🕒 11 min read | By Kerrie De Palma ~
If you’ve been with me a while, you know I don’t do surface-level. We’re going deep with this one – into the shadow, the heart and your path to purpose, so grab a cuppa and settle in.
Courage, Purpose and Embracing the Shadow
How do we embrace the shadow and feed the right wolf on your path to purpose?
The past week has felt like a masterclass in courage, not the kind we show the world when everything is going well, but the kind that comes from uncertainty, loss, and confronting what we’d rather avoid.
If it’s felt intense, you’re not imagining it. Some of us have been confronted with the deeper layers of ourselves – shadows we’d rather not face, old fears we thought we’d moved past, or emotions stirred by events around us.
For me, it’s been a week of holding both grief and courage, as I said goodbye to a friend while also navigating my own inner challenges, with deep reflection, and an undeniable call to step up.
Life has a way of holding up a mirror 🪞. It shows us the shadows we’d prefer to ignore, the fears we’ve hidden beneath the surface, and the parts of ourselves that need our attention if we’re going to step fully into our next chapter.
Loss has a way of shaking us up. It makes us look at our lives differently to see what truly matters. As a Holistic Life Purpose Coach, I know these moments, while painful, can also be turning points on our purpose-led path.
I recall my last conversation only weeks ago with my friend whom I provided a reference for. She said to me, “I need this, Kerrie. I love the work and I need purpose in my life” – I could feel her truth in every part of my being.
For many, this past month has brought up similar themes, almost like tests and initiations, to confront the inner and outer “demons” we carry, the pull of forces between light and dark, and the deep calling to ground into Love when the world feels heavy.
Lion’s Gate Energy and Your Path to Purpose
On August 8th, the Lion’s Gate Portal reached its peak, a cosmic alignment said to amplify courage, truth, and soul purpose. I’m not sharing to sell you a “woo” idea, but to share what I’ve felt and seen: a very real energetic push for those walking a life purpose journey to confront what we’ve been resisting, and step more fully into who we came here to be.
The Battle of the Two Wolves
Once again, here I thought I would write a blog post about something else, no, Kerrie, you’re to write about this.
There’s an old traditional Cherokee teaching I love. I shared it on my Kundalini Yoga page years ago, and it came up in Meditation this morning. It goes something like this:
The Tale of the Two Wolves
An old Cherokee was teaching his grandson about life.
“A fight is going on inside me,” he said to the boy.
“It is a terrible fight, and it is between two wolves.
One is evil – he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.
The other is good – he is joy, peace, Love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith.
This same fight is going on inside you and inside every other person, too.”
The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather,
“Which wolf will win?”
The old Cherokee simply replied,
“The one you feed.”
The truth is, we all wrestle with our shadows – the dark thoughts, patterns, and fears that keep us small and hold us back. But when we face them, not with judgment but with curiosity, they can become our greatest teachers, and we can see the value in our shadow.
This week, I had to ask myself, which wolf am I feeding?
When the Shadow Rises
Shadow work is uncomfortable because it forces us to see what we resist. The parts of ourselves we judge, hide, or avoid.
But what if the shadow holds our greatest gifts? 🎁
When we get curious about our fear instead of running from it, we often find courage hiding underneath. When we can learn to stop resisting the discomfort, we create space for healing. And when we integrate the lessons and gifts our shadow offers, we become stronger, more compassionate, and more aligned.
Courage isn’t the absence of fear. It’s moving forward with it, letting it sharpen our awareness instead of paralysing us.
Meeting Fear with Courage
The Lion’s Gate energy has been whispering 💬 even roaring – that it’s time to stop resisting the call.
I saw myself in a dark arena last week there was trickster-type energy; my week felt like a series of tests, initiations, dreams, daily downloads and visions (who needs Netflix anyway?).
By week’s end, I was invited back to the arena and was told: It’s time to get comfortable with being uncomfortable.
On Thursday night, I spoke to someone who’s been mentoring me and asked, What I’m meant to make of all of this? What’s the lesson, the gift, behind the scenes here?.
If I could pin it down to one thing, what would it be?
He said one word: ‘Courage’ – because courage is the only thing required when there is fear.
Fear and courage are two sides of the same coin. You can’t access courage without first meeting fear. Shadow work is not about eliminating the darkness, but integrating it so our light can shine more fully.
What the Lion’s Gate 2025 Energy is Inviting us into?
While the portal is said to have been the strongest on August 8th, its influence can be felt days, even weeks, before and after. This year, the themes I’ve sensed and seen mirrored in others, including myself, include:
Owning Your Path and Purpose: Stepping into your true power, owning your authentic voice, gifts, and boundaries without apology. Become the leader in your own life.
