Shadow & Gold Part 2:

Renaming Fate
Moriah Emerald McCarthy, LMHC
 Presentation Guide

➔ Slides 3 & 4 (red slides) are a summary of the first presentation: “Shadow & Gold: Realizing
Wholeness.”
➔ Slides 5 & 6 explain the what we are doing in this presentation: “Shadow & Gold Part 2:
Renaming Fate.”
➔ Slides 7-15 focus on recognizing Shadow & projections.
➔ Slide 16 states important points to consider before starting Shadow Work.
➔ Slide 17 & 18 (yellow slides) are recreated for you on the worksheet attached in the chat.
Slide 17 provides guidelines for working with journaling prompts. Slide 18 lists prompts
from this presentation.
➔ Slide 19 says, “Thank you!”
➔ Slides 20 & 21 (red slides) are resources & references.
“Shadow & Gold: Realizing Wholeness” is an overview of Shadow & Shadow Work.
Summary of “Realizing Wholeness”

➔ Everyone has Shadow.

➔ Shadow is unconscious content.
➔ Shadow Gold is the unconscious aspects of self that could facilitate
authenticity & purpose.
➔ Projection is the externalization of unconscious content.
➔ Projection is part of how perception operates.
➔ We project both Shadow & Gold.
 Summary of “Realizing Wholeness”
continued

➔ There are 3 stages of Shadow Work: accept Shadow exists,

confront it, & integrate it.
➔ Shadow Work repairs the divide between the conscious &
unconscious making Shadow known.
➔ Shadow Work spurs on transitions into new phases of self.
➔ Shadow Work brings maturity to adulthood by generating insight.
➔ Shadow Work at its core is about awareness & acceptance of our
totality.
 “Shadow & Gold: Renaming Fate,” focuses on recognizing Shadow.

This hovers around acceptance & confrontation stages.

“The psychological rule says that ➔ If we do not have awareness of our Shadow
when an inner situation is not made it will silently rule from within us.
conscious, it happens outside as fate. ➔ We will not experience that ruling force as
That is to say, when an individual part of ourselves. Instead, we will attribute
remains undivided and does not the ruling to external force(s).
become conscious of his inner
➔ Differentiation is a necessary step on the
opposite, the world must perforce act
way to integration.
out the conflict.”
Collected Works of C.G. Jung, Volume 9 ➔ In this sense we recognize (accept &
(Part 2): Aion: Researches into the confront) Shadow in order to move into
Phenomenology of the Self wholeness (integration).
 Renaming Fate
Why we name Shadow

➔ When we name Shadow we have a way to interact with it.

➔ Personifying Shadow supports self-compassion. As we recognize the “person-ness”
of Shadow we are validating our own humanity.
➔ Naming Shadow can be the first step in taking ownership over our whole selves.
➔ Shadow is frequently regarded as a storehouse of creative or generative energy.
➔ Some terms you might see associated with this process are: reclaiming Shadow;
releasing Shadow; releasing Shadow power.
➔ When we name Shadow we are renaming fate. We start to notice that the
assumption of an external locus of control is a myth, that the locus of control is
internal, & we can tap into that storehouse of energy.
 Recognizing Shadow (Dark or Golden)
How to get started: Idea 1

We might think about anything that did not match our self-image growing up &
investigate the opposite.

Potential Prompt: Think about what was instilled in you when you were a child.
Sample Response from Z: In my family everyone pitches in; everyone helps.
Consideration: What are some traits or behaviors that are contrary to ‘everyone pitches in
and helps’?
Sample Response from Z: Being lazy or selfish, not caring that other people are busy or need
help.
Reflection: Your Shadow enjoys being lazy & selfish…
Naming Shadow: My Shadow is the “Easy Relaxer.”
 Alternative Prompts
Theme: This does not match my self-image.

ALTERNATIVE PROMPT:
➔ Potential Prompt: What type of child were you? How would you have been
described?
➔ Consideration: Think of the opposite type of child. What aspects of this opposite
child could exist within you?
CHALLENGING PROMPTS:
➔ Potential Prompt: List 10 words (adjectives or traits) that describe you today. Now
list their opposites. This is your Shadow.
➔ Potential Prompt: Describe someone that you do not want to be like. This is your
Shadow.
 Recognizing Shadow
How to get started: Idea 2

We might look to the life we have not lived. This approach

may be particularly good for phase of life transitions & can
be akin to restoring balance.

Potential Prompt: Think about the expressions of self that have predominated your life.
Sample Response: I have worked at desk job for over a decade; it’s been very sedentary.
Consideration: What is the counterweight to being sedentary?
Sample Response: Movement. I would like to move more.
Reflection: Your Shadow loves movement…
Naming Shadow: My Shadow is a Dancer.
 Alternative Prompts
Theme: This is my unlived life.

