{"id":28941,"date":"2023-08-01T01:10:35","date_gmt":"2023-08-01T05:10:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/?p=28941"},"modified":"2023-07-27T02:41:13","modified_gmt":"2023-07-27T06:41:13","slug":"book-review-meeting-the-shadow-on-the-spiritual-path-the-dance-of-darkness-and-light-in-our-search-for-awakening-by-connie-zweig-phd","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/2023\/08\/01\/book-review-meeting-the-shadow-on-the-spiritual-path-the-dance-of-darkness-and-light-in-our-search-for-awakening-by-connie-zweig-phd\/","title":{"rendered":"Book Review \u2013 Meeting the Shadow on the Spiritual Path: The Dance of Darkness and Light in Our Search for Awakening by Connie Zweig, PhD"},"content":{"rendered":"

Book <\/span>R<\/span>eview<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h1>\n

Meeting the Shadow on the Spiritual Path:
\nThe Dance of Darkness and Light
\nin Our Search for Awakening<\/span><\/strong><\/b><\/h1>\n

by Connie Zweig, PhD<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h1>\n

Publisher: <\/span> Park Street Press<\/span><\/span><\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h1>\n

304 <\/span><\/span>P<\/span><\/span>ages<\/span><\/span><\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h1>\n

P<\/span>ublication: May 23, 2023<\/span><\/span><\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h1>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

If you are seeking a book about the \u201chow to\u201d of doing personal shadow work Meeting the Shadow on the Spiritual Path: The Dance of Darkness and Light in Our Search for Awakening<\/em> by Connie Zweig, PhD is not the book for you. If, however, you are committed to cutting through the illusions that are thrown towards us by those who we consider to be within our circle of trust and the shadow they emanate, then dive right into this eye-opening title.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Meeting the Shadow on the Spiritual Path: The Dance of Darkness and Light in Our Search for Awakening<\/em> is the newly revised third edition of two previous title revisions\u2026<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

…<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/em>The Holy Longing: The Hidden Power of Spiritual Yearning<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>\u00a0appeared at the peak of the Catholic Church\u2019s child sexual abuse scandal. The second edition, <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/em>Meeting the Shadow: The Hidden Power of Darkness on the Path<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>, appeared in 2017, just before the #MeToo movement launched. Since the publication of those earlier editions, the world has turned on its axis. We are observing urgent interconnected global crisis at the same time as we are witnessing thousands of people report spiritual awakenings…\u00b9<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

The value of this book lay in the impeccable approach that Dr. Zweig offers to this writing and the consistency of her scientific and spiritual approach to her other writings regarding the impact of shadow awareness and its application to all aspects of the individual\u2019s life. I have had the privilege of reading another of her (co-authored) titles, Meeting the Shadow and Romancing the Shadow<\/em>. Dr. Zweig dives right into the crux of the psycho\/spiritual challenges presented in a quickly changing world and offers a space of union where each may work in tandem with the other, informing all parts of the journey of spiritual connectedness, community, trust and navigating the many personalities that inhabit our orb of relationships.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u2026The intention of exploring the shadow in our search for awakening is not to negate the profound and precious transmissions of our teachers and invaluable gifts of our communities. We don\u2019t want to deny the light of consciousness any more than we want to deny the dark side of human nature\u2026my intention is to offer a way for readers to hold the tension of both-the dance of darkness and light on the path\u2026 2.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

Meeting the Shadow on the Spiritual Path: The Dance of Darkness and Light in Our Search for Awakening<\/em> is arranged in two (2) parts and seven (7) sub-sections. The Preface To The New Edition, Prologue<\/strong> and Epilogue To The New Edition<\/strong> set the tone for the purpose and directive of the content. The multi-page Bibliography<\/strong> accents the standards of research given towards crafting a book of concise content and the addition of an Index<\/strong> offers the reader a manageable way of searching through the book.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Would I Recommend:<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Meeting the Shadow on the Spiritual Path: The Dance of Darkness and Light in Our Search for Awakening<\/em> by Connie Zweig, Ph.D. is truly a \u201cthought-filled\u201d<\/em> read in every sense of those words. It is dense with information, accessible in real life examples and provides the means to become aware, awakened and selective in navigating the shadow nature of our world.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

