What Integration Really Means in Shadow Work (with Tarot)
What Does “Integration” Mean in Shadow Work?
Integration means taking the parts of yourself that were once hidden, rejected, or painful — and weaving them back into your wholeness.
In shadow work, we don’t try to fix or get rid of what we uncover. We aim to understand it, give it a voice, and eventually bring it into balance. It’s not about becoming perfect — it’s about becoming real.
How Does Tarot Help With Integration?
Tarot gives form to what’s hard to name. It mirrors what’s underneath the surface, so you can:
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Recognize patterns and beliefs
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Explore your emotional responses without judgment
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Find language for what you’ve buried
Cards like The Moon, The Devil, or The Hermit often show up in integration work — not as warnings, but as invitations.
Is Integration the Same as Healing?
Not exactly. Healing is the process of repair or soothing.
Integration is the process of acknowledging and accepting what was previously denied.
For example, instead of rejecting your anger, you might integrate it by seeing where it’s been protecting you. That’s where power returns.
What Does Integration Look Like in Real Life?
It might look like:
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Saying no without guilt
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Crying without needing to explain
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Naming a fear out loud
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Choosing differently than you used to
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Feeling peace with something that used to trigger you
These are signs that the parts you once avoided are now sitting at the table with you — not running the show, but included.
How Do I Start Integrating?
You can begin with simple tarot prompts like:
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What part of me needs my attention right now?
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What have I outgrown but still carry?
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What truth am I afraid to look at?
Let the cards speak. And let yourself feel what arises.
Want a Tool to Support Integration?
🖤 The Shadow Work Tarot Workbook guides you through this process step by step — with questions, exercises, and symbolic prompts to help you reflect, release, and reintegrate.
You can also book a live tarot reading for clarity and guidance on what’s rising now.
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Jeffrey Goldstein
Author