ALTERNATIVE PROMPT:
➔ Potential Prompt: Think about the interests or hobbies you have not been able to make a
priority.
➔ Consideration: Would any of these that would help you be more fully you now? What
could you try?
CHALLENGING PROMPT:
➔ Potential Prompt: What is the potential that you have never & will never realize?
➔ Consideration: Are there any parts of this that you can reclaim? Have you allowed
yourself to grieve the parts that you cannot reclaim?
 Identifying Projection
Projection is the externalization of the unconscious.

➔ Unpleasant activations tend to show up in

resistance (dismissal, failure to see a
different perspective), shut down (rigidity,
Projections show up as activations
(responses) that are disproportionate to stagnation, unresponsiveness),
the experience. uncomfortable feelings (anxiety, tension,
upset stomach, heat), negative judgements
Exaggerated feelings are a hint that your (criticism), doubt, inclination to control.
feelings may be more about you than ➔ Pleasant activations tend to show up in
the other person or situation.
enthusiasm, adoration, fanship, positive
judgements (blind faith), devotion, hero
worship, allegiance.
 Identifying Projection
Projection may appear in relational interactions in daily life.

Example: Z grew up in a family where everyone helps. Z goes to dinner at their friend’s
family home. Z offers to help the host. The host stops Z, pours Z a drink & asks Z to sit.
Later that week Z remarks to another friend that the dinner was awkward, the parents
were not welcoming, the home uninviting, & Z cannot imagine going back.
Context: Everyone gathered around the open kitchen with places to sit & have drinks as
dinner was prepared. Everyone went to the dining table together. Z’s friend was with Z
the whole evening helping, chatting, & making sure Z was included.
Projection: Z is uncomfortable because being asked to “sit” activates unconscious content
related to being lazy & selfish. Z’s Shadow is Easy Relaxer. Conscious Z does not welcome
Easy Relaxer into daily living so when it is invited Z feels tension. Z ascribes the
discomfort to the hosts identifying them as the problem.
 Identifying Projection
Projection can appear as inexplicable dislike of another person.

Potential Prompt: Describe a person that you dislike or do not trust.

Sample Response from T: “I don’t like my friend’s best friend. They take the air out of the
room. They never seem to vibe. I don’t even understand why they’re friends. They act
like they’re super close. They call “Elizabeth,” “Bess,” which is such an old-fashioned
nickname. Elizabeth only uses her full name. It’s like they are pretending to be close.”
Consideration: Is your view of this person supported by what has happened?
Sample Response from T: “Yes. Elizabeth said that sometimes she thinks they are only
still friends because they have known each other for so long & have other friends in
common.” (Projection or not?)
Alternative Response from T: “I don’t know. It’s a just a feeling. I mean I read people
well.” (Projection or not?)
 Identifying Projection
We may attribute to others what we find unacceptable in ourselves.

Potential Prompt: “What’s been stressing you out lately?”

Sample Response from N: “Dating is tiring. People ghost now. It’s RUDE. How can you do that
to someone! It’s disrespectful. It’s so bad we had to come up with a word for it!”
Context: N dates regularly. The persons that are ghosting N have only known N briefly. They
may have had one date. They are dating casually & have made that clear.
Projection: N has porous boundaries & history of people-pleasing that has lead to depleting
relationships. Because of this N is committed to being “good to others.” N does not see how
this is an extension of people-pleasing. N’s Shadow is the Assertive Rejector. The Assertive
Rejector cannot come out so instead N feels victimized even though all that happened was some
potential partners stopped talking to N. If Assertive Rejector could be expressed sometimes N
might be the one to stop communication first. Instead, this pattern keeps repeating.
 Other Common Projections
Remember, context always matters.

➔ The things we think other people think about us are what we think about
ourselves. That is to say we attribute the content of our unconscious self-talk to
other persons’ opinions of us.
➔ We reckon that other people who we perceive as similar to ourselves have the
same inner worlds, experiences, opinions. We imagine them to be our allies or
see ourselves as their compatriots. (The inverse could be projection as well.)
➔ We credit to others that which we hope to cultivate in ourselves often looking to
them as wisdom figures.
➔ “Void filling” is a pattern to notice when it shows up in our lives.
 Thinking about starting Shadow Work?
First, consider this…