Light Codes of Higher Leadership: Leading from the Heart, not from ego, fear or the wound.
The Release of Old Soul Contracts: Releasing old fear-based patterns, beliefs, paradigms, and old soul contracts and relationships that aren’t for our highest good.
The Heart as the New Compass: Letting Love guide decisions in both personal and collective challenges. My first blog of the year was about Love being our guiding force for 2025, and this is another reminder.
A Bridge Between Dimensions: An upgrade in how we see and live life. Feeling pulled between the familiar (3D survival) and the emerging (5D heart-led living).
For those on a purpose-led journey, these aren’t abstract concepts; they’re invitations to live more intentionally, to align with what truly matters, and to trust your inner guidance even when the path isn’t always clear.
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Integrating the Shadow on a Purpose-Led Path
This week, we’re invited to let go of all the noise and see ourselves in a new light, reminding us that we’re not here to go through the motions but live with meaning, connection, and purpose.
The shadow – our fears, doubts, and hidden wounds – isn’t the enemy. They hold valuable lessons and the opportunity for growth. When we resist it, it grows stronger. When we turn toward it with courage, we begin to understand what it’s here to teach us.
I’ve seen how confronting the shadow can bring a lot of clarity. Stripping away false identities, clearing out what no longer belongs, and making space for more soul-aligned choices.
The Lion 🦁 the Scorpion 🦂 and the Call Forward
Last week, I came across an Instagram clip about when the lion and the scorpion meet. I’m a Scorpio – so I paid attention.
The lion represents courage, leadership, and strength; the scorpion represents depth, transformation, and the power to pierce through illusions.
Together, they remind us that real strength isn’t just about charging forward; it’s also about diving deep, confronting truth, and transforming from within. This feeling is especially relevant right now with the recent Lion’s Gate energy and stepping fully into your path, not when you feel fully ready, but because your soul knows it’s time.
Grounding in the Energy of Love ♥️
With so much chaos and uncertainty in the world, it’s tempting to retreat into fear. But the higher invitation is to anchor into Love as a daily practice.
🤍 Love is found in presence.
🤍 The way you speak to yourself matters.
🤍 It’s in choosing kindness when anger would be easier.
🤍 Feeding the wolf of hope when the wolf of fear is hungry.
If you’ve been feeling unsettled, here are a few ways to anchor yourself, integrate and ground in the energy of Love:
Feed the right wolf: Notice where your attention, words, self-talk and energy are going. Choose Love, not fear.
Stay connected to your body: Breathwork, walking barefoot, stretching, or yoga help integrate higher energy.
Reflect with honesty: Ask yourself: What am I avoiding? What would I do if I fully trusted myself?
Reach out for support: Whether from a friend, mentor, or coach, you don’t have to go it alone.
Feeding the Wolf with Purpose
In my work as a Holistic Life Purpose Coach and through my awakening journey (which I share in DIVINITY – A Kundalini Awakening of the Average Girl Next Door), I’ve learned this:
We all face battles in our minds, some loud, some quiet. Fear is always an option we can feed, or we can choose to feed Love, compassion, and connection. The wolf we feed becomes the one that shapes our reality. One will contract us. The other will expand us.
If you’ve been feeling tested lately, know you’re not alone. This is the work I walk with my clients as a Holistic life purpose coach – helping them face the hard truths, align with what matters, and keep moving toward a deeply fulfilling and soul-led life.
Small Choices, Big Shifts
This week, I invite you to notice the moments when your two wolves are battling.
Ask yourself:
🐾 Which wolf am I feeding with my thoughts and actions right now?
🐾 What would it look like to feed the other one?
🐾 How can I choose Love over fear today, even in small ways?
Because every choice, no matter how small, shapes your purpose-driven path forward.
You can’t bypass the shadow to reach the light. But you can meet it with courage, compassion, and a willingness to grow.
You may need to read this blog post a couple of times to understand the messaging behind it all, or you may have experienced a similar week or month and understand entirely.
If you’re feeling the pull to step into your next chapter – but you’re also wrestling with doubt, fear, or uncertainty, know that this is part of the path. Learn from your lessons; they are our greatest teachers. Your path to purpose isn’t about perfection; perfection is the illusion of fear. Your path is about presence, authenticity, being uniquely you, and stepping fully into whatever is calling you, to stop resisting and know that you are divinely supported every step of the way.
And maybe what the universe is really saying: 🤔
It’s time to dance 💃 with your shadow and feed the wolf that reflects the life you’re here to live.
Until next time, keep taking those action steps daily to progress, ask yourself, what medicine lies in my shadow? And most of all keep doing what you love, and live your best, abundant life with immense courage.
Kerrie xx
