Dark Shadow, Golden Shadow: Magickal Tools and Tarot to Confront Your Fears and Free Your Potential

by Shannon Knight

Dark Shadow, Golden Shadow provides the tools and guidance necessary to embark on a journey of self-discovery and healing with the added benefit of using magickal tools as a way to gently explore the depths of our psyches—both challenging (the dark) and positive (the golden).

Shannon Knight’s approach to shadow work is deeply rooted in secular, therapeutic, and psychological principles, but she recognized the valuable role that magick, archetypes, and symbolism play in this process.

Unlike other books on the subject, Dark Shadow, Golden Shadow incorporates the use of tarot as a prominent tool that serves as a method of self-reflection, offering a portal to our subconscious and helping us access parts of ourselves that we otherwise may have been unable to. The imagery and archetypes help facilitate a dialogue with our shadow, making it easier to converse with the repressed and hidden parts of ourselves.

To create harmony and reduce tension between the logical and mystical aspects of ourselves, we need to be curious about multiple ways of being, experimenting with how these impact us—for better or for worse—and then figuring out what to do with this information. Through exercises, techniques, and insights, Dark Shadow, Golden Shadow allows you to gently explore the depths of your psyche, uncover different parts of yourself, and navigate the path toward greater self-acceptance. It’s the ultimate process of “looking in the mirror.”

Genres: Spirituality

208 pages, Paperback

Published December 8, 2025

Reviews

[Claire Hannes · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book combines two of my very favorite things, tarot and depth psychology, and it's absolutely blowing my mind. Thank you, Shannon, for writing this absolute gem! I will return to this book always! I highly recommend Shannon's podcast, "The Tarot Diagnosis," which led me to her book.

[Ami King · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a satisfying read. It's one of the few books that I enjoyed simultaneously reading and working through the exercises. And the exercises hit home. It's something I'll use as a reference and return to. I love that Knight works with the dark and the golden shadow because that provides a fuller picture of the card and aspects of the Self. There's something hard to look at, something positive to take away, and always something to reflect and work on. And not the sort of "work" where there's something wrong with you that needs fixing. There's no blame or shame, just you continually learning, understanding, evolving.

As she writes, "Tarot can be a powerful tool for exploring the shadow because it allows us to externalize our internal struggles and engage with them in a more tangible, accessible way."