➔ Shadow Work has become a popular self-help approach. One of the primary tools for this is
journaling. Consider the content you generate as fodder for therapy sessions.
➔ Be cautious of doing Shadow Work with non-mental health professionals or friends. It is
important that the relationship dynamic be one that is structured, ethical, & allows for space
to be held for you. It will not support you if your ‘helper’ is projecting onto you.
➔ Therapists, in particular, are trained on how to safeguard against this pitfall. No therapists
are perfect, but we are more equipped than most to support another on their journey
without making it about ourselves.
➔ Shadow Work can be uncomfortably confronting, which is part of why the therapeutic
environment is important.
➔ It isn’t a fair expectation that your loved one, best friend, etc. could hold space for you to do
this work.
 How To Work With Shadow Work Prompts

1. Realize that once you have completed a prompt your are describing your Shadow
(your inner opposite). Try naming your Shadow. Consider how this part of you might
represent unmet needs.
2. Share prompts with your therapist via messages. Pick one to answer during session &
process with your therapist.
3. Make your own therapy homework. Pick a prompt & write your reply. Share with
your therapist to explore more.
4. Try 2 or 3 prompts. When you look at your answers, see if there are similarities or
themes. The commonalities can help you pin down the description of your Shadow.
5. Try some gentler & some more challenging prompts. Be cautious about using gentler
prompts to avoid the negative.
6. After generating some replies to prompts you can start noticing how your Shadow
appears in your life. Make some notes. Take this material to your therapy sessions.
 Prompts To Identify Shadow (from this presentation)

1. Think about what was instilled in you when you were a child. What are some traits or
behaviors that are contrary to this?
2. What type of child were you? How would you have been described? Think of the
opposite type of child. What aspects of this opposite child could exist within you?
3. List 10 words (adjectives or traits) that describe you today. Now list their opposites.
4. Describe someone that you do not want to be like.
5. Think about the expressions of self that have predominated your life. What other
expressions of self could balance these?
6. Think about the interests or hobbies you have not been able to make a priority. Would
any of these that would help you be more fully you now? What could you try?
7. What is the potential that you have never & will never realize? Are there any parts of
this that you can reclaim? Have you allowed yourself to grieve the parts that you
cannot reclaim?
8. Describe a person you dislike or distrust. Is this view supported by what has
happened? If not, what does this person represent?
 “If we are to be whole and follow the way of nature, we must pursue the
difficult process of embracing the opposites.”

Zweig, C., Abrams,J. “Meeting the Shadow: The Hidden Power of the Dark Side of Human
Nature.”

Thank you for being with me!

 References & Resources

➔ Bly, R. (1988) A Little Book on the Human Shadow. San Francisco, CA: Harper San.
➔ Hollis, J. (2014) Hauntings: Dispelling the Ghosts Who Run Our Lives. Asheville, NC:Chiron Publications.
➔ Jeffrey, S. “Almost Awakened Podcast.”
➔ Johnson, R. (1994) Owning Your Own Shadow: Understanding the Dark Side of the Psyche. New York, NY:
Harper One.
➔ Jung, C. Aion: Researches into the Phenomenology of the Self is Part 2 of the Volume 9 in The Collected
Works of C. G. Jung.
➔ Jung. C. The Archetypes and The Collective Unconscious (Collected Works of C.G. Jung Vol.9 Part 1)
➔ Jung, C.G. (1912) Psychology of the Unconscious.
➔ Lee, J., Marchiano, L., Stewart. D. “This Jungian Life Podcast.”
➔ Mortenson, S. (May, 2019) “Projecting Your Personal Shadow” [Video] TedX University of Delaware.
https://www.ted.com/talks/dr_steve_mortenson_projecting_your_personal_shadow
➔ New Dimensions Foundation. “New Dimensions Radio.”
 References & Resources
➔ New Dimensions Foundation. “The New Dimensions Café.”
➔ Raab, D. (2018) “Journaling the Sensuous Shadow.”
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-empowerment-diary/201804/journaling-the-sensuou
s-shadow
➔ Richo, D. (2013) Embracing the Shadow: Discovering the Hidden Riches in Our Relationships. [Audio Book]
Shambhala Audio.
➔ Taylor, L. (2021) “The Beauty and Brilliance of Shadow: What are the benefits of embracing your
shadow.”
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/reflections-neurodiverse-therapist/202109/the-beauty-a
nd-brilliance-shadow-work
➔ Zweig, C., Abrams, J. (1991) Meeting the Shadow: The Hidden Power of the Dark Side of Human Nature.
➔ Zweig, C. Wolf, S. (1999) Romancing the Shadow: A Vital Guide to Soul Work for a Vital Authentic Life.
➔ Zweig, C. (2021) The Inner Work of Age: Shifting from Role to Soul.