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Explore the shadow aspects of tarot cards to help you uncover your own personal shadows and incorporate techniques, such as exercises and affirmations, to begin your journey of healing.

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A Quest for Betterment

June’s shadow card is the 8 of Cups, shown here from the new Tarot Illuminati by Erik C. Dunne and Kim Huggens.  Here we have a figure, cloaked in red, with his back to us walking away from 8 cups stacked behind him.  Red is the color of passion indicating that this person is passionate about their pursuits.  There are 5 cups on the left and 3 on the right and it appears as though the cups are empty but in truth we do not know if they are or if they have something in them.  If they are full, perhaps he is leaving them behind because they no longer work for him, if they are empty he may be feeling that his life is empty and he is leaving them in search of fulfillment.  He uses a cane to assist him as he walks in a wintry scene though a doorway between very large rocks towards what appears to be a stairway to the moon.  

The 8 of Cups is about going on a quest in some form or another, walking away from a job, a relationship, a belief system, or any other situation, positive or negative, and is often about leaving something good in order to find something even better.  Sometimes the quest is about finding yourself, of looking deep inside to discover those hidden things that you are finally ready to face.  A quest can be about leaving the past behind you so you can move on to better things, or leaving behind emotions that no longer serve you.  

 

The shadow side of the 8 of Cups can be someone who never stays with a job or a person for a long period of time, someone who is always on the move.  This person may have issues with commitment or they abandon a situation without putting any effort into it.  For them it is easier to just leave the situation rather than to try and fix what they perceive as broken.  For them it is a form of escapism.  This can also be someone who is wandering without any direction, someone who continuously moves around without knowing what they really want out of life, or is always looking for something better than what they currently have.  Alternatively, this can also be someone who wants to move but continues to stay in a situation that they are not happy in or they know that it is not good for them. 

 

If you are someone who can not seem to be in one place for too long, it’s quite possible that you move from one thing to another on a simpler level as well, such as starting activities before you have finished the last one.  If this is you, try to see an activity or a project to the very end.  If you have several things that you have started and they sit there, waiting for you to finish them, choose one to work on and follow it to its completion.  One you complete it, how does it make you feel?

 

If you have a habit of giving up on things because it’s too difficult, try to catch yourself and ask how you can make it easier on yourself.  Working smarter not harder is always the best way to go.

 

If you are someone who is afraid of commitment, evaluate your reasons why you may be afraid.  What exactly are you afraid of about commitment?  Are you afraid or do you just not want to be tied down because you like playing the field or trying out different jobs?

 

As with our other shadow work, journal if you feel it is necessary.  It makes it a lot easier to get to the heart of the matter.  Meditate on the reasons why you do what you do.  Consider these questions during meditation or journaling:

 

Do you want to change or do you like the way things are going? 

Are you truly happy where you are at? 

Are you running way from something or to something? 

Are you spiritually fulfilled?

 

Affirmation

 

“I know when to walk away from a situation for the right reasons and I trust my own judgment.”

 

Don’t be afraid to bring your shadows into the light.  It’s amazing what can be learned if you choose to see.

 

Blessings!   

 

Card from Tarot Illuminati by Erik C. Dunne (Artist) and Kim Huggens

 

Last modified on
Reading the cards since 1999, Machelle enjoys using her empathy and intuition to assist others gain insight into their lives, helping them on their path of personal development and enlightenment.  Her specialty is working with shadows, where she helps others discover and heal the hidden shadows of self that have been tucked away for self preservation but have, in fact, limited each person’s ability to live to their fullest potential.  Also a Reiki Practitioner, she is committed to helping others heal through her business Ray of Light Tarot & Reiki.

Comments

  • gary c. e.
    gary c. e. Saturday, 15 June 2013

    Solid !

  • Machelle Earley
    Machelle Earley Friday, 21 June 2013

    Thanks, Gary!

  • Kathryn Shimmura
    Kathryn Shimmura Monday, 17 June 2013

    Thanks, Machelle
    Although I didn't actually perform any specific shadow work, I did have a dream that night which was definitely shadow work!
    Kathryn Shimmura

  • Machelle Earley
    Machelle Earley Friday, 21 June 2013

    Shadow work, in whatever form, is important. A lot of shadowrok is done through dreams.

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