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.
📺 Watch shadow and tarot content on YouTube:
👉 Ripecolor Channel
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How a Tarot Reading Can Help You Make Decisions
Can Tarot Really Help Me Make a Decision?
Yes — but not by telling you what to do.
A tarot reading won’t say “Take the job” or “Leave the relationship.” Instead, it shows you:
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What’s influencing you
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What fears or desires are present
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What energy surrounds each option
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What you’re not seeing clearly
The goal isn’t control — it’s clarity.
Why Is It So Hard to Decide?
Because decisions are rarely just logical.
They’re emotional. Energetic. Tied to identity and fear. Sometimes you're not choosing between Option A and B — you're choosing between comfort and growth, fear and freedom.
Tarot helps you name the real decision behind the surface one.
What Kinds of Questions Can I Ask?
Instead of asking:
Should I do this or not?
Try:
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What is the energy surrounding this opportunity?
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What lesson is present in this decision?
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What will I learn if I choose this path?
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What am I avoiding in making this choice?
These open questions give the cards space to speak honestly.
What Will the Cards Show?
The cards reflect what’s already happening inside you — your resistance, your longing, your truth. A good reading won’t push you. It will help you recognize the path you already feel but haven’t fully claimed.
Sometimes, you’ll hear what you already knew. That’s confirmation. And that’s powerful.
Want Help Seeing Clearly?
✨ I offer intuitive, honest tarot readings designed to help you cut through confusion, reconnect to your intuition, and make decisions with confidence.
📘 Want to start decoding the cards yourself?
Explore the Tarot Cheat Sheet and Reversals Guide
📺 Watch sample readings and decision spreads here:
👉 Ripecolor Tarot Channel
📌 Share or revisit this blog:
👉 Ripecolor on Pinterest
Looking for Honest Tarot Guidance? Here’s What to Do
Wondering what really happens in a tarot reading? Learn what to expect, how it works, and how an honest session can bring clarity and grounded insight.
Why Shadow Work Feels Hard (and How Tarot Makes It Easier)
Shadow work is hard because it’s real. Learn why it brings up so many emotions — and how tarot offers a safe, symbolic way to work through what arises.
Jeffrey Goldstein
Author