Soul Singing with Anne Marie |
Hi!
I'm Anne Marie, the creator of KaleidoSoul.com, and a
SoulCollage® facilitator in Massachusetts. If you're
just starting to sing your song with SoulCollage®, this column is
especially for you.
Using SoulCollage® to Heal a Loss
About 20 years ago, Doug was the rector's assistant at the Episcopal Church I attended in Salem, Massachusetts. He touched my life in SO many ways. After a few years, his journey took him to another parish. We stayed in touch for a while, and he even sang at our wedding in 1995. Then our journeys just took us in different directions.
A few years ago, I learned that he had died that summer, at age 53, of inoperable brain cancer. I was shocked at the immediate grief that flooded me when I heard the news. I wept for his family, his students, and for the loss of him to this world.
I created this card to honor Doug, his place in my life so long ago, and his place in my life now, even though he is with us no longer in his body. As I was making it, I viscerally felt the sting of the empty space in my heart easing; I felt my sharp grief softening, releasing.
The stained glass window is there to remind me of the love of God which he brought to me and taught us all so lovingly, and with such vulnerability and grace. The butterfly of course stands for Resurrection and transformation. The lotus is there because one of his gifts to me was a rooted belief in the soul's right to growth even from muddy conditions. Why the seal and the white lion landed there... I don't know yet. I found them in my stack of treasured, saved images and they seemed to be telling me that they wanted to be on Doug's card, so I listened and heeded their advice.
Who are you? I am the one who is a Priest. I am the one who is a teacher. I am the one who rode a motorcycle and sang in a rock band and also loved people and God with a wild, spectacular love. I am the one who was never afraid to be myself up there in the pulpit or with the people. I am the one who sang at your wedding. I am the one who always looked at people with eyes of love. I am the one who is with you even now as you are writing this. I am the one who smiles to see this card you have made for me. I am the one who brings the light of God to you from the other side.
What do you have to give me? What I gave you then and what I give you now is the exact same thing: unconditional love. I give you light in your heart that comes straight from the heart of God. I give you reassurance that Death is not the end.. I give you a light heart, laughter, love, a reminder that joy is yours right now. Reach out and grab it, hold it, embrace it... it is easy, and it is yours. I give you the knowing that life is short. I give you a reminder that every tiny piece of life is important, blessed, wonderful.
What do you want from me? I want you to be yourself. I want you to remember me with love and happiness. I want you to not beat yourself up because we didn't stay in touch. I want you to know that our paths crossed, and then went in separate directions, for a reason. I want you to know that your writing touched my soul. I want you to know that your courage in taking on Jeff's children inspired me. I want you to know that even though you cannot see me, I am still with you. I want you to know that you are special, beloved, wonderful. I want you to know that your love crosses time and space and blesses me even now.
Anne Marie Bennett is a writer, self-taught artist, website goddess, cancer survivor, and SoulCollage® Facilitator / Trainer who was mentored directly by Seena Frost. In 2005, she fell in love with SoulCollage® and was inspired to use her professional experience along with Internet technology as a means to serve the world by putting SoulCollage® "out there" in a really big way with KaleidoSoul. Anne Marie is also the author of Bright Side of the Road. She lives in eastern Massachusetts with her middle-aged husband, two elderly cats and one very youthful dog who keeps all of them young. You can read more about her on her website annemariebennett.com or on her blogs Inner Surprises, and Standing Still.
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OUR NEXT TELE-CLASS
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with Dot Everhart,
SoulCollage® Facilitator in Pennsylvania
During this session, Dot will help us bring insight and wholeness to our Decks by leading a discussion on death as an archetype, fear of death, symbols on our Death cards, and what will happen to our SoulCollage® cards after our own deaths.
More information here.
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Time:
7:00 pm Eastern, 6:00 pm Central,
5:00 pm Mountain, 4:00 pm Pacific,
2:00 pm Hawaiian, 12:00 pm in London,
Monday 9:00 am in Melbourne Australia
and Monday 11 pm in New Zealand
Please visit this page now for more information.
We hope you'll join us!
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New Online Workshop!
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Rebirthing the Divine:
Restoring the Mother-Daughter Aspects of Self
Facilitated by
Mother-Daughter Team:
Cat Meehan Caracelo with Darcy Meehan Lubow
Starts June 5th
*** 7 tele-classes *** *** 45 page e-book ***
*** personal consultation with Cat *** *** art, myth, story, and SoulCollage® ***
NOTE: Kindred Spirit
Members - Save $50 Use your special Coupon Code on the checkout screen. For more
information about this course, please visit
this
KaleidoSoul page.
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Soul Symphonies with Karen |
My name is Karen Mann and I'm a SoulCollage® facilitator from
Melbourne, Australia. This column is for those of you who have
already made some cards & are ready to discover the symphony of
voices inside of you and around you.
Death as Transformation
This is the story about how one of my SoulCollage® cards "spoke to me" as I was dealing with the loss of a dear friend. Lyn and I met and became friends when we shared a room at the June 2004 SoulCollage® Facilitator Training in California. We had stayed in touch via email and phone, sharing our cards and their meanings. Through these exchanged, we became great friends.
It is now three years since I received an email from Lyn's husband telling me the news that she had died. As I was reading the email from him (with tears streaming down my face) I received a synchronistic message that assisted me with my grieving/healing processes. My partner had a music video channel on in the next room and called me over to see the video that was on because it was a version of a song that she'd never seen before. When I went to see, it was Janet Jackson's song
Together Again.
This song is one that holds great significance for me because it was a song which comforted me previously when a close friend had died. The lyrics are about losing a friend or lover and you can read the complete lyrics on this page.
