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SHADOW from Healing the Inner Child Oracle by Nina Mongendre and EdieArt. 

INVITATION 

"How can I be substantial if I do not cast a shadow? I must have a dark side also if I am to be whole.” — C.G. Jung, Modern Man in Search of a Soul.

The shadow is an aspect of the personality, a memory, a feeling, or belief we repress and send into the unconscious. Until we recognise and integrate our shadow parts, we will continue to project them onto others—any part of ourselves we reject.

Whether it is a trait deemed too much, too sensitive, too angry, too powerful, or even too radiant, it may have been cast out of sight to protect us. But shadow work is essential if we want to truly know love. For love to be unconditional, it must include every part of us.

The parts living in the shadow are often young and frightened—just like the inner child, they are in need of acceptance, curiosity, and understanding. When we shine the light of our awareness into the disowned aspects of our psyche, we often discover these forgotten inner children waiting patiently in the dark, longing to be seen.

If we ignore the shadow, we ignore the wounded parts of ourselves—and they will find ways to surface: through overachieving, perfectionism, addiction, survival behaviour, emotional collapse, disconnection, or a deep sense of emptiness.

It is worth reclaiming these parts. To deny the shadow is to deny the night. And without the night, we are only ever half complete.

This card is a gentle, powerful invitation to reach into the forgotten places within and retrieve a part of you that was once exiled. Love it. Listen to it. Let it belong.

INNER CHILD

Children crave love and belonging and will often repress certain traits or behaviours in order to be accepted by their caregivers. In their young innocence, they may come to believe that love must be earned or that being fully themselves is somehow unsafe.

Recall a moment where you felt judged, ashamed, or embarrassed as a child. Perhaps in that moment, you silently vowed never to feel that way again—and in doing so, sent a tender part of yourself into exile.

This card invites you to connect with this wounded and repressed aspect of your inner child. Gently call them forward. Let them know it is safe now. Safe to be seen, safe to be felt, safe to be held in your heart.

Extend your hand in welcome. Be curious about what they need, how they feel, and what it’s like for them to step into the light of your awareness after so long in hiding.

You may wish to take some time to write to this part in your journal. Let your pen become a bridge. You might ask:

— Who are you?

— What are you afraid of?

— How can I help you trust again?

When you’re ready, place a hand on your heart and speak this aloud:

“I claim you as my own. You are a part of me now.”

In this reclaiming, healing begins.

JOURNEY

Take out your journal and write the names of three people you love and admire. What is it about them that lights something in you? What do you deeply respect or appreciate in their way of being?

Now, write the names of three people you strongly dislike. These might be public figures, historical figures, or people from your own life. For each one, list at least three reasons why you feel that way. Be honest. Be unfiltered.

Then look again. For each statement—I dislike them because they are dishonest—turn it inward. Where does that same quality live within you? Have you always been honest with yourself? Have there been times you said yes when you meant no? Times you betrayed your truth to keep the peace, avoid conflict, or be loved?

We often find it easier to name uncomfortable qualities in others than face them in ourselves. This projection protects us from pain, but also distances us from our wholeness.

Now return to those you admire. What qualities do you see in them? Bravery, creativity, strength, tenderness? Consider that these traits also live within you. This is called the positive shadow—the gifts and greatness we’ve hidden away, afraid they might shine too brightly, or set us apart. Afraid of how powerful we truly are.

This journey asks you to own it all—the light and the dark, the gift and the wound. The more someone else’s behaviour triggers you, the deeper into your own shadow you are being asked to go. And the more you admire another, the more of your own brilliance is being reflected back at you.

We leave you with this remarkable quote by Toko-pa Turner:

"There’s a special quality about stillness in a person who encounters their shadow wholeheartedly. Your body may relax in their company because it understands in the subtle communications of their presence that nothing is excluded—in themselves or you—from belonging. Such a person, who has given up guarding against the shadow, who has come to wear their scars with dignity, no longer squirms from discomfort or bristles at suffering. They’re no longer embraced in avoidance or conflict. They carry a deep willingness to dance with the inconstancy of life."

Let your journey take you there. Into truth. Into tenderness. Into everything you are.

THE CHARMS

Camel – The camel reminds you of the deep inner reserves you carry for long journeys. You may be walking through dry lands now, but you are not without resources. You have the strength and nourishment within to endure and to grow. Your path is ancient, sacred, and wise.

Boat – The boat offers safe passage across emotional waters. It shows you that you can move through the tides of feeling, no matter how vast or uncertain. You are not adrift—you are being carried. Trust the process, and surrender to where the current is taking you.

