Shadow Work You’re Avoiding — Tarot Pick a Card

You’re repressing this about your life, and if you address it, everything will get better

Image by Emmarie Hodge

Shadow work is where you explore what you repress so you can undo the unconscious effect it has on your life. If you were drawn to this tarot reading, then spirit believes this particular shadow can be addressed in a healthy way.

All you need to do is pick one of the piles above using your intuition.

After you select your cards, scroll down to your pile or choose below.

· Pile 1: Flower · Pile 2: Compass · Pile 3: Gramophone

Remember that you have free will. That means you can manifest the positive and avoid the negative of any reading. This is intended for entertainment purposes only, but I endeavor to be as accurate as possible.

Now it’s time to do the shadow work you’re avoiding.

Pile 1: Flower

Image by Emmarie Hodge

Envious Gluttony is what you’re repressing. This is a hunger for what others have (not overeating). But you don’t just want what others have, you want to have more. It’s a scarcity mindset over an area of your life that has gotten out of control.

Now you may not mean this person any ill-will. The Two of Wands suggests that this person is either someone you like, or they represent positive aspects of a person you would like in theory if you got to know them better.

It’s not a bad thing to want what other people have, so what makes this a shadow is that you feel guilty for wanting this. And you shouldn’t.

Imagine someone who looks at a friend in a loving relationship. But the person is committed to being single… except, they want to fall in love if they find the right person and aren’t admitting that.

You’re being triggered by this person you’re envious of not because you’re a terrible person, but because you’re ignoring the part of you that wants something sincerely and you’ve already written it off.

The last card is the Eight of Coins, Reversed. You may have written off what you wanted because you can no longer have it the perfect or traditional way.

Imagine a mid-thirties woman who realizes she does want to have kids after a youth of saying she didn’t, but there’s the potential she won’t be able to have a child naturally.

So instead, she decides to do the shadow work and realizes that adopting or becoming a step-parent is a different, but equally valid way to become a parent. After all, you don’t adopt a child just to take care of them when they’re a minor: they become your family for the rest of their lives.

To identify your shadow, write down the names of people you know or public figures that show up in your thoughts a lot. Then write down one thing that you wish you had that they do.

Whatever triggers you the most is the shadow you’re repressing and that’s what you need to journal on.

If you resonated with this message, let me know in the comments. You can also book a private tarot reading with me here.

Pile 2: Compass

Image by Emmarie Hodge

Blinded to Pain is a sign that your shadow is repressed pain. The Six of Cups indicates this is related to an experience in your past.

You’ve chosen to view it more positively than it really was. The most common example you’ll encounter in other people (and some who chose this pile, themselves) is abuse.

They’ll tell themselves that their childhood was normal, so they didn’t have abusive parents who hit them. Or that their partner just loved them too much, not that they controlled every aspect of their lives.

Whatever your specific pain is, you’re choosing to normalize it by comparing it to other dysfunctional people or to assume what you experienced is normal (even if it wasn’t).

You may have done this to protect yourself, and sometimes that works indefinitely, but other times, it blinds you to future pain.

That’s why this shadow is so harmful. At some point, the rosy perspective could make you a future victim.

People who are abused tend to attract future abusers. They associate abuse with attention and attention is love.

Hopefully your pain isn’t as dire as that, but this example illustrates how pain can be ignored. Humans tend to associate the way we attach ourselves to other people or experiences in our lives as positive because it’s what we’re used to. Attachment theory is a good thing to look up if you’re curious.

The last card is The High Priestess. You need to use your intuition. Even if you don’t know what normal is, you’ve probably seen hints related to your pain that normal might be different. The second you suspect that, the way you work on your shadow is to start researching.

Ask people you know or look online. You might be surprised by what’s not normal, and what is common, but not healthy.

This is part of the reason why having a strong social network is a good thing. When you talk with other people, you realize that something that hurts you can be dealt with and you don’t need to suffer through it.

You don’t have to live with your pain anymore.

If you resonated with this message, let me know in the comments. You can also book a private tarot reading with me here.

Pile 3: Gramophone

Image by Emmarie Hodge

You want to have emotional control. The Queen of My World means your shadow is a desire to feel worshipped by those around you.

But this comes from a past experience. The Three of Cups, Reversed indicates you were betrayed by someone close to you. This could have been a partner who cheated on you, or it could be a non-romantic betrayal, like a friend or family member abandoning you.

The desire to be worshipped is to be elevated above those you have relationships with so they don’t have the power to hurt you. Some who chose this pile may harbor a secret desire to be famous on social media. If so, you’re at risk of developing parasocial relationships with followers.

The final card in your spread, Death, is a card of change. You may not have been aware that this shadow has been manifesting within you. It doesn’t always present itself in the obvious ways we’re used to seeing online. But it’s easier to change than you think.

Here’s an example I had as a child: I discovered that I had the ability to draw better than other kids, so I pursued that hobby despite not actually enjoying it very much since it was an easy way to present skills for other people’s approval.

And the reason I wanted this approval was because I had multiple friends I hung out with every day who still favored other girls as their best friend despite spending almost no time with them. And they would tell me this to my face.

It sucks to be ranked lower. Drawing became my way to be better than the other girls. But the moment I spent time with those who were okay with having multiple best friends… I was freed from the need to be an artist just to be the best.

So you may not have a dramatic story. It could be something simple as mine. But I want you to think about where your pride is heightened, because it probably comes from a past pain where you wanted to be elevated above others.

You’re already valuable as a human being. You don’t have to compete to be loved. Someone who ranks you for unfair reasons doesn’t deserve your best.

It’s okay to prioritize other people instead.

If you resonated with this message, let me know in the comments. You can also book a private tarot reading with me here.

Notes

Want to support future readings? Clapping, leaving a comment, bookmarking, or reposting is a great help! You can **leave a tip on Ko-fi**.

The next pick a card will be How Your Ex Feels About You.

If you haven’t already, be sure to follow this publication, Spiritually Emmarie. You can also follow me and turn notifications on so that you never miss another pick a card again.