Shadow Work Journal Prompt #4

Valparola Pass, Italy by Ales Krivec

🌳Willow Tree

The willow tree is associated to the moon and it is connected to the element of water. Its qualities are femininity, love, healing, protection, and divination.🌜

✨ Willow bark is useful to alleviate pain and lower fevers.

✨A decoction of the leaves or bark, simmered lightly, is used to treat dandruff.

✨The white willow is most commonly used as an herbal remedy. The Purple Willow has the same general properties as the White Willow and is even more effective in lowering fevers. The Sallow or Goat Willow eases indigestion, whooping cough and catarrh, and is used as an antiseptic to disinfect bandages.

✨ In the Lakota tradition, tobacco and willow are smoked together in the sacred pipe because it was thought that the willow’s energy helped the tobacco ascend to the heavens.

✨Willow is generally found near sources of water or in swampy areas. Ancient burial mounds in the British Isles that are near water were often lined with willows. Maybe to help keep them from being damaged by moisture. Funerary flints were cut in a willow leaf shape.

✨Willow leaves are used in herbal mixtures designed to attract love, and its wood is used to make wands for moon magic. 

✨Willow is often used by dowsers to locate underground water, earth energies, and buried objects,

✨Willow wood carried or placed in the home guards against evil.

✨A willow tree growing near a home will provide protection.

✨Willow leaves, bark, and wood add energy to healing magic.

✨Willow bark and Sandalwood mixed and burned together during the waning moon may conjure spirits.

✨Carrying a piece of willow wood helps to overcome the fear of death.

✨If you wish to manifest something in your life, tie a knot on a willow branch as you visualize your intention. When you receive what you asked for, untie the knot and use it again. 

*Before consuming any part of a Willow Tree, do some research first! Make sure the tree/leaves have not been treated with pesticides, etc. Before taking anything make sure to tell the tree what you are about to do and why. Also, give something in return as thanks (coins, tobacco, pour a drink, crystal chips, etc.) *

🌙 Moon Phases Masterpost 🌙

Following the moon phases and adapting my magic to their power and correspondences has been crucial to my practice. If you’re interested in connecting to the lunar cycle, here are the links to my previous posts on each moon phase. 

🌑 New Moon Magic 

🌒 Waxing Crescent Moon Magic

🌓 First Quarter Moon Magic

🌔 Waxing Gibbous Moon Magic

🌕 Full Moon Magic

🌖 Waning Gibbous Moon Magic 

🌗 Last Quarter Moon Magic

🌘 Waning Crescent Moon Magic 

𝕾𝖆𝖇𝖇𝖆𝖙𝖘

{Art by Julia Nikita}

The sabbats are holidays celebrated throughout the year on solstices, equinoxes, and the midpoints between them. These sabbats form the Wheel of the year.

There is a controversy surrounding the dates of these holidays, as people celebrate them all over the earth, not only in the northen hemisphere but in the southern too. 

One viewpoint is that the Sabbats should be celebrated as they were originally created to be… in other words, Samhain is October 31st, regardless of where you live. In the Southern Hemisphere, even though you are just gearing up to summer on October 31st, this perspective says that you celebrate the cleansing and releasing, the honouring of the dead just as you would if you lived in the Northern Hemisphere. The other viewpoint (the one I personally agree with) is that you should celebrate when you feel like the season corresponds with the holiday, in other words, your craft, your rules. So if you live in the southern hemisphere, you have the choice.

I’ll be writing the dates for each holiday starting with the northen hemisphere and then the dates that many people celebrate them in the southern hemisphere

🌲𝐘𝐔𝐋𝐄

{December 21st//June 21st}

Yule focuses on rebirth and renewal as the sun makes its way back to the earth. It’s all about new beginnings, reflection and embracing warmth. Much like Christmas, many celebrate with a feast, gift giving, being cosy and appreciating the good.

↟Nature: cedar, frankincense, myrrh, mistletoe, pine, birch, ivy.

↟Foods//flavours: ginger, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, wintergreen, apple, dried fruit.

↟Stones: citrine, ruby, garnet, alexandrite, green tourmaline.