Everywhere I go
Every smile I see
I know you are there
Smilin' back at me
Dancin' in the moonlight
I know you are free
'Cause I can see your star
Shinin' down on me
Hearing this special song was enough of a magic moment for me to feel a connection to a higher energy, but then I saw the imagery in the film clip which includes an empty cage and a butterfly! These are images I use a lot in my artwork and are very significant for me. It reminded me in particular of a SoulCollage® card which at the time I called
Transformation, (see above) am now starting to sense it may in fact be my
Death card. I felt drawn to spending time with this card and journaling with it after seeing the film clip.
My journaling with this Transformation/Death card included:
I am the one who is in a better place now. I am the one who has made my sacrifices and now is free. I am the one who has done the hard yards and am now ready to enjoy the peace. I am the one who is learning to let go and accept change gracefully.
This message was relevant on two levels. It felt like a message about Lyn, but it was also a message that was very relevant to my current life circumstances as well. Journaling with this card was a very powerful experience for me, and the synchronicities that brought me to create this card
still give me goose bumps.
Another interesting moment of synchronicity occurred as I was preparing to write this column for
Soul Songs. A couple of days ago I received an email from Lyn's husband to let me know he'd been looking through Lyn's SoulCollage® cards and had thought of me. As I had lost contact with him a couple of years ago, when both of us changed email addresses, this recent contact felt really special. I truly feel like someone is
"shinin' down on" me.
Karen Mann is an artist, art teacher, Lifestyle
Coach, FasterEFT Practitioner and SoulCollage® Facilitator and
Trainer. Karen has been working with SoulCollage® since 2004. Karen
offers regular workshops in Melbourne and Geelong, Australia and
also runs SoulCollage® Facilitator Training weekends. Karen's
passion is using SoulCollage® combined with FasterEFT to help
others to gently remove unconscious blockages around food, weight
and dieting. For more information, or to contact Karen, please
visit her website, Flying
Colours Creativity or her blog Stop Weighting, Start
Living.
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Upcoming SoulCollage® Retreats
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MASSACHUSETTS
Turning Towards Peace: 3 Night Retreat for Women -
3 spaces
left! Rolling Ridge Retreat Center, Andover
MA
June 15 - 18, 2011
Facilitators: Anne Marie Bennett, Anne Boedecker
There will be LOTS of time for card making, sharing our
SoulCollage® cards and card making ideas, as well as doing readings
with our Decks. The card making tables will be set up round the
clock all three days, so you can make SoulCollage® cards while
breakout sessions are going on, in the middle of the night, and in
your jammies by the light of the moon if you want! The focus of our
breakout sessions during this retreat will be using our cards to
deepen our own sense of inner peace via journaling, movement, and
readings. We'll be building relationships with our cards as we work
with them in various ways: writing, movement, and readings. $799-
all inclusive.
Visit this
KaleidoSoul page now.
CONNECTICUT with SEENA!
The Three Faces of Silence: The Transpersonal Cards
Willimantic, Connecticut
July 22-24, 2011
Facilitator: Seena Frost and Mariabruna Sirabella
This is a weekend of reflection, contemplation, and silence in an atmosphere of peace and tranquility. This silent retreat will be a time of honoring the Transpersonal Dimension as we take inspiration from the three silent cards of Source, SoulEssence,
and Witness. It will be a sacred time of connecting with Spirit through
poetry, music, reflections, and an extended period of silence. Come and let
your soul expand as you rekindle your connection to the Source! Only 3 spaces available, register soon.
Interested? Contact Barbara,
bmmarston@yahoo.com
NEW
MEXICO
SoulCollage® at Ghost Ranch Ghost Ranch, Abiquiu, New
Mexico
October 2-8, 2011 Facilitator: Kat Kirby
Immerse yourself in the soul-satisfying process of SoulCollage® for
a wonderful week in the beautiful landscape of northern New Mexico.
This is Georgia O'Keeffe country, where she lived and painted.
Discover your soul's true voice as you enter the beautiful world of
imagery and intuition. You will learn how you can consult your
cards for self-exploration and understanding. The SoulCollage®
process recognizes the One-ness of our existence as well as the
Many parts of ourselves. This workshop is perfect for beginners and
for those who have already started their SoulCollage® journey. Kat
Kirby, Registered Art Therapist, SoulCollage® Facilitator and
Trainer, and workshop leader from San Diego, will be your guide.
$360 plus housing.
Registration Info Here
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Soul Songs
Back Issues - Read back issues of Soul Songs on
this
KaleidoSoul page.
Just look for whatever SoulCollage® topic you are interested
in,
and read to your heart's content!
SoulCollage® is a trademarked process created by
Seena B. Frost.
For more information about Seena and the origins of SoulCollage®,
please visit her
website.
SoulCollage® cards are made either from one's own art or
from images found in materials which have been bought by or given
to the SoulCollage® card maker. These collaged cards are used only
for the cardmaker's own inner exploration. SoulCollage® cards are
not sold, traded, bartered, or copied (except as a back-up for the
cardmakers own use) as is stated in the "Principles
of SoulCollage®." Where SoulCollage® cards are available to
be seen by others, it is for the purposes either of demonstrating
the SoulCollage® process or of sharing the cardmakers' inner
process in the context of community. SoulCollage® is grateful to
the artists and photographers who make this deep awakening process
possible and in all ways SoulCollage® seeks to be respectful of
their rights.
All articles in SOUL SONGS are copyrighted
2011,
by Anne Marie Bennett and Karen
Mann.
Articles may be reprinted by permission
only.
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