I am headed into a quiet and contemplative time. My cards have been revealing that I am called to do my Shadow Work. I will be dubbing this period of contemplation and revelation, “Moon Shadow Work.” The Moon card in the Tarot represents this shadow work, delving deep into our subconscious and requiring us to examine our authenticity. It is true, many things that we toil over in life, the pursuit of perfection, money, and fame; these things live in the surface realm. They are not authentic and they do not bring us real happiness. In fact, they can be the root cause of much suffering in one’s life. The Christmas season calls to our attention how many of us spend time and energy on these superficial things. This may seem necessary while purchasing presents for our loved ones, picking out the perfect outfit for the Christmas party and trying to look our most beautiful, and beautifying our homes, transforming them from our humble daily mess to clean palaces dressed in holly and ribbon. I am not saying we all do this or even that I do this. I did not attend one Christmas party this year. But I did watch distant friends and celebs share their Christmas adventures on Instagram. I found myself humbled and needing to delve deeper into the contemplation of authenticity.

Unfortunately, many people are still homeless and suffering with mental illness this time of year despite all of the attention given to celebration. If we spent more time on the reflection of authenticity, we may find ourselves spending more energy on prayer and care for these unfortunate people. Many people are achieving this selflessness this holiday season, and I am reminded that the season is not over, there is still opportunity to make a difference in the life of someone less fortunate. Also, winter and life carries on beyond this season of cheer and we can always do more to reach out and into the lives of the homeless and mentally ill to comfort and assist. There are elderly and disabled, and all types of less fortunate people that can constantly use our ear, that we can raise our consciousness and our minds to in order to expand our experiences of reality and move forward into experiencing our lives on an authentic level.

Authenticity can and does apply to simple and every day moments for ourselves as well. It can be challenged by superficial entities that cause suffering and create shadows in our beings that we then need to contemplate and move through for real self growth. There are moments when in our minds we criticize our appearance, where we tell ourselves that things are not going to work out, or where we sabotage our success and happiness stemming from dark places of grief and shame that are hiding and deep in our beings. My journey for this winter is to continue meditation and contemplation so that I overcome these mechanisms in my being. And truth or authenticity revolves around a loving god and creator that wants me to succeed, feel rich happiness, and be okay. If I am able to resonate with a deeper level of acceptance and meaning, one that does not revolve around appearance or simple surface successes like monetary gain or attention on social media, I can appreciate what I do have, and realize my true inner richness. I am being called on a journey of deep introspection in order to do my “Moon Shadow Work” and level with the daemons and entities inside of me that wish to tear me down, that I believe are born of these superficial qualities. In this deep yearning for authenticity, I hope that I find an inner love and appreciation for all that I have and all that exists. These are my Christmas thoughts. Peace be with you all, this winter night.