Take back control... Confront Your inner cave...
What is power? Do you always have control over yourself? Do you know how to recognize that you have it? Is your mind hiding something from you? What lies in its depths? What is the reason for the taboo? Is everyone free? Is something taking your energy away? Is it possible to get it back? Before I fully answer these questions, I need to introduce you to two topics. You need to learn the concept of Id and the basics of what Pluto is in Astrology.
The primal psychic force is unrestrained…
In the light of S. Freud's psychoanalytic theory, the Id is an internal part of the human psyche that acts instinctively and impulsively. These are our drives and all activities performed by the body reflexively, which are aimed at reducing tension (mental, physiological, sexual). Id is related to the so-called primary process that involves the unlimited flow of mental energy, which happens during arousal (the result of drives). The energy then flows between ideas and then takes control of voluntary movements, causing compulsions or hallucinations of an object fulfilling a given wish (in the case of mental disorders). Examples of primary processes of the psyche are the state of the human psyche at the beginning of life, dreams, hallucinations, delusions, autistic thinking, and wishful thinking.
You lose it at the end of your childhood…
It could be said that our psyche was shaped based on primal drives and acted instinctively, but at a certain point in our lives (childhood), the process of gradual inclusion in civilization began (learning patterns of thinking, behavior, and norms). By the age of seven, this process has been mostly completed, causing primary processes to be replaced by secondary processes (rational thinking, reason, analysis, etc.). In place of spontaneity, actions based on beliefs, norms, and thoughts appeared.
Let's look at this process from a different perspective. Until the age of seven, delta and theta waves (unconscious and hypnotic waves) dominate the human brain. They are responsible for a vivid imagination, a state of great susceptibility to suggestion, and absorbing information like a sponge. Over time (up to the age of seven), theta brain waves are replaced by alpha brain waves (a state of relaxation of the mind). The state of vivid and plastic imagination is replaced by a reality formed and stabilized by programs. Does this mean that this reality is completely true? Not necessarily! Perception is what has been filtered by all the programs encoded in us. 99% of the information gets filtered out. What is this 99% of information (potential) compared to 1% (our perception)? You could say that the conditioning process disconnects us from the ability to use theta waves because it begins to create secondary mental processes. We lose the ability to receive some stimuli from reality. Speaking in the language of spirituality - we lose some of our creative abilities (our creativity decreases).
There is a planet that is related to the Id...
Looking at the Id from an astrological perspective, it closely resembles Pluto and its transits (moments when it influences us more intensely due to the geometric angles it makes with other planets and the Earth). Pluto is a planet located at the edge of the solar system. The sun represents the center of the psyche - the Self. Pluto is farthest from the Sun, so it represents the edge of the psyche - a place where consciousness rarely reaches. It is a world of deep psychological processes and everything that you hide from yourself. It's your impulsiveness, resulting from unconscious reflexes. These are your compulsions and obsessions, which are the result of repressing, avoiding, and suppressing certain energies. These are your drives and the need for a deep transformation at the mental level. Pluto is your need for control, which can only be satisfied when you integrate your shadows with the light of consciousness. Pluto is the boundary of the Solar System and the boundary of our influence. It shows us that certain parts of us are reflexive because we repress them. It shows us that darkness is not evil, but only pushed into the depths of the inner world. Pluto symbolizes death and life. This is the moment of dying and the moment of conception. It is also the oldest, reptilian part of the brain, which develops first in the fetus. The patterns recorded in it are the most primal for us, which does not mean that we can ignore them. Just as there is light within us, Pluto reminds us that there is also darkness within us. Darkness is not evil, just misunderstood and rejected.
Pluto and the Id refer to what you are trying to avoid…
When we talk about Id and Pluto, it's hard not to mention shadow work, which is work with deep, repressed parts of the psyche. In the rest of the article, I will call them "shadow self". Interestingly, this part of us is associated with something bad, mainly because when we ignore it, it can take control of our actions and lead us chaotically to its agenda through compulsions and obsessions. Some see it as the influence of a "secret government of reptilian aliens." Others treat these energies as dark entities that are symptoms of evil trying to possess them. I treat it like an energy swing. The longer we deny something and do not recognize it as part of ourselves, the more it accumulates energy that will release the tension in the form of compulsions or obsessions. Please note that when working with the shadow, we can either integrate it and allow its expression, among others: through rituals (the reptilian part of the brain is also ritualistic), or this part of us will affect our psyche more unfavorably, giving the impression of taking control over us from time to time. Our reptilian genetic heritage is sometimes projected into the form of reptilian humanoids, just as God was often projected into the human image. It seems to be part of human nature to project something in the image of oneself to make it easier to mentally understand that aspect.
You're hiding it because...
Your shadow is the part of you that you hide from the world because it does not fit into civilized life and its norms. This is the part that becomes your secret, a source of shame, and may cause you to feel guilty or feel sorry for yourself. As humans push the reptilian part of their genetic heritage deep into the psyche, this collectively leads to the outflow of this energy in compulsive, unfavorable ways, such as gangs, mafias, the drug and pornography industries, rape, pedophilia, and other taboo areas. All of this comes from not healthily integrating your shadow. This is how a collective sea of repressed shadows is created. When you learn to open up to your shadow self, dance with it, and engage with its energy in a healthy way, compulsions, and obsessions will disappear. You will have control over it because it will be part of you (integrated). It was always there, but you pushed it to your subconscious.
When you discover your shadow self, you begin to feel more integrated with yourself. You can see now that it was never "bad", just attention-seeking. It was a part of you that turned out to be magical, mysterious, instinctive, but at the same time deeply nourishing and vital.
If you're looking for a PDF workbook to integrate your shadow, check THIS link.
This is how you will recognize that your shadow is not integrated…
If your shadow is not integrated, there is a lot of emotional numbness, repression, reactivity, impulsivity, obsessiveness, or compulsiveness, and life seems to be led by fate. These are waves of a higher power that take you along with its current. What takes you away is your reflexes and deep conditioning. Once you become aware of them, you will become the master of your destiny. To make this possible, however, you will have to go into the depths of your psyche and confront what is uncomfortable due to the norms.
This is when it is easier to work with the shadow...
It is interesting that during periods when Pluto affects us more intensively (Pluto transits), we are dealing with the harnessing of energies that are part of the Id and the "shadow self". These are the moments in our lives when we confront our impulsivity, lack of control, obsessions, and taboos. These are the moments when patterns that have been hidden for a long time emerge from our psyche.
Finally, I would like to say that we waste a lot of energy fighting with ourselves, but this energy can be regained through inner work, confrontation, and integration of our own shadow. Pluto as a planet helps astrologically explore where this energy is leaking and how to regain control over it. This is why I am an astropsychologist - astrology helps me understand the psyche, and by using astrology I find signposts that help me work through the problem faster.
No matter how dark the cave of the psyche may seem, know that within it you will find treasures that you cannot find anywhere else. Know that it is also a passage to a new, better world. Explore your shadow self with courage and integrate it with love.
With Love and Wisdom, Matt Stardream
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