| I have collected a lot of tarot and oracle decks. Some are good for everyday use, questions like Who should I be today? Others are better at helping me work through deeper issues, like How can I be more of a spiritual rebel? One thing most of my decks have in common is that they’re affirming and uplifting. They have messages such as You are so loved by Spirit or You are worthy. You can do it! Don’t get me wrong, I love having a cheerleader in my life, but there are times when I need to confront my shadow. Shadow work is a psychological practice from Carl Jung, designed to identify and integrate the shadow self—the hidden, repressed, or darker parts of our personality, such as anger, jealousy, or fear. By bringing these unconscious aspects into consciousness, we can reduce self-sabotage, heal emotional wounds, and achieve greater self-acceptance. Who doesn’t want that? The problem is that the shadow likes to stay hidden. That’s where a darker oracle deck comes in handy. Two of my favorites are Dark Magick Oracle, and my newest deck, the Dark Moon Oracle. An example of a card from Dark Magick is Bats. It asks this question: What is the greater mind crime: you driving yourself nuts, or the reason that put you there in the first place? There is a section called Shadow Work for each card. This one has a ritual for restoring mental peace. There is also a Daily Practice section. In this case, carry some green or purple fluorite for balance, drink passionflower tea for a peaceful mind, and make a vial of clary sage and lavender essential oil to inhale when your mind starts racing with stress and worry. In the Dark Moon deck, we have the card Overcritical. It asks if you’ve let attention to detail turn into a pursuit of perfection. It says that nitpicking is a way to deflect attention from your own shortcomings. It then has some suggestions for overcoming your overcritical side. I also have the Rebel Deck. It has no filter and gives no F’s. It has messages like, Get your head out of your ass. Pronto. And, Stop trying to change people. That shit never works. As well as, The world needs your power. Use your voice. Just don’t use it for dumb shit. Sage advice.  *A long time ago, back when Jesus was a cowboy, there was a radio program called The Shadow. Its opening line was “Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? The Shadow knows!” |