Sitting here by the sea in the beautiful August sunshine, my shadow sits with me. Not crowding my space, but just down and to the right shading the pebbles on the shingle beach. The first thing that occurs to me as I watch and wait for inspiration to strike is that shadows are naturally created by light, they are defined by light and depend on light for their very existence. So to understand the nature of the shadow we must first contemplate and understand the nature of light.
Light is information, expansion, warmth, heat and love that is available to all. It is out there in the open for all to see, it has many facets both visible and invisible and contains properties that even now we do not fully appreciate or understand. Light is our very nature containing the trinity of number, colour and sound and all the movement in-between.
Light is the truth of who we really are and when our whole spectrum of being begins to become lit from within then it is inevitable that we will come into the awareness of our shadow. The shadow therefore is an aspect of the light. Just as the waves are an aspect of the sea, the waves do not change the essential nature of the sea, nor are they a negative aspect in relation to the sea. Shadow is to light, not an opposite and opposing force but a result of light itself.
If we are tempted to focus our attention solely on the shadow, then we tend to see only the imperfection of our-selves which is a limited part of the story. There is a danger of missing the big picture, the ‘light and shade’ that gives texture to our experience. After all what would life be without the beauty of dappled shadow on a sun filled day, there would be no depth to our perceptions, no hidden nooks and crannies to explore, no more opportunities to play hide and seek!
Light has created shadow as its gift. We step into the shade of shadow to escape and be protected from the glare of the sun, the heat that causes change and transformation. By stepping back into the shadows we step into safety of the past, of habits and actions that have served us, things that feel more comfortable for us, the tried and tested ways of being that we are not yet ready or willing to change. Sometimes we embrace the shadow to slow down the relentless transforming effect of the sun.
Like plums not yet ready to experience the prune or the droplet of water not yet ready to merge into nothingness from whence it came. The shadow is about choice and choosing the quality of our experience according to our deepest need. Our shadow is designed so that we are unable to sit in it hide in it or under it in fact our shadow is connected but not attached. We may walk in another’s shadow, walk in the shadows of other living creatures, trees, houses etc. But we can never rest in the shadow of ourselves, nor disconnect from it.
It is interesting to observe that when we stand in the shadow of another our own shadow is temporarily obliterated. Whilst sheltering in the shadows we can re-play, re-live, and re-member until we are ready to venture on again. To embrace the shadow is to dance over the waves of time (maybe this where the coral pomander comes in handy), to do the same thing but perhaps choose to experience it slightly differently.
Although the shadows hold a wealth of interesting and important experiences we must not lose our sense of purpose. Part of the challenge that occurs if we focus on resting in the shadows for too long is that our eyes grow less accustomed to the light. We become reluctant to expand into the new and are in danger of losing the definition of who we are in relation to the light. If we are not careful, we begin to forget that our shadow helps us to define who we are as a whole but is not a creative entity in its own right.
It is apparent as you witness the movement of light, that shadow and darkness are very different energies and should not to be confused. Darkness hides within the shadows where the boundaries of shadow merge and blur, it thrives on secrecy, fear, contraction, ignorance and mis-information. The urge to merge into the shadows rather than embracing the full force of the sun is very tempting. It is easy to fall back to sleep in the seductive shade of another’s shadow to lose oneself in the shady maze of illusion.
When darkness is present and unlimited as it ever can be in the world of shade then, the true nature of an individual shadow can never be seen. Without the safety of illumined definition, darkness finds it easy to masquerade as shadow and cause untold chaos to be perpetrated in its name. As light workers we must be aware of the possibilities.
Shadow contains the energies of darkness within a boundary, the boundary that perhaps, we as souls have chosen to contain the alchemy of experience that we need for this lifetime. A non-intrusive and self-selective process, I would guess! Maybe then the shadow aspect of ourselves is a vehicle designed to enable each soul to bring their chosen aspects of darkness into balance with their own potential of light.
Aura-Soma and its gift of colour and light can help us and help us to help others to crank up the light level now needed for transformation – by nurturing the inner-tuition and inspiring the creative power with love. For in order to see the true definition and purpose of our shadow, we must first have the courage (and be en-couraged) to step fully into our own light.
‘There is no such thing as darkness only a lack of light’ Vicky Wall
