*Pyrrhuloxia or Desert Cardinal
New beginnings, new growth, the days getting longer as we inch closer to Spring.
Even in Winter, there are signs of Spring around the corner. In Coastal California, Ceanothus or California lilacs begin to bloom. California poppies bring an orange glow to brown fields. Monarch butterflies are active on sunny days.
The construct of the Jungian shadow could be described as a Winter archetype. Parts of the personality that are disagreeable move to the shadows, like a song bird waiting out a Winter storm in thick brush.
The work on our shadow involves bringing the disagreeable, disowned parts of our personality into the light, like a new bud bursting out on a Spring day. Integrating the shadow, both the good and the bad, can help us become more whole and it has the potential to bring a new reservoir of energy into our lives.
In Southern California, after the devastation of the Winter 2025 Pacific Palisades fires, Spring can bring a sense of hope amid the destruction and suffering.
Of course, it goes without saying that the metaphorical Winter of our lives also has much potential for the development of the personality. However, it is imperative to embrace and allow the season of Spring with its vitality to work on our lives.
Frost on my footsteps
Desert Cardinal, bird talk
A rabbit jumped to the moon
*Image credit>Michael A. Anderson, Tucson, AZ
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