The ‘Social Media Light vs. Shadow Work’ Feud

 

A good deal of what I have seen in the ‘love and light only’ circles on social media is cherry picked hermetic principles. 

Hermeticism is a gorgeous philosophical approach, it answers questions about the nature of the universe. Hermetic principles are not ‘love and light only’, they also address some of the more difficult aspects of this existence. 

Cherry picking Hermeticism is like trying to drive a car with broken engine pieces. You might make it to one destination, but your car will break down if you keep driving it without the principles functioning as they should. 

It seems like a lot of engines are starting to break down. And social media Hermeticism is looking to fix this issue with social media shadow work. 

And I’m personally… concerned…

Like Hermeticism, shadow work is complex. 

Shadow work is a multilayered practice which cannot be fully explained or understood in a post, caption… not even a blog like the one you are reading right now. 

Social media is absolutely wonderful for introducing new concepts, which should be researched outside of it. 

While they are different. There are overlaps between trauma and shadow work. They put a person into a very vulnerable place. It makes me cringe seeing shame tactics used to compel people into shadow work. 

Knowledgeable healers and therapists typically spend a good deal of time teaching their clients to build resilience by giving them tools before starting into these kinds of practices. 

I have been doing this for years. Sometimes I spend 6+ months on one shadow element. And continually, I have to pause to build up resilience and strengthen my

coping skills.

I’ve never seen skilled healers bark ‘do your shadow work’ out to a general audience, of whom they do not know their current mental health status. It’s dangerous. Period. 

Shadow work begins with compassion. Not shame.

Do I feel everyone can benefit from shadow work?

I do… but only when they are ready to take on such a task, after they understand the risks involved with shadow work, after they have assessed their mental health, and after they have learned to have the resilience to hold a shadow being brought to the light. 

This is my new motto… and it’s for this exact reason…

Do your research.