deal with your poo is how I interpret it.

poo being the unacknowledged or repressed aspects of ourselves.

If not dealt with, people become poo flinging monkeys, unconsciously.

ps poet/essayist Robert Bly has written a lot about it

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0062548476

http://www.betterlisten.com/2009/04/the-human-shadow-by-robert-bly-audio-download.html

It *is* a difficult concept to grasp, especially when it's something you don't want to really acknowledge, let alone verbalize. I've been mulling it over myself for a few hours now, but I think Jilly pretty much summed it up. Who wants to confront their shame, their weaknesses, their wretchedness? We all know, at least on some vaguely unconscious level, where our shit is.

Voluntarily snaking out your pipes and getting at the rotting, festering toxic waste that's been sitting in your u-bend for years -- even decades -- is nothing anybody wants to do. But if you don't, no clean water will flow freely. 

Well, what a disgusting metaphor. But it's about that pleasant, but I swear upon the sweet baby Jesus, things sure are a hell of a lot better once you get it done.

But in a way, I feel like I DO confront these things every day! Or maybe I am wrong and am really missing something

I feel I do it in therapy (which I am back in), I do it in my writing, with friends, I feel I do it here--

But I Must not be doing it or I wouldn't be asking....

I guess there is more to mine but it feels bottomless, unending and terrifying. Defense mechanisms are there for a reason

LOL Neva, your disgusting metaphor is perfect!!!!!   

Moonpluto, the way I look at it, our shadow stuff IS unending.  It's as real as our light----just not pleasant.  This past year especially, I've fallen into the trap of thinking once I acknowledged my own crap, and worked on changing my knee-jerk cover-up of said crap, the dark stuff would go away.  Whoo boy.  Not so, not for me.   I'm always surprised to find it here and there.   Anyway, I think by asking you're simply keeping yourself honest.   

Moonpluto, you gotta give yourself TIME. Be kind to yourself. Give yourself credit for SIMPLY taking the journey. Building the muscles necessary to slay dragons takes much sword practice and a healthy diet. :)

And you might as well acknowledge that your shadow is always going to be there. You can't get rid of your past, but you can put it in its proper place.

Easier said than done, right? Believe me, I empathize with you 110 percent. I'm back on the couch too. I *don't* want to be there. I keep thinking to myself, god-fucking-dammit, why the hell aren't you over this crap yet? Grow up already! Man, I could be taking a nice fishing trip to Scandinavia with this money! The person who did this to me is DEAD already. Crikey, I suck!

And that's how you make your shadow that much darker. So what you're doing, acknowledging it, understanding it, and ultimately making friends with it is one of the bravest things you'll ever do.

In any case, if you DON'T manage your shadow, you end up like this for the rest of your life.

SCREEEEECH

Seriously though, you're gonna be just fine. I know this.

P.S. Hey, somebody put in the "spawn new window" option in the link widget! Thanks! I was composing a request to the technical fairy godmother about that, now I don't have to. :)

P.P.S. Sorry about the swearing. I'm a nice lady but I cuss like I tend bar on the waterfront....

It's a journey, you aren't supposed to be perfect. If you were perfect we wouldn't be able to stand you....gross! LOL

It's awesome that you are working on yourself and it shows in what you write. When the Amish are asked how they forgave the man that shot and killed their children they say that they have to get up and forgive everyday. 

I have to monitor my mouth for the rest of my life. Because I have, do and will make some smartass remark that has, does and will make someone mad. It's a constant tune-up.

Neva...you are so funny!!  I loved that and was laughing which is great because today has up until now been yucky...

Moonpluto...I feel the same way...like what does that crap look like?  How do you know when you are dealing with it? or how do you know when you are not dealing with it? Sounds like you are "looking" at some things when you question whether or not you are too helpful...

Jilly...do you mean our anger or resentments?  I really don't mean to be dense, but it's one of those days when I feel dense... 

I was born this way - it's my nature. Nothing that I'm doing on purpose. Have to work on myself cuz life is acutely painful

Btw, I don't think I cld ever forgive anyone who hurt a child but that's another issue sigh

You are not dense, DM
I think shadow is a shadowy term. Mysterious! Maybe this virgo moon wants to define terms--

My frustration is that I feel hell aren't I already doing this? Well, guess not....

Y'all are right though - it's a journey and takes patience and time.

The way I see it, it could be anything. Even "good" stuff. Like if your parents expect you to act a certain way so you repress part of yourself, growing up. Jung said parts of your shadow have treasure. :)

A couple PDFs

http://www.cgjungpage.org/index2.php?option=com_content&do_pdf=1&id=252

Thanx for all ur links, jilly

Btw, I love it when u write "not an astrologer" disclaimer - it always makes me laugh, like a deadpan punchline

the shadow is any part of yourself you repress or ttry to convince yourself doesn't exist.  parts of yourself/your life which you don't take responsibility for and often don't connect to your own action... or... you could recognize it, from time to time, and do nothing about it, like an addict.

but the shadow could be anything.

jilly- the shadow is invariably full of treasure- we tend to bury a lot of potent energy in the dark... a lot of which is only "ugly" if you don't reorient how it's directed... transmute it...