↟Activities: decorate your altar with incense associated with Yule, burn ash wood for prosperity, bake using Yule flavours like ginger or cinnamon, make wreathes to hang around the house, spend time with loved ones.

🕯️𝐈𝐌𝐁𝐎𝐋𝐂

{February 1st//August 1st}

Imbolc focuses on celebrating the nature that is preparing to grow and renewal, also known as “candlemas” and the “Feast of Pan”.

↟Nature: basil, blackberry, heather, celandine, iris, wisteria, vanilla, bay, yellow and white flowers.

↟Foods//flavours: pumpkin and sunflower seeds, poppy seeds, peppers, onions, spices, and herbal teas.

↟Stones: amethyst, bloodstone, garnet, ruby, onyx.

↟Activities: decorate with candles and sun decorations, go hiking, have a bonfire, bake foods with poppy seeds, and burn any leftover winter herbs.

🌼𝐎𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐀

{March 21st//September 21st}

Ostara focuses on manifesting creativity and love. As the days become longer, energy becomes stronger.

↟Nature: ash, alder, daffodil, honeysuckle, narcissus, primrose, violet, jasmine.

↟Foods//flavours: olives, maple syrup, honey, edible flowers, chocolate, pine nuts, nettle or lavender tea, local fruits and vegetables.

↟Stones: amethyst, rose quartz, moonstone.

↟Activities: gardening and planting seeds, bake breads with olives or honey for example, start new projects, talk to plants, do some painting, decorate with wildflowers.

🌰𝐁𝐄𝐋𝐓𝐀𝐍𝐄

{May 1st//November 1st}

Beltane focuses on fertility, love and abundance. Also known as “may day”, on this sabbat many celebrate with dancing, bonfires and many high energy activities, including enjoying themselves sexually with a partner or even conceiving children.

↟Nature: frankincense, lilac, ivy, marigold, woods, rose, thyme, mint, yarrow.

↟Foods//flavours: oats, leafy greens, fruits, breads, honey.

↟Stones: malachite, amber, fire opal, red jasper.

↟Activities: dance, decorate with florals and symbols of the sea, go to the beach, go hiking, have a bonfire, feast on fruits, vegetables and grains, laugh and let your hair down. And if you’re trying to conceive or simply would like to have sex, Beltane is a wonderful time to do so.

🦋𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐇𝐀

{June 21st//December 21st}

Litha focuses on growth and celebrating the longest day of the year and the sun, before the shorter days begin.

↟Nature: fern, yarrow, sage, rose, oak, mugwort, lavender, chamomile, myrrh, pine.

↟Foods//flavours: herbed bread, honey, sunflower seeds, iced herbal tea, lemon, vanilla.

↟Stones: lapis lazuli, amethyst, malachite, tiger’s eye.

↟Activities: make or buy a sun catcher, surround yourself with warm tones, watch the sunrise and sunset, make sun water, spend time outdoors, make use of herbs.

🌾𝐋𝐀𝐌𝐌𝐀𝐒//𝐋𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐍𝐀𝐒𝐀𝐃𝐇

{August 2nd//February 2nd}

Lammas, or lughnasadh focuses on celebrating the first of the three harvesting sabbats and taking time to really feel the positivity in different aspects of life.

↟Nature: cornstalks, heather, acacia flowers, hollyhock, oak leaves, wheat, myrtle, spices.

↟Food//flavours: grainy bread, corn, potatoes, nuts, blackberries, wine.

↟Stones: amber, agate, citrine, clear quartz, obsidian, tiger’s eye.

↟Activities: bake bread, make corn dolls, visit a sunflower field, spend time in nature, acknowledged what you are grateful for, journal.

🍁𝐌𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐍

{September 21st//March 21st}

Mabon focuses on honouring the change of the seasons, balance and peace.

↟Nature: sage, pine, marigold, thistle, acorns, milkweed, oak leaves, myrrh.

↟Food//flavours: cinnamon, nuts, beans, dark fruits, pies, soup, butterscotch.

↟Stones: citrine, carnelian, clear quartz, sapphire, yellow agate.

