Shadow Work is one of my favorite topics to touch on when it comes to the world of personal development and metaphysics. Not only because it is a marvelous tool for introspection and expansion, but due to its connection to the evolution of our authenticity, creativity, transformation and rebirth, spiritual senses, etc; which are inextricably linked to the realm of the Dark Feminine.
I know, there are a ton of "feminine energy" gurus out there who suggest that our femininity lies within our grooming habits, appearance, manners, and etiquette, and although those are great things to advance on, it is NOT the totality of our feminine energy.
Where "light" feminine energy, typically what you'll see in vast numbers being covered on social media, is the face we show the world: the softness, warmth, and grace that is being expressed, "dark" feminine energy is what is hidden and unseen from the world. It's the inner world we only experience within our own individual Universe.
Just like the subconscious mind, the place where our Shadow Work practice targets, dark feminine energy is the part of the feminine spectrum that considers our behaviors, beliefs, fears, sensuality, sexuality, artistic abilities, intuitive abilities, and more. These are the aspects of the Self that we need to merge with our "light" in order to be expressed and transmuted into positive, uplifting thoughts and actions.
This is why it's so important to talk about feminine energy, because it's not just about being beautiful and polite, it's about constant upward transformation, wisdom, compassion, connection to the metaphysical world, or in other words, being Divine.
There was a point in time where I avoided talking about Divine or Dark Femininity out of fear of backlash or judgment, as if mentioning something so integral to the inner strength of women made me bigoted or too exclusive to other groups. I also wanted to set myself apart from the aggressively spiritual folks we see very often online who bypass their unsavory emotions in order to only experience positivity.
Either way, I've denied myself and my lovely supporters and clients the fullness of the holistic lifestyle experience by scratching anything about femininity off my list. What a grave mistake.
Regardless of our belief systems, depriving ourselves of the depth of our feminine energy is practically similar to cutting off a limb and trying to make it in this world smoothly, all for the sake of resisting the need to be soft, intuitive, trusting, or joyful. We need both our masculine AND feminine energies to go about this plane with ease and grace, however, we've only been using the masculine side for obvious reasons.
No more of that. We may exist in a world ruled by men and have to play by their rules here and there, but the spiritual/metaphysical world is our domain and must be engaged with as well.
That is the power we have rejected for so long out of confusion, misinformation, institutional religious fearmongering, and lack of trust and faith. It is not our fault that we have been led astray from the path of seeking our internal dynamism, but it is now our responsibility to do the inner work needed to embody our divinity once and for all.
I know it's not easy for us women and femmes to let our guard down and be in flow in this male-dominated world where we have had our innocence, natural born-gifts, and feminine essence stripped away from us. If anything, we need to feel safe and secure in our environments in order for us to be soft and warm.
However, it is our duty while we're here on Earth to explore the wondrous dark feminine energy within us, acknowledge and release our unseen personal setbacks, and transmute that energy into thoughts, beliefs, and goals that align perfectly with our Higher Self. This is the transformation process that not only allows us to find our bliss, but to operate from it fully.
Comfortable it is not, but liberating it will be. Even if you don't want to do it for yourself, just imagine the energetic ripple effect you'd create simply by practicing Shadow Work and expanding your consciousness. By that alone, you silently give everyone permission to do the same and transform into the version they desire to be.
That is true potential of delving deep into our darkness through Shadow Work, dark feminine energy, and transmutation: our process, no matter how small, heals several generations of women before and after us, and equips us all with the tools to be guided by our Spiritual Team so we can fulfill our passions through this sacred Earthly vessel we inhabit.
So how can one activate their dark feminine energy to transmute their agony into abundance, you may ask? You already know I got you with the tips, my dearest...
3 Ways to Activate your Dark Feminine Energy
1. Examine and release all conditioned shame around your feminine gifts
I probably don't have to explain much here, but we ALL know that we have been shamed or made to feel guilty about being feminine in some way: feeling emotional, being sexy or sensual, being interested in astrology or the spiritual realm, our body shape or size, being confident or self-assured, owning our internal power, etc.
It truly feels like sometimes we have to apologize for expressing our feminine wits, as if it's something we need to hide for others to have the upper-hand. Isn't that absolutely ridiculous?
There is nothing we need to hide. Although we should be responsible with how we use our dynamism, we should NOT feel ashamed of our natural-born gifts regardless of the conditioning we've received from the world around us.
It's hard to separate the shaming of women's actions and capabilities from patriarchy's need to make men's power more dominant, more significant.
And, look, I'm not here to diminish their very tangible power on this plane; it is still a necessary energy. However, the dominance of masculine energy that exists today has caused us to believe that we as women need to mimic it entirely for our smooth survival. That may be true to a certain extent because most of us do not feel safe from our past experiences and fears, but after a while we end up feeling depleted and unfulfilled when we do.
You need not deny your feminine energy from the shame you've internalized or the minimization of our need to harness our femininity, give yourself full permission to explore this side of yourself because your ascension (and the ascension of the collective consciousness) wholly depends on it.
2. Use introspection to explore your likes and dislikes
Would you say that you know who you are? That's a question even the most spiritually developed of folks may find difficult to answer, but it is more simple than we think...
At our core, we are all pure Consciousness experiencing itself in physical form; the Divine essence of all that is with the goal of constantly expanding to get a sense of the infinite splendor that it itself provides for all lifeforms. But in order for us to get to a place of understanding this, we must peel back all the layers of who we are NOT to truly know who we ARE.
Naturally, that is done through our Shadow Work practice and anything that allows us to look inward. It just all depends on how deep we are willing to go.
In releasing all the titles and labels of who we're expected to be in our world (ex: sister, wife, teacher, mother, student, etc) and using our intuition to feel what aligns with us in the present moment, we're able to figure out what we actually do or do not like with ease. You won't even need to second-guess it because your intuition will never lead you astray or purposefully discourage or confuse you.
So be present enough to know what resonates with you despite others' judgments and fulfill any inspired action steps your Higher Self internally communicates to you.
3. Embody the traits of the desired version of yourself
Now that you've outgrown your internalized shame and Earthly labels, it's time for the transformation process of the Dark Feminine.
Of course you are grateful for the person you are and the life you have already, but this is taking all the amazing inner work you've done and integrating it with your light feminine side; making it visible and expressed.
Reserve some time to consider who you truly want to be and be as detailed as possible. What does this person look like, talk like, act like, eat like, feel like? Be incredibly clear about the specific qualities of this person so you can try them on for size.
Once you've narrowed those things down, it's time to deeply apply them to your personality. But make it fun; view it as if you are an actress who's playing the role of your desired version, with you writing the script the entire time.
Does it feel weird? Good. It's going to be uncomfortable and strange for a few weeks, but once your subconscious mind has been impressed enough to accept this as your new truth, it'll be second-nature to you without you realizing.
In conclusion, your Shadow Work practice goes deeper than just writing in your journal and analyzing your thoughts, it's about utilizing the powers of your dark feminine energy to transmute your fears into fortune, your wounds into wonder, your pain into passion.
We as ascending women have been told that our innate gifts are inferior, evil, or shameful, but it's time we harness that energy despite others' objections to expand into the Divine Creatrixes we were born to be.
Don't fight it, invite it.