http://greyladyshearth.blogspot.it/2015/10/shadow-work-spread.html
1 The Light – What you know and accept about yourself? - 9 of Swords - anxiety, overthinking, overanalyzing, too much in my own head - Well duh. The whole reason I’m in therapy is due to overwhelming anxiety. It’s a constant state (although getting better) and when the loops start playing I still find it impossible to distract or deflect much less stop them.
2. The Shadow - What is hidden from you about yourself - The Chariot - determination, focus, I can make things happen - you’d think this would be something to embrace not be hidden, but if I go on the assumption that my shadow originates from childhood, then so much power would have been terrifying for me, plus impossible to understand since in reality I was dependent on very undependable and frightening people. Perhaps I hid this out of a desire to not make myself a target?
3. Why do you fear you Shadow? What is preventing you from seeing and accepting you Shadow? - 3 of Wands - Waiting, longing, narrow focus, myopic, stuckness - this is a pretty perfect opposite to the Chariot. 3 of Wands is endlessly waiting, all that fire energy just standing still until something external happens. I do fear that if I don’t make things happen they never will. My session before last was actually dealing specifically with my problems with waiting. I spent my entire childhood waiting to grow up and get out of my home, to start my own family. And from that point forward I’ve been the constant mover and shaker in my own life. Being forward looking and ambitious is good. But doing it out of fear is less positive. The fear of being stuck waiting makes it hard for me to recognize that my BEING is a catalyst. I don’t have to do a damn thing for things to change around me. I can say that, but its very hard to believe.
4 Why should you embrace your Shadow? What are the positive sides of your Shadow that would benefit you? - 9 of Pentacles - Wealth, luxury, contentment, independance, connection - I am kinda falling in love with this card and I’ve seen it several times over the last week. The second 9 in this spread, it just glows with happiness, with all that yellow. The fact that I somewhat identify with the hawk helps. Accepting my “shadow” could allow me to reach this place within myself.
5 How to integrate the Shadow into the Light. What steps you should take in order to accept your Shadow? - The Hermit - Introspection, awareness of self, self-containment - here is a third 9. Lots of completing of cycles here, with The Hermit being the big daddy of them all. I think my therapy/EMDR is a huge part of this. Introspection and self-examination is never something I lack, but I’m actually getting somewhere now and seeing it impact my well-being in really big ways.
6 The Outcome -The possibilities if you succeed in bringing the Shadow into the Light - 8 of Wands - movement, inspiration, speed, ambition - well if this isn’t a Chariot card I don’t know what is. Ready Aim Fire! Dead on target with force and speed. I’m a fan of the 8 of Wands. I like not having to wait (there is that word again) to know what’s what. Integrating my own Chariot lets me get shit done without dilly dallying around.
I included a 7th card to this spread, a “where am I in this process” card. Since the spread is set out kind of like a compass, I decided I would ask the question, draw a single card, and the suit would give me my answer. North would be Pentacles, South would be Swords, East would be Cups and West would be Wands.
7. Where am I in this cycle - 9 of Wands - yet *another* 9. That makes four. So not only am I at the integration phase, I’m just about done with it. Which would mean the start of a new cycle. I think I’ll try to remember to do this spread again in a month.