↟Activities: collect pine cones, donate food and old clothes, meditate, dry herbs, spend time with loved ones, speak to the nature around you.

🎃𝐒𝐀𝐌𝐇𝐀𝐈𝐍

{October 31st-November 1st//April 30th-May 1st}

Samhain focuses on celebrating life, and honouring those who are no longer with us.

↟Nature: heather, sage, pumpkins, straw, flax, patchouli, myrrh.

↟Foods//flavours: apples, cider, pumpkin, pies, soups, stews, potatoes, ginger.

↟Stones: amber, black obsidian, fossils, onyx, sandstone, bloodstones.

↟Activities: honour the deceased, spend time with family, make a hearty comforting meal, make or buy a scarecrow, spend time practicing divination.

𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐝𝐨 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐬𝐚𝐛𝐛𝐚𝐭

↟Do a tarot reading relevant to that sabbat.

↟Spend time in the moonlight, charging your crystals and tarot cards, as well as meditating.

↟Bake something using at least one traditional food of that sabbat to share with others.

↟Cleanse your living space and any of your magickal items.

↟Write down how you’re feeling and how you’d like to feel in the weeks to come.

SHADOW WORK SIMPLIFIED

What is shadow work?

If I had to describe shadow work in one word, it would be introspection. Introspection is the examination of your own mental state and is necessary in order to learn more about your fundamental nature. Although it may sound off-putting and even scary at first, shadow work is a necessary component in the process of healing. We all have aspects of ourselves that we’ve rejected and hidden away out of fear. Through shadow work, we’re able to reflect on our thoughts, emotions, and habits so that we can find the root cause of our suffering and heal ourselves. By reincorporating those aspects of ourselves that we’ve denied, we feel more fulfilled and can begin to love ourselves fully. 

Where does shadow work come from? 

The concept of the shadow self comes from Carl Jung who believed that our shadow self is the subconscious aspect, or “dark side”, of our personality that our conscious ego doesn’t identify with. However, I would like to clarify that “dark” does not imply or equate with bad. That which resides outside of our consciousness can be either good or bad, but aren’t inherently reflective of our value or “goodness” as a person. 

Although these repressed aspects of ourselves can manifest negatively, it isn’t because those parts of us are “bad”, but that the process of repression is inherently painful and toxic. This is reflected by Jung when he states, “Everyone carries a shadow, and the less it is embodied in the individual’s conscious life, the blacker and denser it is.” He believed that until we’ve merged our conscious and subconscious selves, that our conscious would be “the slave of the autonomous shadow”. This is due to the shadow self overwhelming our conscious selves by falling victim to our own self-imposed traps. 

Through assimilating this shadow self, not over-identifying with it, Jung believed we go through the process of enantiodromia, thereby integrating the subconscious by reincorporating our shadow selves into our personality and allowing us to solidify ourselves through wholeness. He best described this by stating "assimilation of the shadow gives a man body, so to speak.” However, don’t fall into the misconception that shadow work is a short-term practice. Shadow work is a continuous practice and integration of the shadow self is a will take place throughout your life.

How do I do shadow work?

In the last question, I identified that practicing self-reflection is a key component of shadow work, but what does that mean? What am I supposed to be reflecting on? Well, the first thing that you should focus on is being present throughout the day. Identify feelings that come up throughout the day and observe them objectively. What situation or interaction triggered these emotions? How did I react to those emotions? Were my emotions controlling me or was I in control of my emotions? Why did this situation or interaction cause me to feel this way? How did I cope with those feelings (self-harming, lashing out at others, communicating my feelings, journalling, etc.)? Did I punish myself for getting upset? If so, why? 

There are numerous ways to reflect on your feelings and experiences in order to get a better understanding of yourself. Through evaluating how you react to situations, which situations upset you, and how you managed those feelings, you’re able to build the foundation to understanding your emotions and bridge the gap between your subconscious and conscious mind.

Once you’ve done this, you’ll find that the emotions you feel in the present are reflective of unhealed emotions from your past. Perhaps the reason you feel that you’re unable to set boundaries as an adult is because as a child, your parents never respected your boundaries by going through your phone or diary, yelling at you when you said no to a request, forcing you into situations that made you feel you had no choice. 

