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Numerology and Shadow
Work
“Somebody should tell us, right at the start of our lives, that we are dying. Then we might live life to the limit, every minute of every day. Do
it! I say. Whatever you want to do, do it now! There are only so many
tomorrows.” -- Michael Landon.
This month we will discuss methods for applying Numerology within Shadow
Work. First, what is Shadow Work? "Shadow Work" is based on the theory that
we all have a "dark side" within our personality and it develops and becomes
more powerful as we repress our inner desires. We may find these desires
unflattering, inappropriate, unattainable or embarrassing. Numerology can be
utilized in Shadow Work to provide a detailed personality portrait that can
help you to see the various layers, aspects, and sides of your personality.
We are all very complex, and being able to see a description of your
personality can allow you to look deeper into your nature and accept the
different parts of your personality.
The shadow is defined as the parts of yourself that are hidden away within your
unconscious. They may be "positive" or "negative." The shadow is composed of all
of the things about ourselves that we have repressed, forgotten or denied. According to
psychologist Carl Jung, you must get in touch with your shadow before you
can truly get in touch with your true self. He called the initial step of this
journey "The First Act of Courage." And the first thing that is necessary is simply to
acknowledge that your shadow exists
Numerologists and Astrologers focus on ways in which you can utilize
the readings and charts that they can provide to help you to get to know
yourself and develop your true potential. Working with your shadow is a way
to develop and discover your power and full potential. In Numerology, many of
your personal numbers have a "balanced" side, and an "unbalanced" side.
Accepting all aspects of your personality as real is an important first step
in living consciously and working with your shadow. Accepting and admitting
that you do possess certain qualities or characteristics, rather than
dismissing them or sweeping them under the rug, is a healthy, although
sometimes difficult, part of the process.
What are the benefits of working with Numerology within the context of Shadow
Work? Your Numerology Reading can help to "paint" a portrait of your life. What does your portrait
look like?
Your portrait is a representation of the "real you". It can capture and
portray your essence.
Do you think your portrait is beautiful, ugly, odd, or something else?
Personally, I like to paint or draw whatever my reading stirs up. The essence of
your
personality is provided by your portrait and is there for you to interpret in your
own way.
The benefit of your portrait is
that it can help you to better see your essence. Shadow Work helps you to
accept, and
incorporate, your essence. What is your essence? What does it
incorporate? For me, the drawings and paintings help me to more clearly see
my own essence. Perhaps there is something you can do that will help you to see your essence.
Is working with your shadow difficult? Working with your shadow can indeed
be a very difficult and serious undertaking. However, consider the fact that you may be,
unconsciously, living your life through your shadow side. This could lead you
to self-sabotaging behaviors. The purpose of Shadow Work is to help you side step
any self-destructive patterns. Shadow Work within Numerology can help you to
develop a deeper sense for the meaning within your personal numbers. Once
you develop this deeper sense, your Numerology Reading can guide you toward
developing greater empathy and compassion for yourself and others,
and you may be better able to understand other people's plight. Utilizing Shadow
Work
involves living up to your full potential.
What are the actual tools Numerology provides? One tool that we learned
about last month is your Maturity Number. It is critical number in living a
healthy and balanced life. This number influences our lives more and more, as
we age. The potential of this number is usually clearly seen during
childhood, and by others, as we age. Often circumstances may cause us to lose
sight of, let go of, or stuff away this potential. This can definitely
contribute to the growth and development of your shadow.
Your Maturity Number can help to indicate things to watch out for in your
life, as well as possible
courses of action that may help you live with more awareness. It may also help you
to "sit with"
the emotions that come up when you read about particular aspects of yourself
that you don't wish to accept. One of the most difficult aspects of Shadow Work is trying to be
with the tension
that your emotions can bring up. This is known as living within the tension
of opposites. I find this part challenging at times.
As an example, we will look at John C. He is dating Marie. Suppose that John
C, a computer analyst, has a Maturity number of #1. With consideration for
his entire chart, we understand that this can mean that John can become
flighty, intolerant and bossy at times. Working in a corporate environment
may not be totally suitable for him. He may need to find ways to spend time
being creative. His independence is very important to him.
Several years ago he received his MBA, yet has not found a use for it. He
enjoys the
technical aspects of his current job, but he is angry with his non-technical
team leader,
and every night goes home and is so irate he just zones out in front of the
television.
Marie loves watching television and encourages this activity. Unfortunately,
many people
just try to forget their problems by doing this or taking drugs, drinking,
or eating. Our
work within Shadow Work involves dealing with and confronting the
problem, rather
than ignoring it. It might make sense for John to find ways in which he
could use his MBA
degree and leadership skills. Perhaps he could apply to become a team
leader. His Maturity Number suggests that he find ways to do just that, or he might find working
on his own to be
more rewarding.
Numerology and Shadow Work provide the tools that can give you awareness
about your strengths, weaknesses, and potential. Accepting and acknowledging
the "good" and "bad" parts of yourself will allow you to be more tolerant of
yourself and others. You will also be able to avoid many of the destructive
behaviors, which hold you in unwanted cyclic patterns that you repeat over
and over. Hopefully, your learning and growth can help you to break through
any inner struggles, especially those associated with guilt, anger and
resentment. John, from our example, may be angry with his boss. John lets
the anger build up, then he zones out at home and gets even angrier, because
he doesn't do anything constructive with his time. This process can feed his angst and
bring about more guilt. This means that in order to avoid these struggles in
our own lives we have to own up to our shadow and its power.
Owning your shadow involves developing an awareness of your self within your
life. In our example, it means
that John would benefit from breaking out of his television habit and using that time more
constructively. With more awareness you will be better able to accept your
inner self and also your dreams. Wouldn't it be better to avoid potential physical or mental
problems and simply embrace your
desires, no matter what?
Good luck in your journey into Soulful Living and Numerology.
Resources:
Carl Jung Page: http://www.cgjungpage.org
Jung Center: http://members.aol.com/jungdetroit
Copyright © 2002 Rob Ragozzine. All
Rights Reserved.
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