The Shadow & the Soul

The more this human-suited individual endeavours to establish a “writing practice” the more there are two distinct voices that come out to play. References have already been made in earlier posts. Perhaps it’s the “perfectly on time” opportunity to more clearly define/look at/consider their identities.

Hey there little “shadow”!
What’s up in your world today? Feeling a little left out, lonely, unappreciated, and forgotten?

Would that be the reason you recently presented that old phrase….
“I may not be much, but I’m all I ever think about”… to sit front and center and play over and over like a broken record?

A little background here readers. That phrase was often used by a dear friend when several, like-minded souls, would be gathered together, undertaking to explore old and new ideas. Making light of “ego” helped all of us recognize the human-suited condition we were enmeshed in and laughter invariably followed. What a fun and beautiful memory and what a special recollection that every single person in the “gathering” would relate and then somehow feel lighter.

Adding a type of identity to “shadow” versus “ego” seems like a comfortable fit. New understandings [ideas] suggest that ALL of us have a shadow side – established to protect us from whatever past demons/traumas may have been presented at a time when we could not emotionally translate and/or understand them. With that new idea comes an interesting option. Why not embrace that little “shadow”, acknowledge its presence, and let it know it’s perfectly on time and no longer needs to protect the child because the child is finally growing up.

Of course, understanding that this little “shadow” is still going to have a voice should also be just fine. In my own experience, the practice of “pausing” when “shadow” starts to take center stage, has over time, reduced the volume to a much lower decibel. There’s a story about “The Two Wolves” that’s been around for a very long time and seems to contain elements of what I’ve tried to capture in this blog. This interpretation resonated with me and is a lovely read…. https://lonerwolf.com/two-wolves-story.

So, what about the little “soul” identity?

• A voice that’s quieter, gentler, kinder, more compassionate.
• Can it compete with little “shadow”?
• From where I’m sitting today? You bet!
• How? … Take the pause, settle in, get quiet and listen.
• What might happen? …An entirely magical presentation of wisdom and guidance that’s heartfelt, loving and generous…. all through sitting in a state of silence.

Such a journey! AND … maybe, just maybe, the questioning that continues to play out and sit at top of mind (attached to “I may not be much, but I’m all I ever think about“) is actually my “soul” asking me to take a closer look at who I am today, who might I become and how I might be of service as I finish up my earth-school training for this lifetime.

So, now back to Thursday and how that phrase led to the theme of this blog.

I’ve mentioned my mentor, Gladys, in a previous blog (also fondly known as “Our Queen” and “Our girl”). She’s been a participant in my own earth-school journey for 40+ years and I’ve laid claim to her being my very own Wise Woman / Spiritual Giant. She’s the one that taught me about “We are not human beings having a spiritual experience, we are spiritual beings having a human experience.” Interesting that more recently that phrase is being “spoken” via multiple videos, YouTube presentations and webinars. I used to think it was unique to the mutual network Gladys and I are part of but now I’m thinking it’s been around for a very long time – perhaps it’s simply more acceptable to speak it out loud in our world today.

The “I may not be much, but I’m all I ever think about” phrase was playing loud and clear as I was driving out to have my weekly visit with her. She’s now 96 years young, traveling through the maze of dementia at times, wheelchair bound as the result of a broken hip two years ago and in a care facility in Agassiz.

I go to visit because I love her dearly – it’s difficult sometimes to view her condition as being “perfectly on time” and yet there are moments when I sense some type of movement between here and wherever as she talks about “helping”. If (as seems to be the story now resonating with me) we’ve all agreed to come here to have this earth-school/human-suited experience then perhaps this part of her story is to serve as a “transition buddy” for others needing a little assistance to move to their next marvelous journey.

So – back to the phrase and acknowledging that whatever “shadow” was up to was kind of escaping me in the moment. BUT…. maybe this is the catch / pause / gift.

Our girl seemed to be elsewhere for the earlier part of this visit, but we still engaged and listened to music. Two of her favourites are “It’s An Irish Lullaby” and “It’s a Long Way to Tipperary” and she continues to amaze all of us when she remembers the words. Then she just dozed off and as we sat in silence the idea that we might be “communing/connecting” on some other level crossed my mind. Of course, when “shadow” plays devil’s advocate, it can be a challenge to discern which voice is loudest. Thursday, during those minutes of silence, it felt as though it was “soul” speaking and I’m going to go with that.

Is there supposed to be a profound message in here today? Nope. Just the idea of cherishing ALL the moments we’re presented with. Seems to me we all have a pre-destined “shelf-life” so living joyfully and to the fullest every single day might then result in no regrets when that shelf-life date arrives.

Our little Facebook Group now has 27 members and I encourage everyone to use the group to safely connect to exchange thoughts and ideas. Isolation is a word that’s become very prominent since 2020 and one of my hopes is that this group may provide one small space to engage and not feel alone.