Revolver – The revolver is a symbol of projection, defense, and reaction. It calls you to notice where blame is fired outward instead of felt inward. Rather than go to war with yourself or others, lay down the weapon. Choose awareness over reactivity. Compassion over control.

Conclusion:

You are not here to be perfect. You are here to be whole.

This work is not about fixing what is broken, but remembering what was forgotten—reclaiming the cast-out pieces, the tender wounds, the quiet brilliance hiding behind shame or fear. Shadow work is not the end of the path—it is the threshold of belonging. True belonging, where no part of you is left behind.

As you walk with the camel’s endurance, cross the waters in your boat of feeling, and disarm the revolver of old defences, remember: each step you take toward your shadow is a step toward love.

Let this card be your mirror, your compass, your invitation home.

TENDING from Healing the Inner Child Oracle by Nina Mongendre and EdieArt. 

Invitation: Every living thing has needs and requires tending and nourishment. And like any thriving garden, those needs require daily attention. Our relationships, both with others and ourselves, blossom through care, presence, and nourishment. This card is an invitation to attune with gentleness to what is—your body, your emotions, your thoughts.

Like a gardener who knows the turning of the seasons, you are asked to notice what in you is budding, blooming, or needing rest. When you tend to your younger parts with patience and reverence, you nourish the roots of self-trust. In time, these parts grow strong enough to stand in the world. But for today, they need your warmth.

“It is an honour tending to your needs. I will tend to you until we become one.”

Inner Child: Was there a flower or plant you loved as a child? Did you press petals between pages or marvel at the burst of spring blossoms? Perhaps you remember the joy of watering something and watching it grow.

This card invites you to revisit that wonder. Imagine your inner child as a young, tender shoot—reaching for light, needing consistent nourishment. Today, you are their caretaker. Through presence, through small loving acts, you remind them they are safe to bloom. Tend to one specific need they have today, however small. Your adult self is ready. You’ve become the one who knows how to nurture what once felt fragile.

Let your care be both a return and a reweaving.

Journey: Close your eyes and step into this living garden. Where are you drawn? Are your hands in the soil, planting intention? Or are you resting in the lap of the rose—its petals wrapping around you like the embrace of the divine feminine?

This space is sacred, timeless, and alive within you. Feel the earth beneath your feet. Smell the green. Hear the soft rustle of leaves or the hum of bees. Notice how it feels to give love to this space—and how it gives love back.

This is tending. A cyclical dance between effort and surrender. Between offering care and receiving nourishment. Between being the gardener, and being the garden.

Let yourself be nourished in return.

Charms
Hamsa Hand – A sacred symbol of protection and blessing. You are held in divine hands. The act of tending is also a shield—what is loved becomes guarded by spirit.

Wheel of Fortune – A turning of seasons, a karmic bloom. Something in your tending today changes the pattern. There is a shift. Trust the timing of your garden.

The Button – A reminder of what holds things together. A symbol of connection, restoration, and integration. What has come undone in the past can be re-stitched with love. You are weaving the old and new parts of you into wholeness.

Blind Spot from Healing the Inner Child Oracle by Nina Mongendre and EdieArt. 

Invitation: During our formative years, our environment moulds our thoughts and personality. Adulthood is the process of untangling the threads and becoming the author of your own life. Parents are god-like beings to their children. These giants—whether they were loving, angry, present, or distant—gave you life. Their attitude towards you created your first impressions of yourself, for better or worse.

The journey of connecting with your inner child and meeting their needs disentangles these threads and allows you to raise your head out of the murky darkness and hold it up high, owning what belongs to you and releasing what doesn't.

Imagine a jumble pile of cables. In order to make use of them, you first have to put them in order and disentangle them. Until we know where a belief about ourselves comes from, we have a blind spot. Now imagine that all of these tangled cables are plugged into outlets. If you randomly unplug them, you might power off your computer and lose the work you were doing—or you might unplug your hard drive or your router.

You need strategy, patience, and some deep breathing to follow one cable at a time and locate its function and purpose. Then you can unplug it with confidence and ease. This card invites you to shine a light upon one of these unconscious patterns or behaviours so that you might unplug it at the source.

Inner Child: To further anchor the process, write the old belief on a small piece of paper and burn it. Let it return to the elements.Right, the next slip, inner child, from the perspective of your younger self, write a list of objectives for your mother and father or caregiver.

"My mother was...", "My father was..." Is there anything you blame your parents for? Read the words you wrote and notice which ones are judgmental. Pick the words you wrote that your body reacts to the most and ask yourself if you treat your inner child this way, and if it upsets setting for you to witness this quality in another.

