Within the religious canons of salvation theologies, our notions of salvation can be overly focused on ego-centered notions of perfection. “If I just say enough Hail Marys,” we might tell ourselves, or “If I do enough prostrations, then I will earn my way into heaven.” These ego-driven modalities emphasize perfection of our own effort, rather than the transformative efforts of the Holy One.
The Work of the Shadow
Shadow work is hard work—not necessarily because the shadow itself is so onerous, but because of what it asks of us. We must be willing to see in ourselves what is causing the shadow, and willing to face what the shadow reveals to us.
Shadow and Light
In order for a shadow to exist, something must come between the light and the surface against which the shadow can then appear. In psychological and spiritual circles, it can be common to denigrate the shadow as something negative, bad, or even evil. But in truth, the problem is not the shadow itself. The shadow is actually a friend: it helps us to see that something has come in between us and the Light.