In fact, Meeting the Shadow on the Spiritual Path: The Dance of Darkness and Light in Our Search for Awakening<\/em> has been crafted in such a way that there is an abundance of wisdom contained that will appeal to those who follow a spiritual practice, those who do not, those interested in the underlying psychological and ideological overlays of religious\/spiritual practice in mundane interactions, those who can easily recognize their personal experiences and so many more. This statement alone, makes Meeting the Shadow on the Spiritual Path: The Dance of Darkness and Light in Our Search for Awakening<\/em> such an important and valuable read now and for future reference.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u2026 As I wrote in the book\u2019s opening, a psychological lens that includes the shadow is necessary in order to extend our vision and understanding of spirituality, and it\u2019s necessary to recover from spiritual abuse and disillusionment.\u2026. 3.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

Notes:
\n1. Pg. xi
\n2. Pg. xii
\n3. Pg. 241<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

About the Author:<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Connie Zweig, Ph.D., a retired psychotherapist and former executive editor at Jeremy P. Tarcher Publishing, is coauthor of Meeting the Shadow and Romancing the Shadow<\/em> and author of the bestseller The Inner Work of Age: Shifting from Role to Soul<\/em> and a novel, A Moth to the Flame: The Life of the Sufi Poet Rumi.<\/em> She has been practicing and teaching meditation for more than 50 years.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Meeting the Shadow on the Spiritual Path on Amazon<\/u><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

**<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

About the Author:<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Robin Fennelly<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n


\nRobin Fennelly<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0is an Elder within\u00a0The Assembly of the Sacred Wheel <\/span>Tradition\u00a0<\/span>and serves as High Priestess of\u00a0Coven of the Mystic Path,<\/span> the 12th Coven within the Assembly of the Sacred Wheel Tradition. She teaches and facilitates classes for the Pagan Experience Study Group that serves as foundation for membership within Coven of the Mystic Path.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Her spiritual journey is strongly rooted in both Eastern philosophy and the Western Magickal systems from which she has formed a core foundation that is diverse in knowledge and rich in spiritual practice.\u00a0 A life-long learner, her practice has evolved from the classical and philosophical teachings of books, practical experience and enrichment of this knowledge base by attending workshops of various spiritual traditions presented by master teachers.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Robin formally came to the Wiccan path in 1994. Following a practice as a solitary for 2 years, she dedicated to Oak and Willow Coven of The Assembly of the Sacred Wheel Tradition in November of 1996. She received her 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th (Elder) degrees within the Assembly Tradition and has served as High Priestess of two ASW covens since Samhain of 2001 and the Winter Solstice of 2015. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