By identifying the root cause of your emotional pain, you’re able to address it in the present and heal from the trauma. The simplest way that I’ve found to address them is through journalling. You can purchase a physical journal or even use your notes app, either way, you’re writing out your feelings and reflections to gain deeper insight. It’s important to remember that this looks different for anyone and that the best way to approach shadow work is by doing what feels most natural! You can choose to stick to self-reflective journal prompts, vent about whatever is upsetting you, write letters to whoever has hurt you, etc. Ultimately, you can guide yourself based off of what you feel you need and where you are in your journey.

What parts of yourself do you find yourself rejecting the most? Many of us have experienced the pain of rejection in some aspects of our lives and sometimes, it’s incredibly painful and leaves us with long-lasting wounds. We end up going through our lives carrying baggage that we don’t even know we have! Many times, I’ve found myself wondering why I felt so repulsed by aspects of myself and why I felt so strongly that they needed to be locked away forever. I couldn’t allow myself or others to see my truest self, my whole self, out of fear. I was scared of being rejected, shamed, humiliated by the people around me. I was scared of hurting other people by being myself and of being hurt by others. That’s no way to live, is it? When we tell ourselves that aspects of ourselves aren’t good enough, we end up going through life devaluing ourself. We’ve broken our own trust by rejecting ourselves, we’ve told ourselves that we aren’t good enough or worthy of love. In shadow work, you’re called to go inward and unpack everything that we’ve kept hidden for years and sometimes even decades. 

Bring the parts of yourself that you’ve repressed to the surface and nourish them with love, allow yourself to see that ALL OF YOU is deserving of love and support. For you, that could mean unlearning your unhealthy beliefs about food or eating, allowing yourself to be emotional around the people you love (despite how much you were told that you were too emotional, a crybaby, too sensitive in the past), allowing yourself to relax without feeling guilty about not being productive because you recognize your needs (even though you feel your sense of worth is tied to being productive at the cost of your own health).

Common misconceptions about shadow work?

Shadow work is evil or bad, the shadow is evil or bad 

The purpose of shadow work is healing through working with your subconscious to release repressed aspects of yourself and heal from painful, traumatic experiences. Your shadow side is simply your unconscious and to believe that it’s bad is to believe that you are bad. It’s merely the part of yourself that you aren’t aware of consciously and shouldn’t be feared. 

Certain emotions are “bad”

When you let go of the idea that emotions are either good or bad, you’ll allow yourself to just be and stop putting so much pressure on yourself to feel “good” all of the time. Happiness isn’t a constant state of being so stop expecting to be all of the time, we have a range of emotions for a reason so stop being ashamed of them. Your feelings are natural and if you feel like they’re out of control and something to be ashamed of, there is nothing wrong with that! It’s okay to feel like your emotions are controlling you because that isn’t permanent. Your feelings aren’t permanent and are completely manageable with proper guidance! The reason you feel like your emotions are controlling you is because you probably don’t have the knowledge to cope with them in an effective and healthy way. It’s helpful to sit with your emotions alone and look at them objectively without placing any judgement on them, this will help you calm down and assess your feelings. From there, you can identify what you need to relax and recover as well as acknowledge to yourself that your feelings are natural. When you stop categorizing your emotions as bad, they’re no longer shameful to experience and therefore you can see with better clarity how to cope with them and move on.

I’ve already released it so…

Why am I still upset?

Why does it still keep popping up in my head?

Why haven’t I moved on?

Why am I not making progress?

With the rise of self development and spirituality, I find that more and more people are rushing to complete their healing. Healing is a continuous, life-long cycle and not a destination. Putting the pressure on yourself to reach the place of ultimate healing is not only toxic, but it impedes your ability to actually heal anything. Healing is about love, compassion, and patience and it’s not going to happen according to a timeline. Allow yourself the time to experience your emotions, see them objectively, forgive yourself and others and move on without the pressure of expectations. 

