No Shadow
Tomorrow’s events:
Stoic Breath w/ Steve Beattie. Everyday Sunday @ 10:00 AM ET.RSVP here.
The Metagame Mastermind: Limbic Unhijacking Edition w/ Peter Limberg. November 1st @ 6:00 PM ET. RSVP here.
Flowing With Unknowingness w/ Tyson Wagner. Every Sunday @ 8:30 PM ET. RSVP here. 60 mins.
Newly posted event:
How America Became The Land Of Conspiracy Theories w/ Nathan Allebach. November 12th @ 8:00 PM ET. RSVP here.
An event to get excited about:
The Metagame Mastermind: Limbic Unhijacking Edition w/ Peter Limberg. November 1st @ 6:00 PM ET. RSVP here.
The steward of The Stoa relaunches the Metagame Mastermind, with a focus on limbically unhijacking our beautiful asses.
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October 31, 2020
Last night we had a Raw Shadow session hosted by Jungian superstars, Arran Rogerson and Alyssa Polizzi from the Golden Shadow podcast. During the session Arran asked the question: what is The Stoa’s shadow?
People started answering, and my sense was that each person was projecting their own shadow on The Stoa. After listening to these shares, I shared a provocative thought with the group:
The Stoa does not have a shadow.
If my previous sense was true, that people were projecting their shadow on The Stoa, then what did my share say about my potential shadow?
I attempted to analyze myself on the spot during the session, and what came up first is being afraid of being understood. I sense deep within me there is a distrust of others understanding me, and there is great unease in being held by a group's understanding.
My journals here might be my attempt to be a few chess moves ahead of you, to understand myself before you do. An image emerged in my mind when reflecting on this:
I am standing, and slowly turning my head to look behind me. My shadow is being revealed to me with the slow turn of my head, and I am describing what I am seeing while I am doing this.
This might be the essence of the spiritual striptease I have mentioned before. A “shadow striptease” might be more fitting. If this is true, how does my “motivated by a fear of being understood” shadow striptease influence the space called The Stoa?
To risk being charitable to myself, what is behind the fear might be a deep desire to be understood, in the right way. People have been telling me they are inspired by these journals, to show up in the world more truthfully, and engage in their own journey of inner exploration.
So what is The Stoa’s shadow?
Maybe one of its shadows was revealed last night with my share: everyone is projecting their own shadow on The Stoa. They may be projecting their “golden shadow” on it as well, which is the positive traits, or “their gifts,” that they are currently denying the world.
Also, a shadow of that particular session last night might be this: projecting on to the concept of “the shadow” itself, in order to excuse ourselves from giving our gifts.
I sense we are all individuated enough to start giving our gifts now, and sometimes you have to give poorly, before you can start giving well. I think this is ultimately a good thing, as nothing teases out the shadow more than feeling like you are poorly giving your gift.
I sense it is time to emancipate therapy, away from the metaphoric couch and exorbitant fees people cannot afford. This wild therapy can be a part of our mission, and intertwined with giving our gift, or living our dharma, or whatever you’d like to call it.
If we are to become whole, and dare I say holy, then we need to give from the wholeness of our being, which includes all that good shadowy stuff.
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