As a teacher of esoteric and magickal studies she uses Energetic Anatomy, Tarot, Astrology, Hermetic Qabala, Eastern Philosophy, and Numerology as the foundations of her diverse selection of workshops and writings for more than 25\u00a0years. Exploration of varied energetic protocol has been the focus of her work for some time now and the information gained through direct experience informs all of her magickal and spiritual work.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Robin\u2019s writings have been featured online, and in print Internationally.\u00a0 She has authored several books incorporating her unique style of writing making use of poetry, prose and pathworking to enhance the concepts presented.\u00a0 She has taught extensively throughout the Pagan community, including Sacred Space Conference, Spring Magick, Between the Worlds Interfaith Conference and Free Spirit Gathering Festival. Her most recent projects include a channel on youtube: A Journey to the Inner Chamber.<\/span> She also shares audio pathworkings and ritual on her bandcamp site: Teachings on the Path <\/span>with Robin.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Robin is the owner of\u00a0Holistic Embrace<\/em> providing services for mind, body and spirit such as Tarot readings, Astrology reports, Spiritual Guidance and other related offerings.\u00a0 She lives in Eastern Pennsylvania and her life is blessed by a 40+- year marriage, five children and the opportunity to work in the field of public education.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Robin\u2019s Website:<\/strong>\u00a0www.robinfennelly.com<\/a><\/span>
\nCoven of the Mystic Path, ASW:<\/strong>\u00a0www.covenofthemysticpath.org<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Her books can be found on Amazon or purchased directly through <\/strong>her website:<\/strong>
\nFor more info:<\/strong>\u00a0http:\/\/www.robinfennelly.com\/books.html<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The Inner Chamber, Vol. 1 It\u2019s Written in the Stars-Astrology
\nThe Inner Chamber, Vol. 2 Poetry of the Spheres-Qabalah
\nThe Inner Chamber, Vol. 3 Awakening the Paths-Qabalah
\nThe Light of SELF: Consciousness, Spiritual Practice and Learning to
\nBreathe
\nMagickal Verse: A Collection of Poetry and Prose
\nA Year of Gaia: The Eternal Cord
\nThe Elemental Year: Aligning the Elements of SELF
\nTemple of the Sun and Moon: Luminous Devotions
\nSleeping with the Goddess: Nights of Devotion
\nA Weekly Reflection: Musings for the Year
\nThe Magickal Pen: A Collection of Esoteric Writings
\nThe Enchanted Gate: Musings on the Magick of the Natural World
\nThe Temple of the Sun: An Astrological Solar Year
\nWritings in the Shadow: An Exploration of the Shadow Nature<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Book Review Meeting the Shadow on the Spiritual Path: The Dance of Darkness and Light in Our Search for Awakening by Connie Zweig, PhD Publisher: Park Street Press 304 Pages Publication: May 23, 2023     If you are seeking a book about the \u201chow to\u201d of doing personal shadow work Meeting the Shadow on the Spiritual Path: The Dance of Darkness and Light in Our Search for Awakening by Connie Zweig, PhD is not the book for you. If, however, you are committed to cutting through the illusions that are thrown towards us by those who we consider to be within our circle of trust and the shadow they emanate, then dive right into this eye-opening title. Meeting the Shadow on the Spiritual Path: The Dance of Darkness and Light in Our Search for Awakening is the newly revised third edition of two previous title revisions\u2026 …The Holy Longing: The Hidden Power of Spiritual Yearning\u00a0appeared at the peak of the Catholic Church\u2019s child sexual abuse scandal. The second edition, Meeting the Shadow: The Hidden Power of Darkness on the Path, appeared in 2017, just before the #MeToo movement launched. Since the publication of those earlier editions, the world has turned on its axis. We are observing urgent interconnected global crisis at the same time as we are witnessing thousands of people report spiritual awakenings…\u00b9 The value of this book lay in the impeccable approach that Dr. Zweig offers to this writing and the consistency of her scientific and spiritual approach to her other writings regarding the impact of shadow awareness and its application to all aspects of the individual\u2019s life. I have had the privilege of reading another of her (co-authored) titles, Meeting the Shadow and Romancing the Shadow. Dr. Zweig dives right into the crux of the psycho\/spiritual challenges presented in a quickly changing world and offers a space of union where each may work in tandem with the other, informing all parts of the journey of spiritual connectedness, community, trust and navigating the many personalities that inhabit our orb of relationships. \u2026The intention of exploring the shadow in our search for awakening is not to negate the profound and precious transmissions of our teachers and invaluable gifts of our communities. We don\u2019t want to deny the light of consciousness any more than we want to deny the dark side of human nature\u2026my intention is to offer a way for readers to hold the tension of both-the dance of darkness and light on the path\u2026 2. Meeting the Shadow on the Spiritual Path: The Dance of Darkness and Light in Our Search for Awakening is arranged in two (2) parts and seven (7) sub-sections. The Preface To The New Edition, Prologue and Epilogue To The New Edition set the tone for the purpose and directive of the content. The multi-page Bibliography accents the standards of research given towards crafting a book of concise content and the addition of an Index offers the reader a manageable way of searching through the book. Would I Recommend: Meeting the Shadow on the Spiritual Path: The Dance of Darkness and Light in Our Search for Awakening by Connie Zweig, Ph.D. is truly a \u201cthought-filled\u201d read in every sense of those words. It is dense with information, accessible in real life examples and provides the means to become aware, awakened and selective in navigating the shadow nature of our world. In fact, Meeting the Shadow on the Spiritual Path: The Dance of Darkness and Light in Our Search for Awakening has been crafted in such a way that there is an abundance of wisdom contained that will appeal to those who follow a spiritual practice, those who do not, those interested in the underlying psychological and ideological overlays of religious\/spiritual practice in mundane interactions, those who can easily recognize their personal experiences and so many more. This statement alone, makes Meeting the Shadow on the Spiritual Path: The Dance of Darkness and Light in Our Search for Awakening such an important and valuable read now and for future reference. \u2026 As I wrote in the book\u2019s opening, a psychological lens that includes the shadow is necessary in order to extend our vision and understanding of spirituality, and it\u2019s necessary to recover from spiritual abuse and disillusionment.