Carl Jung gave us many gifts. For me, one of his most impactful was his gift of The Shadow. Here is my favorite photo of Carl Jung.
I love his smile. It is the smile of the wise person that communicates, ‘I know something that could change your life!’ Here are three of his quotes that I invite you, Gentle Reader, to savor.
- Knowing your own darkness is the best method of dealing with the darknesses of other people.
- To confront a person with his shadow is to show him his own light.
- One does not become enlightened by imagining figures of light, but by making the darkness conscious.
The radio show, The Shadow, first aired in 1930 and last aired in 1954; talk about longevity. From 1950 through 1954 our family would gather in my father’s study. We gathered at 5pm and the first radio show we listened to was either The B-Bar-B Riders or Gunsmoke. At 5:30pm my favorite mystery radio show aired: The Shadow.
As one of the younger children I would take up residence on the floor. Our parents and the two eldest children would sit in chairs. Taking up residence with me on the floor was my older brother and younger sister. At 6pm my mother and one of the two elder children would retire to the kitchen and fix sandwiches. Within minutes individual trays would be presented to us. We would then listen to a variety of radio shows for another hour or so. I loved the variety of radio shows and I loved the family time.
I was first introduced to Carl Jung’s work, and his concept of the Shadow, when I was an undergraduate. For the past 50+ years Jung has been a staple for me; he continues to challenge me, stretch my thinking and enlighten me. On 14 January, 2010 the following poem emerged into my consciousness.
THE SHADOW KNOWS
Lamont Cranston’s alter ego,
His other ‘I’ was called The Shadow.
As a child I would lay riveted to the floor
On Sunday afternoons lost in the world
That my mind was creating as I listened to
The radio.
The Shadow was aptly named. He was not
Directly visible; he was a breath one felt on
One’s neck. He was a feeling that washed
Over one. He had the ability to cloud men’s
Minds. Yet he was a powerful force that
Made things whole again; a force that brought
Balance back to an unbalanced world. He would
Connect the dots and solve the seemingly
Unsolvable.
The program would begin and end with the same
Haunting lines delivered by a specter’s voice
That was punctuated with a knowing laugh:
‘Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men?
The shadow knows!’
My Shadow is also aptly named. He is not
Directly visible; he manifests himself not in
A breath I feel but in slips of tongue and behavior
That I make. He mirrors himself to me; projections
As judgments and labels that I place onto others.
He clouds my mind so that I do not think clearly.
Yet he is a powerful potential possibility that if
Embraced and integrated will help bring me to
Wholeness, to healing. He can be a force that
Enables me to bring balance to my unbalanced self.
He can help me connect the myriad of dots that
Make up who I am; that connect me to me. He
Supports my growth and movement from what
Appears to be an unsolvable problem to a
Mysterious paradox to be held in love and
Compassion.
Each evening as I move toward sleep my
Shadow prepares to manifest himself in
My dreams; he prepares to provide me a
Gift and an opportunity.
Each evening as I move toward sleep I
Can begin to faintly hear my Shadow
Begin his refrain: ‘What good and evil
Lurks within Richard’s heart? Your
Shadow knows!’ Unlike the radio
Program, this question is not followed by
The specter’s laughter but is followed
By another question; a question that is
More unsettling than the laughter:
‘Do you, Richard, want to know what
Good and evil lies within your heart?’ -©Richard W Smith, 14 January 2010