Word, wyrdling.

I once read a statement ... when you point a finger at another.. you have 3 pointing back at yourself. That is one of the definitions of the Shadow. What we hate, or what makes us feel very uncomfortable or angry in others, is residing in our own Shadow in some form.

What good stuff or things we don't think we deserve too falls into the Shadow. I have a big shadow.. I wonder if it is the Moon and Pluto configuration we both have, MoonPluto :)

I figure I don't need enemies or verbal combatants all that much, I have a real bruiser of a boxer that is just dying to tune me daily in my own Shadow.

This is me bobbing and weaving,

Daem

Hello everyone~~Am new here, and decided to jump in on this one, for it seems to be my current cup of tea, even if it is a slightly bitter cup.

Currently have the saturn conj pluto transit, and a few other goodies triggering my 8th, and I am learning so much about my shadow side that I never would have even considered a few months past. And each day, though the dreams that come are beyond bizarre(think fatale fem's that morph into naked male clowns that are incredibly well endowed preforming acts you should likely not discuss in 'proper' company ), I feel a bit more liberated than the day before. The past few years I have been drug through the muck of dealing with my 'victimization', real and/or perceived. For me, this transit is the flip side. I am now dealing with when I have been the persecutor, real and/or perceived. In some ways after being the 'victim' much of my life, it was a relief just to really, truly admit, that yes, sometimes my crap stinks too. 

I am not certain if it is solely the sat/pluto, but I have learned much about my personal power, and that I have had a tendency in the past to use it upon others passively, which is truly no better than being an agressor. It is still manipulation and play for control. I have also come to understand that my desire to control(which I did not believe until recently I had at all), stemmed from my fear of feeling pain in regards to my deep seated trust and abuse issues from childhood which I believe to be quite common, it's just I denied this for myself apparently so vehemently at one point that it squireled itself away inside so deep I couldn't have recognized it even if I was flayed open and laying under the flashing neons on the Vegas strip. 

I have alot to come to understand within myself where this transit is concerned, and I have noticed when my 'stuff' is coming up to be looked at with this one, I physically hurt severely and am quite agitated, almost as if what is coming up for me now is so deep, and some part of me must be resisting, though I do not know which part(if I did I would slap her/him/it), that I have to 'suffer' MORE than the suffering I perceive will come of acknowledging these buried shadows. This really unusual for me, for I tend to dive in, and rip away...for frankly I am tired of my personal healing journey of late, been through a whole lot of Saturn the past years with more coming in Libra. 

One last thing I am noticing at this point(I am early on in this transit)..my 17 year old daughter is my teacher right now( she has Scorp rising conj. Pluto)..though she is not aware she is teaching me. We have always butted heads and had a difficult go of it, same energy in many ways..now though, our friction is off the charts. And it hurts, alot. And we are both angry, alot. And neither one of us are able to just let it slide right now, or sweep it under the rug, or act like something did, or did not, happen. Yet, it is beautiful. The whole experience is amazing. I feel like her and I are finally getting somewhere. We are becoming more authentic with each other, and I truly hope, we are coming to a new level of respect and tolerance for our differences. Too, suddenly many strong Pluto types from my past are showing up, and I am thrilled. Before, when I was not in my power center, they overwhelmed me. Now, it is comfortable, and exhilirating, and I feel as if they have a new respect for me..it goes unspoken, but it is just something that you FEEL.

Best of luck to All..I am pleased to be here with such wonderful company! Also, thank you Elsa for providing such a fabulous space!

I've had saturn transit my natal 12th house pluto in the last couple of years, and last year transiting pluto went over my IC - together with the break-up of a ten year relationship two years ago, I've found myself DRIVEN to understand the patterns and motivations that govern my attitude to relating.  It's true that we have defence mechanisms for a reason, but I've realised that timing is everything - not my timing, but the universe's timing - and when I'm ready to face some aspect of my shadow, then the defences just dissolve, and I can go 'ok, I've been doing this all my life, now what do I choose to do instead?'  Everything is a process, and each step builds on the last and makes a platform for the next.  This morning I realised something about myself that if you'd said to me last year 'well, you know, you attract these people because something in you is a bit like that' I would have been horrified and gone into total denial (and stopped speaking to you!)  But I'm strong enough to handle it now, so don't need to defend myself in this way anymore.  I think one of the keys is to detach and just watch what is happening in you as if you were an observer, then you don't get so personally involved or succcumb to fear so easily.

Meant to say the UNCONSCIOUS patterns and motivations - these are what I consider the Shadow.

welcome kachina!

you know how i do this? i look at whomever or whatever is PISSING me off, driving me nuts, and makes me want to slap somebody, hard. look at my biggest triggers and most passionate rants.

and then i ask myself, ok, where is this in me? it always is.

I tend to think of it as "not being in denial of your dark side." Not pretending that you are angelic when you are having thoughts of wanting to scream at people in traffic is an example. Some people are very invested in their "good girl" image and denying that anything bad ever exists.

~~Goddess~~

Thanks for the welcome! :)

Welcome from me too. :-)

~~Elsa~~

Thank you!!