\u2026. 3. Notes: 1. Pg. xi 2. Pg. xii 3. Pg. 241 About the Author: Connie Zweig, Ph.D., a retired psychotherapist and former executive editor at Jeremy P. Tarcher Publishing, is coauthor of Meeting the Shadow and Romancing the Shadow and author of the bestseller The Inner Work of Age: Shifting from Role to Soul and a novel, A Moth to the Flame: The Life of the Sufi Poet Rumi. She has been practicing and teaching meditation for more than 50 years.   Meeting the Shadow on the Spiritual Path on Amazon     ** About the Author: Robin Fennelly Robin Fennelly\u00a0is an Elder within\u00a0The Assembly of the Sacred Wheel Tradition\u00a0and serves as High Priestess of\u00a0Coven of the Mystic Path, the 12th Coven within the Assembly of the Sacred Wheel Tradition. She teaches and facilitates classes for the Pagan Experience Study Group that serves as foundation for membership within Coven of the Mystic Path. Her spiritual journey is strongly rooted in both Eastern philosophy and the Western Magickal systems from which she has formed a core foundation that is diverse in knowledge and rich in spiritual practice.\u00a0 A life-long learner, her practice has evolved from the classical and philosophical teachings of books, practical experience and enrichment of this knowledge base by attending workshops of various spiritual traditions presented by master teachers. Robin formally came to the Wiccan path in 1994. Following a practice as a solitary for 2 years, she dedicated to Oak and Willow Coven of The Assembly of the Sacred Wheel Tradition in November of 1996. She received her 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th (Elder) degrees within the Assembly Tradition and has served as High Priestess of two ASW covens since Samhain of 2001 and the Winter Solstice of 2015. As a teacher of esoteric and magickal studies she uses Energetic Anatomy, Tarot, Astrology, Hermetic Qabala, Eastern Philosophy, and Numerology as the foundations of her diverse selection of workshops and writings for more than 25\u00a0years. Exploration of varied energetic protocol has been the focus of her work for some time now and the information gained through direct experience informs all of her magickal and spiritual work. Robin\u2019s writings have been featured online, and in print Internationally.\u00a0 She has authored several books incorporating her unique style of writing making use of poetry, prose and pathworking to enhance the concepts presented.\u00a0 She has taught extensively throughout the Pagan community, including Sacred Space Conference, Spring Magick, Between the Worlds Interfaith Conference and Free Spirit Gathering Festival. Her most recent projects include a channel on youtube: A Journey to the Inner Chamber. She also shares audio pathworkings and ritual on her bandcamp site: Teachings on the Path with Robin. Robin is the owner of\u00a0Holistic Embrace providing services for mind, body and spirit such as Tarot readings, Astrology reports, Spiritual Guidance and other related offerings.\u00a0 She lives in Eastern Pennsylvania and her life is blessed by a 40+- year marriage, five children and the opportunity to work in the field of public education. Robin\u2019s Website:\u00a0www.robinfennelly.com Coven of the Mystic Path, ASW:\u00a0www.covenofthemysticpath.org Her books can be found on Amazon or purchased directly through her website: For more info:\u00a0http:\/\/www.robinfennelly.com\/books.html The Inner Chamber, Vol. 1 It\u2019s Written in the Stars-Astrology The Inner Chamber, Vol. 2 Poetry of the Spheres-Qabalah The Inner Chamber, Vol. 3 Awakening the Paths-Qabalah The Light of SELF: Consciousness, Spiritual Practice and Learning to Breathe Magickal Verse: A Collection of Poetry and Prose A Year of Gaia: The Eternal Cord The Elemental Year: Aligning the Elements of SELF Temple of the Sun and Moon: Luminous Devotions Sleeping with the Goddess: Nights of Devotion A Weekly Reflection: Musings for the Year The Magickal Pen: A Collection of Esoteric Writings The Enchanted Gate: Musings on the Magick of the Natural World The Temple of the Sun: An Astrological Solar Year Writings in the Shadow: An Exploration of the Shadow Nature<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":208,"featured_media":28942,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"iawp_total_views":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[10005],"tags":[14310,10095,10015,13613,14730,14731,10075,12104,10193],"class_list":["post-28941","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-reviews","tag-14310","tag-book","tag-book-review","tag-connie-zweig","tag-meeting-the-shadow-on-the-spiritual-path","tag-park-street-press","tag-review","tag-shadow","tag-shadow-work"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28941","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/208"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=28941"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28941\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":28943,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28941\/revisions\/28943"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/28942"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=28941"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=28941"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=28941"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}