It’s been a powerful year, and release and regeneration have emerged as constant themes.

In the process, many relationships, ways of being, communication styles, and other ingrained situations and habits have been considered, upended, and ultimately reformed or released entirely.

One consistency in all of this is that those things that have buried deep in our psyches have continued to come up in our lives – the stories, traumas, conditioning, worries, doubts, and secrets that we have tried so hard to push down keep rising for our examination.

For those souls who haven’t been working continually to resolve lingering wounds, these issues are likely to have risen in an even more dramatic way, forcing heavy review. And as we prepare to head into Scorpio at the end of October, which rules the house of death and rebirth, those things that haven’t yet been addressed are likely to rise again for clearing.

How to deal?

It‘s important to address things head-on instead of pushing them down.

Those facets of our being that we don’t like to acknowledge or express are collectively known as our “shadow,” and it’s essential with any self-love or spiritual practice to love all of ourselves, even the parts that we don’t normally rave about.

The ultimate goal of “shadow work” is to bring those hidden pieces of ourselves into the light so that we can heal them and integrate them fully without shame.

But what if the memories, analysis, and healing get to be too much?

Are there ways to alleviate some of the pressure or to cope?

Absolutely.

As I discuss in my recent article, grounding is essential.

Make sure that you’ve attended to the necessities – it’s important to get adequate rest, drink plenty of water, and eat nutritious foods so that you have the physical support to move past tough emotions and properly detoxify your body of any associated energy.

After you‘ve taken care of the basics, set your intentions.

For the most transformative shadow work experience, pick a topic or set of memories that have plagued you the most.

Are you afraid of abandonment, and have you experienced a lot of betrayal? Do you tend to pick the same type of romantic partners, only to have the same result at the end? Have you had repeated boundary issues with friends and colleagues?

Once you‘ve selected a point of focus, pull out your crystals!

As your shadow rises and forces your attention, work with the following crystals to uncover, illuminate, address, and shift the patterns and other issues that you need to heal.

For Grounding During the Process

• Jasper (Mookaite, Polychrome, or Red)
• Orthoceras Fossil
• Smoky Quartz
• Tourmaline (Black/Schorl or Brown/Dravite)

For Uncovering and Illuminating Hidden Patterns

• Amber
• Astrophyllite
• Black Moonstone
• Black Onyx
• Labradorite
• Nuummite
• Obsidian (Black, Gold Sheen, or Platinum Sheen)
• Rainbow Fluorite
• Stromatolite

For Healing the Pain That Rises

• Emerald
• Green Calcite
• Kunzite
• Lithium Quartz
• Malachite
• Obsidian (Rainbow or Apache Tears)
• Rhodochrosite
• Smithsonite, especially pink or green

For Identifying and Determining Solutions

• Chalcopyrite
• Copper
• Golden Healer Quartz
• Heliodor
• Picasso Stone
• Pyrite
• Sardonyx

For Shifting to More Beneficial Choices

• Citrine
• Hiddenite
• Rainbow Calcite
• Rainbow Moonstone
• Sapphire