Halleluja! 

Into the Darkness before the light

So now we head into the dark times again – nearing winter solstice, the pivot point of the year. Prior to electric lights, this marked the time of ultimate descent, and the point of renewal for bouncing back up the other side into light again. If you are discouraged by the news and the state of affairs, have faith. Use this time to explore the darkness in the following ways.

Sink into the Darkness:

With all the holiday merriment aka busyness, it can be hard to find time for deep contemplation, but that’s what this time of year calls for. Take time to be quiet, to sit in the dark with a candle or two, and to drop down into your lower chakras.

Let yourself feel, sleep, and dream. Slow down and be quiet. Let the darkness hold you like a womb, treasuring what is gestating within you, waiting to be born. Practice letting go, surrendering into a yin state. Take time to write in your journal what you want to let go if and what you want for the coming year. Visualize, imagine, set intentions. Don’t wait until New Year’s Eve to do this-give it some attention ahead of time. If you want to learn powerful techniques for manifesting your dream, join me in person for my transformational Creating on Purpose workshop. Have you ever wanted to attend one of Anodea’s live classes but just can’t seem to get away from your busy life? Well, now you almost can with this new CREATING ON PURPOSE: HOME LEARNING COURSE that includes a seven module online course that will guide you step-by-step, chakra-by-chakra, through a process for clarifying your intention, clearing out blocks, and bringing your dreams into reality – down from the crown chakra where they are first conceived and into the grounded reality of the physical world.

Look at your shadow:

Taken from Visaboo.com

The shadow, often thought of as our negative traits, is by definition, whatever is hidden to consciousness. So how do we find it?

Those who have taken our Psychology of the Chakras course know this exercise, but it bears repeating periodically. Ask yourself the following questions:

1. What do you typically judge in others that keeps showing up in friends, family, neighbors, co-workers, or people you can’t easily avoid? (examples: people who are lazy, sloppy, controlling, pushy, loud, irresponsible, needy, self-centered, oblivious, selfish, etc) See if you can get it down to an archetypal name, such as the Tyrant, the Good-for-Nothing, the Slob, the Cheat, the Brat, the Prima Dona, the Bitch.

2. Where are you not allowed to have any of that trait? For example, how were you not allowed to be sloppy, confused, naïve, free from responsibility, etc? Is there any secret longing to be able to move a little more in that direction for healthy balance?

3. What might be a healthy root of that trait? (For example: lazy people know how to relax, controlling people know how to take charge, needy people know how to be vulnerable, etc.)

4. How can you reclaim the healthy aspect of that trait for yourself? Ground this energy by putting on music and dancing that archetype into your body, releasing the repressed energies. You will feel more alive, and the shadow aspects of that trait are actually less likely to take over. Not only do you become more integrated, but the people that exhibit these traits either disappear from your life, stop doing those traits, or you cease to be bothered by it. The result is you will feel more peaceful yet energized, as well as more tolerant of others.

May you be blessed by abundance, gratitude, and good grounding this holiday season.

Bright Co-Heart Blessings,
Anodea Judith