Shadow Animals

We often project qualities onto animals that we don’t wish to admit in ourselves. Thus, snakes are evil, spiders are creepy, rats are dirty, and so on. As Dawn Baumann Brunke explains, the animals we fear or dislike can help us to recognize our Shadow: the hated, abandoned, judged, and denied aspects of ourselves. Because they are often identified with attributes of ourselves that we seek to disown, shadow animals offer excellent clues to what is obstructing the radiance of our inner light. As teach- ers and guides, shadow animals can help us to reclaim the inner strengths, abilities, and wisdom that we have forgotten or disowned.

Brunke explores the lessons of numerous shadow animals, including those that many think of as shadowy, such as snakes or bats, as well as those that only seem shadowy to some, such as dogs, cats, birds, and horses. Though shadow animals may initially appear frightening, they offer profound healing and expert guidance in helping us identify, learn from, and embrace our shadow selves. Brunke explains how shadow animals represent unexamined elements of the psyche—from secret fears and suppressed emotions to unacknowledged prejudices and repressed trauma. She presents thirteen animal-inspired exercises, each uniquely designed to help us find and better understand the lost, wounded pieces of our psyche, and so begin the healing process of integrating our shadow selves.

Presenting an animal-centered guide to Shadow work, Brunke reveals how shadow animals protect and advise, challenge and encourage, inspire and offer support to the spiritual adventure of enlightenment as we awaken to who we really are.