What if we could see our true selves?  An unfiltered reflection of this reality.  An honest glimpse of our archetypal natures and an opportunity to look past our own ego and see into the maps of our soul.  What if we had another physical version of ourselves to show us the way.  Someone to hold our hand through hard times, delight in our achievements and encourage us when we need some motivation.  A twin compass that can give us guidance and assist us in seeking what it is we have agreed to fulfill in this chapter of our souls’ learning.  

On my personal journey using many healing modalities, courses, teachers and self-help books, I have heard time and time again that we already hold the answers to our own questions.  That we already possess all the tools to be able to do our own inner work, but what does that mean exactly?  Have you ever heard the saying “Take a long hard look at yourself in the mirror?”  If we really want to grow, then we have to be prepared to embrace all aspects of ourselves and learn from them which means accepting and working with our Shadow.   

Our Shadow aspect is one of our greatest learning tools and working with it, rather than against it brings an enormous amount of growth and insight.   When life throws uncertainty or unpleasant situations our way it also gives us opportunities for personal growth and development.  I am not suggesting you must suffer from adversity to learn, but the Universe certainly has a way of getting our attention if we continue to ignore the lessons.

The truth is confronting and can often show us that we need to implement change.  As creatures of habit, often even the thought of consciously moving ourselves into discomfort is enough to stop us from doing so.  Because of this we get stuck in a type of patterning loop.  This loop of illusion can integrate itself so much into your psyche that it starts to form into your belief patterns.  This is working against your Shadow which can lead to destructive and self-sabotaging behavior, stagnation and dis-ease.  It can be deceptively subtle, so much so that sometimes nothing short of a major life trauma can shift your perception of reality.  

When we ignore or fail to listen to the answers from our Shadow aspect then we are denying access to the part of ourselves that want us to grow.   Our inner work starts and stops with how much we are prepared to hear, transform and integrate into our lives.   Our Shadow is not something to be suppressed, hidden or to be treated like the enemy.  It can be our biggest ally.  Our best decisions are made when we have clarity of thought.  For this we need to come from a space of love and non-judgement of ourselves.   All of ourselves – not just the good bits!

Stand and take an honest look in the mirror.  Are you ready to access those tools you already possess?  Do you want to dive deep into your inner world to discover the answers that await you?  The vessel that stands reflecting back at you, he/she is the one you are looking for.   

Michelle Potter

Michelle Potter Visionary Artist