Shadow Man :: SONG

We were watching the sunset in Arches National Park, staring in awe at the largeness of the rocks and the timelessness of the landscape, one friend said, "Can't you just imagine a large Shadow Man peaking out from behind that huge boulder?"

While most people might say things like, "Your crazy," or "Are you okay?" I could imagine it too. We had started to learn more about the petroglyphs found in this area and were already imagining the lives of the Native people that created them thousands of years ago.

Further, some people might feel creeped out by such suggested imagery, but my friend assured us that this mythical Shadow Man was nothing to be afraid of.

I had recently spent a week in Taos, New Mexico in a program that combined connecting with the natural world with the Alchemical Stages of transformation as taught in Jungian psychology. One of the main tenets of Jung's work is integration of our shadow selves, the parts of ourselves that we try to deny, separate ourselves from, and push under the surface.

Jung teaches that until you make the unconscious conscious, it will rule your life and you will call it fate.

Meaning that even the parts of ourselves that we find destructive, undesirable, or simply labeled "bad" are worthy of embracing. That this process can be a source of healing of the deepest kind.

On this trip with my friends which spanned both the rocky desert of Utah and the lush mountains of Colorado, I found a copy of the book Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer in a Moab bookstore. Kimmerer words challenged long-held beliefs that I held around the relationship of humans and nature. That we are in competition with nature. Also that we've fucked up nature. I'd look at man-made structures in natural landscapes with distain and judgement. That's not how it's supposed to be. We're so bad.

But this "discovery" of Shadow Man combined with my insights into both my individual healing as well as the collective and now Kimmerer's insights that there could be another way started to form new connections in my mind around humans and nature and how we can indeed live together in a harmony. That we might actually be doing that already, not in exception to all the wrongs we've inflicted on the earth but despite them.

Driving through Colorado, seeing the house build on the uneven earth, the power lines that superposed the mountainous skyline, started to no longer feel like they were in opposition to the landscape but a part of it. Instead of thinking how beautiful it would be to look out the window of the car and not see what humans have built, I started to say how beautiful it was with what we've built. Even the tall structures that held up the power lines started to appear human-like and remind us once again of Shadow Man.

A few weeks ago, I co-created a song in memory of Shadow Man with my friend, J.L. Kane. He helped me figure out how to record my words on Garageband, even using just the external mic of my computer. In celebration of Earth Day I decided to create a video using pictures from our trip for this song.

I'm copying the lyrics below and would love to know, what do you feel inspired to do to embrace more of both the good and the bad within you? How does that change or effect your relationship with the earth? Tell me in the comments.

Don't forget to "Share this message and let's make it out mission" and share this with a friend that you know could use some insight in their own healing.

LYRICS:

Sitting there resting after a little hike

Eating snacks drinking looking at the sky

My friend says hey, its weird but I mean it

There's a Shadow Man, don’t you see it

But don’t be afraid, he harmless, he’s a friend

A projection of us, he’s our heart, he’s our kin

He’s here to say he’s glad we came

And hopes that we won’t ever be forgotten his name

His name is shadow man and he's the one that be posing

For the petroglyphs on the rocks, see him glowing

From the fires in the caves of our sister and brothers

Living on this earth so much longer before us.

He's here to remind us to never forget

That our job this earth is far from done yet

It ain't about controlling or erasing away

But finding all the ways we can play.

Together forever in juxtaposition

Share this message, let’s make it our mission

To never again think that were better

Both humans and earth - were both bird of one feather.

That's what Shadow Man says

Open up your chest like the Shadow Man can

Make it all into your best like the Shadow Man can

Bring it into the flesh like the Shadow Man can

Wave your hands in the air like a Shadow Man fan