For example, if you describe your mother as cold, distant, and mean, you might have trouble noticing when you are cold, distant, or mean, but you'll very easily identify these traits in others. You might not naturally regard your inner child with warmth and kindness. If a parent was critical towards you, you become self-critical. If a parent neglected you, you will ignore your inner child.

Tell your inner child, mum and dad were not perfect, but they did the best they could. I accept them as they are.

Journey: We need guidance and patience to unplug the deep wiring beliefs and behaviours that were instilled in us since our birth by the almighty parental figures in our lives. Until we bring awareness to these beliefs, we tend to disown these qualities in ourselves.

Identify one belief you held as absolute truth in your childhood that you are now questioning. It could be that you were the smart one, the loud one, the quiet one, etc.

What was plugged into your psyche by the outside world? I invite you to unplug that belief. Imagine the cord and where you are ready. When you are ready, pull the plug so it no longer connects to the circuit, so that you will no longer give it energy.

Say out aloud, I am who I am and that is it, replacing the old belief with the vastness of who you truly are.

To further anchor the process, write the old belief on a small piece of paper and burn it.

The Charms

The Skeleton: This charm brings you face to face with the bare bones of a story. It’s the essence that remains when all the layers, excuses, and illusions have fallen away. The skeleton asks: What truth have you buried so deeply you’ve forgotten it was ever yours? There is no need to fear the bones—they are strong, enduring, and hold the framework of who you are. Today, you are invited to honour the structure beneath your stories, to name what has been hidden, and to remember that healing often begins when the old skeletons are gently brought into the light.

The Ankh: This ancient Egyptian symbol of life and sacred renewal is a powerful sign that transformation is not the end—it is a new beginning. The Ankh reminds you that as you unplug from inherited beliefs or outdated roles, you are choosing a more vital, aligned version of your life. You are not just dismantling—you are re-animating. It speaks of eternal truths and soul-level wisdom, inviting you to step into your power not from force, but from remembrance. Your life is sacred. The stories you write now have the power to bless generations forward.

The Rose: Soft, fragrant, and stunning—but never without its thorns. The Rose teaches that beauty is not born in the absence of pain, but through it. This charm is a gentle affirmation that your healing does not have to be harsh. You are allowed to be tender. You are allowed to bloom slowly. As you hold your inner child close today, the Rose asks you to offer love where there was once neglect, grace where there was once criticism, and softness where there was once hardness. Your healing can be both fierce and gentle—and in that, there is deep power.

The Quest from Healing the Inner Child Oracle by Nina Mongendre and EdieArt. 

Invitation: Life invites us on a sacred journey the moment we arrive in the world. Along the way, we encounter trials that ask us to meet them not with fear, but with courage—the quiet kind. The kind that shows up in the smallest moments: when we choose presence over reaction, compassion over withdrawal, truth over silence. This card asks us to pause and look again at the path we’re walking. What are we truly here for? What vision have we carried quietly in our hearts since childhood—for our lives, for the world, for the Earth herself? What did we once dream for the whole of humanity? No act of love or kindness is too small. Every word, every gesture, every moment of care contributes to the great unfolding. You matter. Your choices ripple outward. This is your quest: to live in alignment with your heart, to be brave enough to keep showing up. Not perfectly, but presently.

Inner Child: Close your eyes and remember a time when you imagined yourself as a brave adventurer. Maybe you were armed with nothing but a stick and your imagination, searching for hidden treasure or rescuing creatures in need. What were you really seeking? Now look at your life. See how far you've come. Honour the resilience that brought you here. Say to your younger self: "I honour your courage. You did your best, and that was more than enough for me."

Journey: With gentleness and truth, imagine your future self looking back. What might they regret? What would they wish you'd done differently? Write those things down—but don’t stop there. Transform them. Shift them into the present. Bring your dreams into now. For example: “My life wasn’t a complete success because I didn’t follow my creative passions.” Becomes: “I follow my creative passions and let them shape a meaningful life.” Let each statement be a new step on your quest. 

The Charms: Crescent Moon – A symbol of the unknown path ahead. The Crescent Moon invites you to trust what is still forming. It holds the quiet promise that even in darkness, you are guided. You may not see the full picture yet, but each step matters.

The Sun (Tarot) – The Sun lights your path with clarity and warmth. It reminds you that joy is not separate from the quest—it is part of it. Let yourself be seen. Let yourself feel proud. This card brings energy and encouragement when the way forward feels long.

