfully delving into Shadow Work, @Artemisia 
You are very welcome, @Jeannie1- the meditation and ritual are great ways to dive into Shadow Work. I know you are dealing with a lot on your plate now, and Shadow Work can be painful- so feel free to take it easy and remember to take good care of yourself post ritual. Good luck! 
It sounds like a very powerful experience, @anne2- good for you! 
Thanks to your inner strength and the light of your spirit guide, Iām glad you were able to surpass the anger and find therapeutic release in your Shadow magick. Congrats to you- it is impressive! 
Please feel free to share your Shadow Work prompt, @AliceInWonderdab! I would love to read it
Thanks again for all of your Shadow Work experiences in the other thread, @IrisW! 
It sounds like you have all the tools you need, @elizabeth5- wishing you the best of luck on your first experience with Shadow Work! Enjoy the cartomancy and workbook
Congrats on your first dive into Shadow Work, @mary25! Drawing on the moonās energy and using the workbook are wonderful ways to begin an adventure in shadowy magick. It sounds like your spellwork and the meditation were tricky but lead to you finding some meaning. Really well done- Iām proud of you! 
Thanks again for your Shadow Work Spell in the other thread, @NickWick! It was beautiful to read 
It sounds like your Shadow Work and journalling helped you to overcome some internal darkness and conflict to find the answers you were seeking, @Kasandra. Those who work in customer service are my heroes- I know first hand from my own early customer services jobs that dealing with customers takes a herculean effort at times. You found the answer- everyone has their own problems and bad days- the most we can do is be our own source of light. Sometimes it wonāt have an effect, but sometimes it can make all the difference for someone else! 
Beautifully done- thanks for sharing!
Journaling the Tarot sounds like a treasure trove of advice- and you are brave for jumping right to the Nine of Swords, @Amethyst! 
Conflicting information and high goals make some advice much easier to give out than to actually implement into ourselves. I also struggle with the ājust be yourself!ā goal- it is a long work in process! But sometimes the value really is in the journey, and hopefully you feel a bit more confident and sure after spending this time with yourself doing Shadow Work 
Good for you for finding a balance between Shadow Work and taking care of yourself, @Jewitch- it is easier said than done, but I think you did wonderfully! I think you are very mature- my response to losing healthcare coverage in the USA was to pack up and move to another country Congrats on your successful Shadow Work and also wishing you a very happy birthday this week! 
Blessed be!
Beautiful wisdom, @Saulamay! Thank you again for sharing your Shadow Work experience in the other thread 
Wonderful- thanks again for sharing your Shadow Work, @Liisa!
Well done on your Shadow Work Journal/ Book of Mirrors, @CelestiaMoon! Writing can be a very healthy outlet indeed- may your book continue to mirror your soul and allow you to delve even deeper into your inner worlds! Thanks for sharing, and enjoy!
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I love a good dive into Shadow Work here and there- although itās not something I can do every week and I always make sure to check that Iām in a good mindset for it 
After a bit of thought about what to do for this challenge, I combined a Waning Moon Bath Ritual 
with some Mirror Meditation 
.
A pre-ritual picture:
I filled the tub with water, added some Rose Bath Salt 
(kind of a self-love buffer to the Shadow Work) and placed a mirror and single candle next to the tub
I had a very long and thoughtful soak while looking into the mirror. It was a bit spooky, but the scent of rose and soothing warm water helped to keep me grounded and maintain a feeling of safety during spellwork 
Thereās been a lot to be nervous and stressed about, so this meditation was definitely a struggle between letting my mind run in worrying circles and actually trying to dig down and find ways to break my problems into more manageable bits 
The ritual meditation helped to dig things up, but I found the real value in writing things in my journal afterwards 
. It really helped the stress to come under control and work out in a way that seems less cloudy and mysterious and much more manageable 
I just want to say again really well done to everyone with their Shadow Work! It is definitely a tough aspect and many of you are jumping into Shadow Magick for the first time- it has been so powerful to read your replies!
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This challenge will close TOMORROW 