Our SDI publication Listen is online – a reflection on spiritual companionship, and collaboration between Rev Anil Seifu Singh-Molares and myself. SeiFu writes on the Shadow Spiritual Companion – our befriending our own shadow, in order to integrate our darknesses and illuminate our true natures.
SeiFu writes, “We usually associate darkness and shadows with fear: of the unknown, of being lost and never finding the way home again, of getting swallowed up, of entering territories beyond redemption, the “dark night of the soul,” not seeing or being unable to see clearly, in a fog or a haze, and so on.
But if we allowed ourselves to lean in to our shadows, we might come to quickly regard them as our ultimate companions, directors, and guides. They show us our failings in their rawest, most unadulterated forms, without blink or solace. They are direct and revealing, exposing trauma, anger, fear, uncertainty, and many other shortcomings that we need to overcome. And it’s not as if we can avoid them in any event, because they don’t allow us to run away for long, despite our best efforts.”
With that assignment, I set out on my usual task of attempting to illustrate this. When this got me nowhere and I found myself stuck (which happens often), I began playing with my own shadow on the wall. This inspired me to do some photographs, and the two videos shared here.
