The “Accepting What Is” card from Denise Linn’s Gateway Oracle deck was drawn.

While the image depicts a rose in bloom, the messages I received were much more thorny.

It seems fitting they coincide with Friday the 13th, which is inherently connected to darkness, for today’s message is all about acknowledging the shadow within.    

I'm a glass-half-full kind of person, yet I am also acutely aware that negative experiences and emotions do serve a purpose. It is certainly not an enjoyable aspect of the journey but it is a necessary one.

How would we know happiness without having experienced sadness?  Courage without fear? Triumph without disappointment? Forgiveness without blame? How would we know the light without having spent time in the dark? Life is about contrast and experiencing a full range of emotions. To deny them is to deny our whole self.

As spiritual teacher and New York Times bestselling author, Marianne Williamson says, “Those aspects of ourselves that we don’t like have got to come out in order to be released”.

Repressed issues always have a way of rearing their ugly heads…eventually.

So how do you lessen the blow when disappointment, anger, and rejection are ready to go a few rounds?

Tips for embracing your shadow side:

- Face and clear issues as they arise. It may not be convenient but it saves unnecessary heartache and pain down the track.

-  Don't beat yourself up (still working on this myself!).

- Realise that even if you can't see the lesson or blessing while you’re amidst the challenge, there will be a purpose to it.

- Remember the old adage, "This too shall pass".

Each one of us will recall a time that we can chalk up as not being our finest moment.

Often it's not until later that we can say we learned something from it. Don't curse the experience; clarity is on its way. Accept what is – the good, the bad, the ugly and everything in between. We all have demons to battle from time to time, but there's no need to go the whole 12 rounds!

Sharon is a Certified Angel Intuitive who offers oracle and angel card readings. Send your questions for Sharon to editor@areanews.com.au