 Another reason that you could be experiencing this is that despite the work you think you’ve done, it hasn’t been sufficient. I’ve found that a lot of journal prompts provided online are surface level at best and can be more pacifying than revealing. If you’re not feeling anything while doing your inner work, you’re not doing it correctly. Ultimately, this is about uncovering what makes us UNCOMFORTABLE and moving through those feelings. When you allow yourself to experience the sadness, hurt, anger, and/or frustration than you’re telling yourself that these feelings are okay and don’t need to be suppressed. The reality is that no matter what you’re feeling, you are allowed to experience those emotions and it’s only human! Unfortunately, many people associate lower vibrational emotions as bad, but this is a huge misconception! Telling yourself that anger, sadness, etc. are “bad” implies that you shouldn’t experience these emotions and that you have to get rid of them which is not only wrong, but unhealthy. There is no right or wrong emotions so don’t buy into the belief that you should feel a certain way, simply allow yourself to be and you’ll find that it’s much easier to navigate your emotions and needs. The only way to make it to the other side is by wading through the water, be patient and know that you’re feeling exactly what you should be. When you stop censoring yourself, you’ll discover a newfound sense of freedom and wholeness. 

 If you find yourself circling back to certain topics, for example, your ex-boyfriend than perhaps there are triggers in your environment that remind you of the situation, you have more that needs to be addressed that you may not have been ready for or aware of previously (hence why shadow work is a practice that is ongoing), or they’re representative of a deeper issue that you’re repressing. Whatever the cause is, the same methods as earlier will apply and can be discerned through your own intuition. 

What are some basic journal prompts that I can do?

What feelings come up when you think of ____?

How did that experience make you feel emotionally? How did it make you feel about yourself? How did it make you feel about the other person or people?

Write a letter to yourself, your inner child, the people who’ve hurt you, and the people you’ve hurt. Express how you feel honestly, without holding back and then forgive yourself and the other person.

If you could say anything to yourself or another person for closure, what would it be?

How have these situations and experiences impacted your mental health? How have they affected your belief system about yourself, other people, and the world?

What about yourself are you ashamed of? What about yourself are you embarrassed of? What about yourself makes you angry? What do you regret? Why do you feel this way about yourself and where do these feelings stem from?

What makes you feel most alone? What makes you feel most loved? How can you incorporate that knowledge into your life to make it better?

What’s the most hurtful thing someone has said or done to you? Why did it hurt you so much? How does it still affect you now? How can you heal from it and allow yourself to move on?

What do you need to forgive yourself for? What do you need to forgive others for?

Where do you feel you lack security in your life? Why? How does this impact your life and your relationships?

This is a list of generic prompts for you to start with, but feel free to message me if you need help with more specific topics or I can make another post altogether for journal prompts.

Sacred Places (Water)

These are places that could be considered sacred for someone who focuses on the element of Water in their craft.

Places In Nature

Hot Springs - Natural pools of energy, boiling up from deep in the earth. Warm, relaxing, and full of healing. 

The River - Always changing, full of strength. Powerful enough to carve through stone, gentle enough to dip your toes in.

The Ocean - Mysterious and welcoming, deep enough to hold your darkest secrets, and never let the light see them.

The Lake - Simple and homely, teeming with life. A place of forgiveness and rebirth.

Urban Places

Concrete Waterways - Found in almost every park, a place of refuge and shelter.

Water Parks - Full of laughter, fun, and families, all fueled by the power of water.

Hot Tubs - A man-made tribute to the power of hot springs, a place of relaxation and health.

Wells - Pulls wealth and prosperity from deep in the earth, homely and safe.

✨Crochet Stitch Correspondence List ✨

So as most of you probably know, I’m a crochet artist. Everything that I create (weather it’s a crocheted item or not) has a bit of my magic imbued in it, but sometimes I want to enchant an item I’m making with a specific intent. Here’s my personal list of stitch correspondences.. these are just what energy I get from the stitch personally, so feel free to make your own correspondences up for them! Crocheting or knitting is so great because the stitches can have intentions, and you can use colour magic or the correspondences of the fiber content to amplify or add to the energy of your creation!

 I use US terms, and I’ve tried to order them by how complicated the stitch is.

