Soul Work vs Shadow Work
By: HeyJune Jeon
Time and time again, I am reminded that soul work is far more effective than shadow work, especially in today’s times.
“Why should shadow work be left in the past,” you might ask.
To understand why, first know that there are two lenses of spirituality: micro and macro.
Pop culture loves microlenses. Microlenses use spiritual tools to organize day-to-day decisions and activities. Should I quit my job? Should I go for the girl? How do I handle my depressive episodes? Rising sign astrological forecasts, and perhaps even meditation are popular applications for this.
Macrolenses, on the other hand, provide context as to where we are today as a human species, relative to where we were 100, 200, or even 300 years ago. For example, how much time does it take to travel from Europe to Asia today compared to a century ago? Do we still need a 40-hour workweek in a cubicle to produce the same amount of work? Do we really need five off-springs to grow and harvest our crops?
If you apply the macro lens, you will see why soul works matter today.
While it is unspoken, there is tremendous wistfulness, nostalgia, and grief in our collective unconscious that have come with the speed at which convenience and comfort have become accessible, because it creates the illusion that our potential contributions are trivial due to its “slowness” or not “getting it right the first time.”
The miracle of technology and the internet - which have extended human life expectancy - has simultaneously made the beauty of sacrifice that comes with striving, building, committing, and materializing a singular vision far less palatable.
To be clear: we can still strive, build, and commit. That’s what our soul wants, because we all have a purpose. However, everything around us speeding up has made us second-guess our soul’s voice and causes us to settle for more expedient but less fulfilling options, or pass up on opportunities that could be rewarding in the long run.
This is also why we struggle with commitment; we are all anticipating a mythical, pre-packaged, “potentially better” option to come along. Some of us may even give up entirely after a couple of failed attempts. It is also why many of us are paralyzed with the anxiety of not realizing our highest potential... and end up not doing anything at all.
Finally, to add more salt to the wound, technology and media have also provided us with a “backdoor, ” ways in which we disconnect from our souls rather than connect. Video games, TV, social media, food, drugs, porn... pacify our grief instead of confronting it with discipline and focus.
Shadow work is designed to make us explore why we are the way we are. It urges us to ask ourselves over and over again why we are disconnected or why we are “too fucked up” to pursue what we really want, instead of simply just connecting with ourselves and developing the skills we need to “go for it.”
Ultimately, soul work is about silencing the noise and myriad of “potentials” around you and committing to what you really want, big or small. The media, the internet, and what your peers say should NOT tell you what you want. Choosing not to back down in fear in the face of uncertainty, even if that other option seems WAY more attainable. For the record, we are all “messed up.” The constant excavation of the “why” behind it and avoiding making any real changes isn’t the solution. If you truly want to turn the ship around, what matters is how you decide to honor your soul, starting today, no matter how slow or tedious it may seem. □
About Pheydrus:
At Pheydrus Academy, we help exhausted individuals pivot professionally or personally when they finally decide that they want a 180-degree change, but have no idea where to start, or where to go.
To start your soul work today, check out www.pheydrus.com
