Inner Surprises Blog

SoulCollage Inspiration

By Anne Marie Bennett

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Balancing Light and Dark

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I love it when a card comes together like this… a balance of one energy with another. I really had no idea what it was while I was making it…. and it’s taken me several months to actually sit down with it and see what it has to say.

In a card like this one, I found it helpful to do “I Am The One Who…” from the points of view of all three of the beings on this card.

I am the one who is looking forward and up, who is reflecting light back. I am the one who is outlined in light. I am the one who is opening my arms as if to embrace whatever it is that I am seeing. I am the one who is emerging into the light from a white wrapped and tied package. I have been covered, wrapped and tied and hidden away and now I am escaping into the open.

I am also the one who is walking into a new open door, going from the bright light into the darkness.

And I am the one (lower left corner) who offers this to you as a gift: it is a lovely balance, this work that you are doing- going from darkness into the light and from the light into the darkness. It is all necessary and it is all good. And the light is with you in all places.

Lately, I have been identifying more and more with the archetype of Persephone, and because of this I am more comfortable now with the concept of going into those darker places.  It’s all a matter of balance!

Hestia- Goddess of the Hearth

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I made  this card years ago and always thought of it as my “sacred space” card, but then I listened to Kathryn Antyr’s KaleidoSoul tele-class this month and learned quite a bit about the many Goddess archetypes.

I took the Goddess Quiz on the site that she recommended, and discovered that my own top three personal goddess archetypes, expressing themselves in my life right now are: Persephone, Artemis, and Hestia.

After reading more about Hestia on the recommended site, I suddenly realized that I already have a SoulCollage® card for her, and this is it!

I am thinking that I MIGHT have one for Artemis as well, but I have to sit with that a while longer before sharing because I’m not entirely sure.

NOTE: If you are a Kindred Spirit Member, you can listen to Kathryn’s tele-class in the Members Only Audio Library.  If you’re not a Member yet, what are you waiting for? Visit this page for more info.

Stay Away

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When I first made this card, I thought I knew what it was about. A friend had seen the background image of the heavens (on the right) and remarked that the long mark looked like a wound. I couldn’t stop thinking about that!

So when I made this card, I thought it was to honor the part of me who wants to put a halt to any more wounding.

I thought that was odd, because I’ve done SO much work on past emotional wounds and scarring.  So I was only a little surprised to discover what this image was REALLY saying to me!

Here is my journaling so far with this amazing card. I have the feeling she still has LOTS to say to me and I will be listening!

Who are you?
I am the one who is saying don’t come near to my scars. Don’t come near to my brilliance either. I am the one who is larger than the scar.  I am the one who doesn’t want people to see my wounds. I am the one who also doesn’t want people to see my bright and shining self.  I am the one who MEANS IT!!!


What do you have to give me?
I give you protection.  I keep people away from the real, true, inner you.  I keep you safe from those who would make your wounds deeper. I also keep you away from people who would be hurt by your brilliance.

What do you need from me?
I need you to be careful who and what you are allowing into our life.  I need you to be watchful of your physical and emotional energy field.

Is there anything else you have to say to me?
Yes!  My original intention was only to keep away anyone and anything that might open up old wounds and undo the emotional healing you have worked so hard at. But in doing that, sometimes I don’t discriminate. Sometimes I just keep everyone away. It’s hard work, letting people see only the bright side of you and not the woundedness, so sometimes I get mixed up and don’t let them in at all.

 

Transforming Fear- 3 Card Reading

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Before you read this entry, please read the entry directly below it, about facing my fears, and finding that inner part of me who IS fearless.

This article is about a reading I did with my deck. The question I asked was:

Who has wisdom to offer me about transforming my fear?

GRATITUDE

I wanted to be given some simple ways that, when faced with fearful thoughts and fear energy, I can “snap out of it.”  Here are the three cards I drew, and what each one said to me:

GRATITUDE

I am the one who leans back and opens my hands and arms to receive the gifts that freely fall from heaven.  I am the one who says Thank You, and often. I am the one who is surrounded by the light and voices of grace.

My guidance is to focus on GRATITUDE instead of fear. Gratitude transmutes fear immediately.  As soon as you hear the fearful thought(s) in your mind, replace it with a thought of gratitude.

Fear and gratitude cannot exist energetically at the same time in your mind or body.

There is nothing else you need to know!

CRONE

CRONE

I am the one who is in the last season of my life. I am the one who is healthy and strong and who creates colorful things, who lets birds nest in my hat.

Here is how to transmute your fears: smile, pay attention to the little things, and go create something that makes your heart sing.

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BODACIOUS BOD

Bodacious Bod

I am the one who is in tune with my body and the energy of my body. I am the one who moves with joy and confidence.

Here is what I say about transmuting your fears: Stay in touch with your body. Feel your own physical strength.

To stay in touch with your body, you have to be in the present moment. In the present moment there is no room for fear or worry. None!

Fear and Fearless

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Inner Fears

FEAR

I’ve been doing a lot of deep soul work for a while now, and one thing that has come to my attention is the fact that I have been allowing Fear to run my life for a long time now.  At a workshop last fall I made this card (to the left) intentionally to honor the place that Fear has taken in my life.

Who are you?
We are the ones who are hiding out behind the windows and doors of your psyche. We are the ones (and there are many of us) who are afraid, who huddle together in your mind and whisper fears to you as you sleep and while you are awake.

We are the ones who have been with you since childhood. You inherited us from your mother. We were her fears too.

We speak to you of powerlessness and joylessness. We paralyze you with our scary stories that are mostly false.

What Do You Have To Give Me?
We give you a sense of ancestral lineage… we give you a closeness to your mother that you never felt while she was alive.  We give you something to think about and focus on besides joy. We give you huge distraction from the present moment.  Sometimes, when the fear is valid, we give you time and a way to prepare, a way to meet the fearful thing or person.

What Do You Want From Me?
We want you to buy into our stories. We want you to believe that you are powerless to change what makes you afraid. We want you to always be afraid, because this way everything will stay the same. We don’t want things to change. We want you to continue to hold yourself tight in your fears and try to keep yourself safe that way.

Is There Anything Else You Want to Tell Me Today?
We are telling you that we have much power in your life and we are afraid that being aware of us will make you send us away. We are just now peeking out of our well-walled fortress and smelling the fresh air. Others have actually made their way down to the street and are on their way to freedom.  We have been with you so long, we are not sure what to do if you set us free.

FEARLESS

Fearless

At the same workshop, I made this card intuitively, not thinking about what it was all about. I was drawn to these images, and they seemed to fit together perfectly. When I worked with this card later, I realized that it was my Fearless card!

Who Are You?
I am the one who breathes fire, who plunges forward without looking. I am the one who bravely flies through the air, knowing and trusting that I will be caught.  I am the one whose body is strong and tall and who stands and moves proudly through life.

What Do You Have To GIve Me?
I give you strength and I give you courage. I give you fearless energy to move through your life. I give you joy in the moving forward.

What Do You Want From Me?
I want you to not hold back. I want you to JUST DO IT!  I want you to move forward with trust and strength. I want you to leave your fears behind. I want you to know that you can do whatever you set your mind and body to.

This whole adventure with these two cards was really eye opening for me!  It was a powerful example of how things are “at work” inside of us during this process even though we’re not aware of it!