Chain stitch - If i’m doing a foundation chain of a multiple of 9 chains, I’ll use the 9 knot chant/spell to sort of kickstart the spell’s energy and to have it act as a battery to charge the spell:

By knot of ONE, the spell’s begun

By knot of TWO, it cometh true

By knot of THREE, so mote it be

By knot of FOUR, this power I store

By knot of FIVE, the spell’s alive

By knot of SIX, this spell I fix

By knot of SEVEN, events I’ll leaven

By knot of EIGHT, it will be Fate

By knot of NINE, what’s done is mine

If it’s just part of the pattern, I use it as an energy mover. It just keeps the energy moving from one stitch to the next, while keeping it strong.

Slip stitch - Great for glamours where the purpose is to go unnoticed. Also an energy mover, but lets the intent change freely from stitch to stitch. Single Crochet - A nice tight, simple stitch. I use it in items that I want to be protective but gentle to the wearer/user, nurturing love, close relationships.

Half double Crochet - A tight-ish, soft stitch. Warmth, protection, ease of manifestation.

Double Crochet - A looser, faster stitch. Good for freedom, moving energy away from yourself, and letting go.  Treble - Sort of an amplified version of the double. Spontaneity, letting go, luck.

Front post stitches - Brings the energy of whatever stitch you use to the forefront. Lets it be directed by you and seen by the world. Good for glamour spells where you want to bring attention to yourself. ex: front post treble will let the world see how spontaneous and forward moving you are.

Back post stitches - Lets the energy of whatever stitch you use run in the background. Good for glamours where you don’t want attention brought to yourself. Ex: Back post single would be great for bringing you protection, and strengthening relationships when you don’t want a lot of attention (from outsiders) brought to something so personal as a close relationship.

Stitches ‘together’ ( i.e. 2 treble together, 3 dc together) - Great for bringing people closer together (i,e, 2 together would be two people,) tightening bonds, bringing an end quicker.

Spike stitch/long stitch - Lets your energy reach farther. Good for spells where the subject is farther away (physically, emotionally or mentally) or if you’re having trouble reaching out to others.  Also good for divination or astral work to ‘see’ farther. Great for cursing as well when you use nice long, pointy spikes.

Moss stitch - (aka linen, granite, or woven stitch)  This is my favourite for warding. It’s a very tight stitch with no holes. Great for protection, keeping warmth in and not letting anything get through.

Granny stitch - Familiarity (great for when you’re traveling) comfort, familial relationships (particularly maternal), fast manifestation.

Ripple or Wave stitch - Sea/ocean magic, adaptability and riding the waves, energy flow, peace/calm.

Shell stitch - Opening up to others, manifestation, sea/ocean magic, adaptability (riding the waves, so to speak)

Picot - When used as an edging, it’s good for bringing about a good ending. It can be used to tie up all the loose ends if you’re in a situation of uncertainty. Good for curses where you want to make some bumps in somebody’s road.

Crab stitch - Sturdy, but also is a definite ending. Good for banishing and burning bridges. Can also be good for past life work since it’s worked backwards. Also good in cursing as so many hate doing this stitch.

Corner to Corner - Order, logic. Can be great to make a giant sigil project with! Just make your sigil simple enough to crochet as pixels in your C2C throw/blanket/square.

Puff stitch -  Self love, being gentle to yourself and other, slowing down a hectic life.

Popcorn stitch - Bringing fun and flavour into your life, great for brining a group of people closer together, 

Crocodile stitch - Protection, psychic ability/astral work, cloaking/camouflage spells, bringing softness into your life.

Broomstick lace - Cleansing, banishing, warding. Basically all the things you can do with a besom, you can do with this stitch. Use your besom as the broomstick for added oomph! I also like to use this as a ward that filters out unwanted energy and transforms it into good energy.

Serpentine stitch - Entangling lives (i.e. if you want serendipity on your side) moving effortlessly through difficult situations, curse magic to complicate someone’s life

 Credits: Both photos are mine, @TheRestlessWitch  Crochet pattern for Mandala Madness (photo #1) here. Patterns used for the Mandala Cushion cover (photo #2) can be found on ravelry here.

The best crystals for... Part 1 🤍

Part 2

Part 3

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