Shale　is　a　common　rock　type　that　is　associated　with　underground　engineering　projects,　and　several　important　factors,　such　as　bedding　structure,　confining　pressure,　and　the　loading　and　unloading　path,　significantly　influence　the　anisotropy　of　shale.　Triaxial　monotonic　loading　tests　and　triaxial　incremental　cyclic　loading　and　unloading　tests　of　shale　under　three　kinds　of　confining　pressures　and　five　types　of　bedding　inclination　angles　(θ)　were　thus　performed　to　investigate　the　anisotropy　of　shale　in　terms　of　mechanical　behavior,　acoustic　emission　(AE),　and　energy　evolution,　and　reveal　the　mechanism　by　which　shale　anisotropy　is　weakened.　The　results　show　that　(1)　the　compressive　strength　and　elastic　modulus　of　shale　decrease　and　then　increase　as　the　θ　increases,　and　that　both　σ3　and　incremental　cyclic　loading　and　unloading　reduce　the　anisotropy　in　terms　of　the　compressive　strength　and　elastic　modulus　of　shale,　with　the　ratio　of　plastic　strain　to　total　strain　reaching　its　maximum　at　a　θ　of　60°　during　each　loading　and　unloading　cycle.　(2)　The　failure　modes　of　shale　with　θ　of　0°,　30°,　and　90°　under　triaxial　monotonic　loading　are　similar　to　the　counterparts　under　triaxial　incremental　cyclic　loading　and　unloading,　while　the　failure　modes　of　shale　with　θ　of　45°　and　60°　differ　significantly　under　the　two　loading　conditions,　and　interestingly,　the　degree　to　which　the　bedding　plane　participates　in　shale　crack　evolution　under　incremental　cyclic　loading　and　unloading　is　considerably　lower　than　that　under　triaxial　monotonic　loading.　(3)　The　cumulative　AE　count　and　AE　b-value　of　shale　first　decrease　and　then　increase　as　the　θ　increases,　while　the　Felicity　ratio　decreases　as　the　number　of　cycles　increases.　(4)　As　the　θ　increases,　the　total　energy　density　U0　and　the　parameter　m,　which　reflects　the　accumulation　rate　of　elastic　energy,　first　decrease　and　then　increase,　with　both　reaching　a　minimum　at　a　θ　of　60°.　(5)　The　mode　by　which　cyclic　loading　and　unloading　leads　to　failure　in　shale　with　a　θ　of　60°　is　similar　to　that　at　a　θ　of　0°　and　is　the　main　mechanism　by　which　shale　anisotropy　weakening　occurs　as　a　result　of　cyclic　loading　and　unloading.　The　results　provide　experimental　support　and　a　theoretical　basis　for　safer　and　more　efficient　underground　engineering　projects　that　involve　shale.　©　2024　by　the　authors.