Samhain Blog Hop: Exploring the Shadow Self

Welcome to another blog hop! First, the technicalities: 

To go back to Donna Faber’s blog, the blog hop post before me, click here.

To go ahead to Lina Ljunggren’s blog, the blog hop post after me, click here.

And now, my pretties, on to the shadow self…if you dare! Bwa ha ha ha ha!!! (Sorry, I couldn’t resist that. This is a Halloween blog hop, after all!)

Our challenge in this hop was to examine the shadow self, the aspects of ourselves that we have to keep hidden. Being an introvert, I keep most of myself hidden. I’m shy, quiet, and reserved, and I like it that way. I haven’t seen a definition of introverts and extroverts that works in the concept of the shadow self, but I imagine it would be something like this: an extrovert is someone who keeps the best part of him/herself in the sunlight. An introvert keeps the best parts of him/herself in the shadows. Consequently, extroverts think introverts are extremely boring. Little do they know! Bwa ha ha ha ha!

But to anyone who knows me at all and pays attention, it must surely be obvious what part of myself I hide the most. Oh, you weren’t paying attention? Too bad for you! Pay attention next time! Bwa ha ha ha ha!

Outwardly, I have always appeared to be a rationalist. So it took many people by surprise when this science writer/atheistic/Buddhist type person started reading tarot cards and talking about angels. I got reactions like, “you’re doing this as a joke, right?” Wrong! Bwa ha ha ha ha!

The truth is this. (Can you handle the truth? bwa ha ha ha ha!) (Sorry, I keep doing that — it’s like a tic or something.)

• No, I’m not joking about tarot, and yes, I think the cards I pull are a reflection of actual energy in the universe and yes, I think the cards I pull contain messages from the universe. And yes, I believe that the messages are sometimes intended to be humorous.
• On a related note, yes, I think the angels like to joke around. It’s one of their favorite things! They love laughter. In fact I can hear them laughing at me sometimes. I don’t think they’re into solemnity.
• Yes, I do think I can clear negativity out of a room by burning incense or white sage and saying prayers. You don’t?
• Yes, I believe that reiki healing is real and yes, I’ve tried it myself. In fact, if I lie down next to you, or anywhere in the vicinity, and go to sleep, there’s a strong likelihood that you will too — and you’ll be, as they say, down for the count. Oops, sorry about that.
• Yes, I believe that reiki and other forms of energy can be sent long distance. Not only can it be sent long distance, but it will sometimes travel long distance on its own whether you want it to or not — it just shows up.
• Yes, I have encountered a ghost and no, this ghost wasn’t scary. (I don’t encounter them all the time, though.)
• Yes, I talk to people who are dead, whether they talk back or not. Yes, I’ve taken to buying cigarettes for my husband’s dead stepfather and lighting them for him on the balcony. What? He can’t die of lung cancer after he’s already dead. No, I’m not smoking them myself. I’m not THAT crazy!
• Yes, I can see auras, but not in as much detail as someone like a medical intuitive could. Yes, they are real. (As a science writer, I’ve thought a lot about this and have a plausible scientific explanation, but we don’t need one on Halloween, do we? No, we don’t!)
• Yes, I sometimes see what I think are angels (to me they look like auras with no physical bodies attached).
• Yes, I think that healing occurs on the spiritual level before it occurs on the physical level. Again, you don’t?
• Yes, I think flower essences and other forms of energy medicine work.
• Yes, I believe that you can breathe in reiki energy from the air. What did you think air was for?
• Yes, I believe that you can soak up energy from the earth. What did you think earth was for?
• Yes, I’ve been depressed for the past several years, and yes, I think that’s a good thing. Yes, I mean it: a GOOD thing. Depression is one possible doorway to enlightenment. I don’t think I would have developed my intuition as strongly if not for my depression. Like they say on Once Upon a Time, all magic has its price. The price for enlightenment is going a little bit crazy compared to the rest of the world. I think that’s okay. I prefer crazy people anyway.

Am I scared of the occult or stuff like ghosts and demons? Naaah! Ghosts, demons, even the criminals of our world are not truly bad when you look at them deeply and understand them on a spiritual level. You can’t be corrupted from the outside in, only from the inside out. I have a black belt in karate, but I’m going to tell you right now that the best protection in this world against anything is a pure, innocent heart (um, it has to be YOUR OWN heart, just saying, because tomorrow is Halloween). And the company of angels. Hey, a little madness will go a long way! And one more thing — if you are out there harboring evil in your heart, YOU are the one who should be scared. Because evil intentions, unlike good ones, CAN be transformed from the outside — all someone has to do is find a way to touch your heart, and that evil will be a goner. So watch out! Bwa ha ha ha ha! 🙂