How’s your Shadow treating you in these times?
In my Cauldron Calling community, we explored how this recent Pluto Retrograde is drawing many of us to explore our own Shadow work. Pluto, the planet of sex, death, and rebirth, is moving backward and for many of us, causing what one of my members referred to as “The Tower Card” experience. This week’s Tarot Tutorial looks at what this may mean for you.
What Is Shadow Work?
Shadow work is not about “getting rid of something.” Shadows aren’t bad. Plus, we can’t get rid of them. The only way to fully get rid of shadows is to fully plunge into complete darkness. For some of us, a fully dark room sounds lovely for a time. But human beings can’t live like that. We need light. We have to live alongside shadows.
The description of Shadow Work varies depending on whom you ask. In my practice, Shadow is for exploring. There may be things in the Shadow that would do well to come to light. There may be things in the Shadow that can come to light…later. And just as some plants and insects thrive in shade, some things are best left in the Shadow.
What might we find in our Shadow? Here are some possibilities:
- Things we told were “bad,” but may be neutral or even good. Those things may be our “spidey” sense about someone that we tell ourselves is “being judgmental.”
- A natural tendency toward being kind and generous…but we’ve tucked it away out of fear of being taken advantage of.
- Shadow work can also mean getting in touch with our anger, and using it to motivate us or address injustice, but not using it to last out at loved ones.
Still, shadows can be scary.
My toddler fears shadows. Together, we are working on changing her perception of them. I’ve explained to her that I can’t make the shadows on her bedroom wall leave. Nor can I convince her that they are harmless. Instead, I’m trying to help her change her perception of them. Instead of scary monsters, could we imagine them as turtles? Or a friendly octopus?
As an adult exploring my own Shadow, I can’t fully rid myself of everything in it. Not only is it impossible, it’s unnecessary. But rather than fearing what’s in my Shadow, I can take the approach that I use with my daughter—I can approach it with curiosity and maybe even change what I perceive of it.
See the spread I developed below. But first:
Intermediate Tarot Begins May 17
Want to deepen your understanding of Tarot? This three part virtual class will teach you the techniques to unravel some of the most common challenges of Tarot. Sessions will cover:
- Week 1: Reversals. Deep dive into the different meanings and possibilities of the Reversed Cards in all types of readings.
- Week 2: Timing. “When will it happen?” Look at how different combinations can suggest when different events are likely to happen.
- Week 3: “Cold Readings” and reading ethics. Exploring best practies for reading fog someone who doesn’t ask a question, plus exploring the pros and cons of different types of questions–what “should” you answer…and what should you not?
Some experience with Tarot will be necessary. You do not need to be a professional reader nor have taken my introductory classes, but we will be going beyond Tarot basics. <3
Dates: Sundays, May 17, 24, and 31. 9:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m. Pacific USA time.
Via Zoom. ALL CLASSES RECORDED.
Can’t make one? Register and have access to the recordings until July 1, 2026.
You’re Invited: Awaken Your Psychic Gifts (Free Event May 20–22)
I want to share something I’m really excited to be part of. If you’ve ever questioned your intuition, ignored a gut feeling, or wondered if you’re “making it up”… you’re not alone. So many of us were never taught how to trust what we feel, sense, or just *know*.
That’s exactly what we’re exploring at Awaken Your Psychic Gifts, a free 3-day event happening May 20–22, 2026.
This isn’t about becoming someone new. It’s about understanding how your intuition already works, and learning how to trust it.
I’ll be teaching Voice of the Tarot: Reading Tarot For Yourself and I’ll be joined by an incredible lineup of speakers sharing on intuition, divination, and spirit communication. You can register for free here: www.bruja.us/summit I’d love to have you there.
A Tarot Spread For Exploring The Shadow:
This reading includes both deliberate and random pulls. The first two cards are ones that the reader needs to select as what they think are the best representations of the questions at hand. This involves looking through the cards, image side up, until they see one the believe resonates with the answer.
The other five cards are pulled as is typical in other Tarot readings: shuffle and draw at random…
Want more?
Do you love what you’re learning here? Want to practice this with me, live? Join us over at The Cauldron Calling: A Virtual Platform for the Magickally-Minded. Members at the Dabber and Seeker levels get access to live virtual Tarot Tutorial study hall every Wednesday where we work on these exercises together in real time!