Tree – The Tree speaks of inner strength and steady growth. It reminds you that you are rooted in something deep and true. With every season, you’ve endured, stretched, and become more of who you really are. This charm asks you to honour how far you’ve come, and to keep reaching.

You are already on the path. Keep going.

Grief from Healing the Inner Child Oracle by Nina Mongendre and EdieArt. 

Initiation: There is no life without grief. To be alive is to experience moments of pain, change, and loss. Grief gives us compassion. It brings vibrancy to existence. Yet it is also deeply painful. It can isolate us or bring us closer together. There is no right way to grieve. We grieve for people, moments, and live lives in faraway dreams. This card invites you to give a place to your sorrow, to allow some time and tenderness as you allow grief to reveal its gifts.

Inner Child: Take some slow nourishing breaths as you connect with the sadness and grief your inner child might be experiencing in this moment. Who or what is your younger self grieving? Grief does not have to make sense and it isn't comparative. Your inner child's grief over the loss of a pet or moving isn't less than your adult grieving over the loss of a parent or grandparent. Hold space for your inner child's sadness and stay open to what is needed. They might need an embrace, words of comfort, or simply for you to sit with them as they allow sadness to pour forth. Holding space without judgement or advice is the self we apply to the grieving heart. Reassure your inner child by saying, I will stay with you. Ask the child if they would like to come with you when they are ready.

Journey: We too will move on one day and leave behind us the memory of how deeply we loved and were loved. Feel into the ways grief has made you a softer, more loving person. The card, this card invites you to breathe in the gifts of grief and wonder if it's mysterious ways. As Bethany Weber shares in Discovering the Inner Mother, the more loving we allow ourselves to grieve, the more space is created in our lives for magic, beauty, and joy. Look at this card as you take a few long, slow, nourishing breaths. Notice where you are drawn. How does it feel to observe the shimmering light emerging from the dead body of the deer?

The Charms.

Treble Note: Your voice matters. Your pain has a sound — it wants to be sung, not silenced. This is you reclaiming your song, your expression, your emotional truth. Let your voice ring clear, even if it trembles.

The Pumpkin Carriage: The Cinderella symbolism runs deep. You were the one doing the emotional labour, the quiet work, the unseen nurturing — while others seemed to be gifted ease. This charm says: You’re not in the ashes anymore. You are the magic. No fairy godmother is coming — because the magic has always lived in you.

The Spanner: This is the tool in your hand. You’re not just grieving — you’re repairing. You’re tightening the loose parts, dismantling what no longer serves, and beginning the sacred work of putting yourself back together in your own design. It’s gritty, grounded, practical healing. You’re not waiting for someone else to fix it. You’re doing it yourself. And that is power.

The Number One: You are your own beginning now. You come first. Not in a selfish way — but in a soul-healing, rebalancing way. This is your reset. You’re rewriting the story, with you at the centre — no longer a background character in someone else’s tale.

Persona from Healing the Inner Child Oracle by Nina Mongendre and EdieArt. 

Invitation: As children become young adults, they develop a keen awareness of what is acceptable, appropriate, and appreciated by the outside world. We begin wearing masks—shifting who we are to please, to rebel, to belong. Perhaps you wore the mask of the nice girl, the overachiever, the troublemaker. Each persona served a purpose, but the journey of reparenting asks us to return to authenticity.

In tribal societies, masks were not used to hide, but to reveal—to call in the spirits, to open the door to what lies beneath the surface. This card invites you to look at how you use your persona: is it a costume, or a channel? What parts of you are still hidden behind the mask?

Inner child: Between the ages of 6 and 12, the persona begins to form as we engage with the world. Ask your child self: did you play a part to gain love, attention, or safety? When did the role start to feel uncomfortable or untrue? And is there a part of you still performing?

Gently affirm: I love you exactly as you are. You do not have to hide to be loved.

The Journey: Look at the image on the card and allow memories from across your life to surface—snapshots of you wearing different masks. Which felt empowering? Which were heavy? What parts of yourself were hidden behind them? Are there times now where you're saying yes when you mean no? Take a moment to breathe deeply and reconnect with the unchanging, steady self that exists beneath it all. That part is always real. That part is always enough.

Charms: Libra calls in balance—between who you’ve been and who you truly are, between pleasing others and honouring your truth. The Howling Wolf urges you to express what’s been silenced. Let your true voice rise, unmasked and wild. And the Mouse reminds you to notice the small, subtle ways you shift yourself in daily life. Even tiny masks can become heavy over time.