Witch-y Spotlight | Shadow Work, In Focus

Azurite 22
Mar 31, 2021
5 min read

Hello Dynamic Stars!

Today's Witch-y Spotlight is featuring Dr. Jennifer Hill. I originally 'met' Jenn on Twitter where she engages one, and all, on the topic of shadow work. As I've been engaging diligently in this practice for about half a year, I was pleasantly surprised to find Jenn in this space and making herself so accessible to us all. She shares her ideas, thoughts, and steps with us in her tweets. Her blog is also filled with amazing personal accounts (in the form of blog posts) of shadow work and the benefits people get out of it. One of my own experiences is posted there, too. Here's a handy link to her blog: https://jenniferhillphd.com/blog.

My name is Dr. Jennifer Hill and I am here to help you get acquainted with your shadow.

I hold a doctorate in Psychology from the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology (now Sofia University in Palo Alto, California). My dissertation was on meaningful coincidence (synchronicity) in grief. I am a former adjunct professor of psychology at St. Leo University, but now write full time. In 2011, I presented my research on grief at Oxford University in England.

I am a Priestess, working in a Celtic Neopagan tradition. I was ordained by the Church of the Sacred Garden in 2004. In 2008, I completed 200 hours of Kundalini Yoga Teacher training. I have been guiding individuals and groups in meditation, spiritual development, and ritual for 16 years. _____________________

Where to Find Jennifer Online:

Twitter: @JenniferHillPh1

Web: www.jenniferhillphd.com

_____________________

Without futher ado, let's dig in to this chat with Dr. Hill regarding the shadow.

1. Starting off with a 2-parter. a) What is shadow work?

Shadow work is soul retrieval. It is a journey to discover the parts of yourself that you have buried, or lost, due to the trauma of growing up and being alive in this world. It is a process of uncovering the aspects of yourself that you have repressed in your unconscious mind, so that you can make them conscious and integrate them into your life. It is not about trying to see how you’re “bad.” Instead, it is about trying to see how you can become whole.

b) Why should I do it?

Doing shadow work allows you to heal yourself, to free up psychic energy, and your life force, and harness those energies to serve your true, higher Self. It allows you to be authentically who you are and do so -- without fear. It brings you into Self-Love, which is the greatest force for healing in the universe. From Self-Love, all other Love flows. Without it, we are incomplete; we suffer; we cause others to suffer.

2. If I start shadow work, I’ve heard that looking in the mirror at night, in a darkened room could reveal reflections that may be unnerving to me. Is this true, or false?

I’m not sure if it’s true or false. I’ve never tried that practice. I feel a little wary about that, but as long as it is a ritual grounded in self-love, and care, and gentleness, nothing should be truly unnerving. The goal is not to frighten yourself, or to be tough on yourself. The goal is to love yourself.

3. Does intuition have any role to play in shadow work? Why, or why not?

Intuition always has a role to play in all aspects of our lives, and shadow work is no exception. Your intuition is directly connected to your shadow, so it’s a wonderful tool for self exploration. Remember, your shadow is unconscious. It lives in your unconscious mind. And, intuition is that beautiful information highway connecting your unconscious mind to your conscious awareness. So, intuition has quite a major role to play in this work!

4. Does having/practicing religion, or following a spiritual path help, or hinder, shadow work? Please explain.

Practicing a religion, or spiritual path, is a vital tool for shadow work, and I wouldn’t actually recommend shadow work for those not on such a path. One of the key things shadow work does, is help connect you to your higher Self. Your spirit. In the version of shadow work that I am teaching, the process leads you to connect with your spiritual allies as well: guides and guardians who assist you in connecting to the light of your higher Self, and these guide you on your journey. Without that spiritual framework, I fear shadow work would devolve into self abuse.

5. Focusing only on the last 5 years of your life, what image, or visualization, has most shaped and informed your life (destiny)?

This is a tough question to answer simply! I have several visions and images that are currently at work in my life. The vision of the crow, sitting in a tree, watching and guarding Her family; the vision of the Hawk, soaring high above, seeing the big picture. The image of the tree itself, roots strong in the earth, branches uplifted in joy towards the sky. The image of a circle, complete and whole. The image of a flower, blossoming among all the busy-ness of life...

6. Reaching outside the box, there are many who incorporate the concept of Galactic Families into their practice. For those that consider themselves Starseeds, how does the practice of shadow work fit in?

I would imagine that shadow work fits in at the foundation of these ideas. Even starseeds experience life on this planet, and therefore have a shadow to explore and come to understand. You cannot have light without shadow, nor shadow without light. These things co-create all of existence.

7. Galactic Families is but one arena of relationships. How does shadow work help, or hinder, interpersonal relationships such as an intimate relationship? Please give us a couple of examples.

Shadow work is probably one of the most effective tools for healing relationships there is. A big part of shadow work is learning about the concept of projection. As you learn to master your projections and reclaim them, your relationships heal because you are no longer asking your loved one’s to carry your lead (or, your gold!) for you. Instead of seeing the rejected parts of yourself in the Other, you heal those rejected parts in yourself, and thereby free the Other from the bondage of the projection. You see the Other clearly, maybe even for the first time, and you are then free to love and relate to that person as they are. That’s true love, if you ask me! :)