Thursday, August 20, 2009

Theme Thursday - Shadow


This Shadow theme this week brings me back to my hand-made Tarot deck. The traditional #15 Major Trump card is The Devil; I renamed it after the Jungian archetype The Shadow because the two basically mean the same thing. The shadow represents the repressed weaknesses, shortcomings, and instincts lurking in the unconscious mind, the part of ourselves we're reluctant to show, and which we tend to project onto people we don't like. It's almost literally the "shadow" of the persona, the face we show the public. As a culture, we've conveniently projected those parts of human nature that we don't like onto the mythological antithesis of the deity, hence the figure of the Devil, Satan, Ahriman, devils, jinn, etc. He's a convenient scapegoat for avoiding dealing with our own shortcomings.

The interesting thing about the shadow is that Jung stresses the point that it's in the shadow because these are things we repress rather than integrate into the personality. Much of Jungian psychology is concerned with integrating those repressed instincts, compulsions, impulses into a healthy persona. Jung theorized that the repression itself is what makes these energies "evil", and that free from repression they become something positive: aggression becomes optimism, repressed sexuality becomes relationship, violent anger becomes passionate advocacy.

In the end The Shadow (both the archetype and the card) represents transformative energies rather than evil or danger. True, transformation can involve a certain amount of danger, but in the end the transformative energy of The Shadow is more challenge than threat. As you can see, The Shadow can be an interesting card to turn up in a reading!

Finding a music video this week was interesting. I fed "shadow" into YouTube's search engine, and the results were fascinating. There were some classic results, including D.L. Byron's "Shadows of the Night" (made a hit by both Pat Benatar and Rachel Sweet), the Rolling Stones' "Have You Seen Your Mother (Standing in the Shadow)", and "Shadowland" from the Broadway musical version of The Lion King. But I chose something new to me instead. I've never heard of this Finnish band, The Rasmus, but I found both the song and the video "In the Shadows" intriguing. I hope you're as intrigued as I was!



Photo & text © 2009 by A. Roy Hilbinger
And if anyone is interested, my photographic portfolio is now online.

17 comments:

  1. each card you have shared from your deck is so powerful - what a work of love and transformation to have created it.

    yes, there is much we can learn about ourselves when we try to understand and our shadow-self... thank you for sharing jung's concept (a bit)

    an intriguing musical find.... started my morning off on a different electro-beat!

    btw, I am in a state of shock that you didn't know the joni song I used today!! along with the shadows and light being a song it is also the name of a live album from her mingus tour back in the late 70s - perhaps this was during the peak of my joni-the-muse phase - I have difficulty realizing not everyone is as fanatical about joni as I

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  2. Interesting post, Roy. I was hoping you would show us more of your tarot deck. You should make it an on going series!

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  3. Thanks for letting us see another tile from the tarot deck, I'm getting to like these very much. I can half understand the Jungian explanation but I am now going to read your post again.

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  4. Cool Tarot card! Oh,a nd thanks for sharing some new music too...

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  5. Roy, nice to see another card from your deck. And Jung had some interesting theories. Would like to read more...

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  6. I was hoping we would get to see more of your handmade tarot deck. I enjoy your Jungian take. You always make me think!

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  7. interesting that the shadow is transformative...as many times we have to go into or face the shadows during the process...nice play.

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  8. I am certainly enjoying the Tarot ride. Thanks!

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  9. I'm glad you are sharing your deck of cards...each one is unique!

    Never heard this band...my son loved it! :)

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  10. Great card, you have an interesting set there. Thanks for sharing it.

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  11. I haven't studied ANYthing about psychology, hardly, but that theory about the repression itself being the evil is quite an interesting idea. I will ponder.

    Nice shadow play today!

    And re your comment at my place - Wait Until Dark is definitely in my Top Scariest list of all time! Hoo boy is Arkin evil in that, or what?!?

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  12. Love the Rasmus but I think they were a one hit wonder a couple of years ago. Loved the Jungian lesson, I think I have a few repressed shadows. Your tarot card looks very 'female'.

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  13. interesting post. whenever i think about having a reading done, i chicken out. i don't want anyone to tell me something bad.

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  14. Ah this song was so famous in Greece! I was listening to it all day lol Thanks for the reminder!

    xoxo

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  15. We do somehow try to leave shadows somewhat unattached, don't we? Could have used your skill to take photos today in the Botanical Gardens in Oxford by the way. So many pretty flowers.

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