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Inner Surprises Blog

SoulCollage Inspiration

By Anne Marie Bennett

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SoulCollage® Challenge- Quotation Fun

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Choose a quotation that you really love.Ā  Then stop and think.Ā  If one of your inner voices was saying those words, which part of you would it be?Ā  Dialogue with that part of yourself.Ā  Find out more about it.Ā  Make a SoulCollageĀ® card for it.

The words of this quotation you’ve chosen could also be coming from one of the members of one of the other suits of your deck.Ā  It could be a spirit guide or archetype in your Council Suit.Ā  Or it could be one of your animal totems offering your guidance through the words of the quote.Ā  Perhaps it’s one of your very own community members who passionately believes in the quotation you’ve chosen.

It might take a little while to discern exactly where in your deck this quotation belongs. That’s ok.Ā  Sit with it for a while until it is clear to you.Ā  You might even want to create an entire suit that gives image to your favorite quotations.

Here are some of my favorite quotation sites:

The Quote Garden

Healing Arts Journal

Soul Sisters Group- Community Suit

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Scsoulsisters_2 I made this Community card to honor my group of friends (Elaine, Pat, Lis and Susan) who meet with me one Sunday afternoon each month to make SoulCollageĀ® cards and do readings and get to know one another soul to soul.  Pat has aptly named us “Soul Sisters.”

Note that although this card is honoring real people in my life, there are no photos of them on it (no, that’s not really them in the bathtubs!).  I just chose images that represent how this group feels to me.

Who are you? We are your Soul Sisters.  We are the ones who meet every month to practice SoulCollageĀ® together and to talk about our lives as we cut and snip and paste and create.  We are the ones who form a shelter of serenity, a haven from the “real world.” We are the ones who offer you freedom because we listen to you with love and acceptance.  We are the ones who are relaxed,who are fully enjoying the process of soaking in our own soul’s warmth and cleansing beauty.  We do this each in our own way and on our own inner journeys, yet in full and unconditional accepting witness of one another.

What do you have to give me? We give you support, encouragement, a safe space to be yourself, freedom, kindness, and non-judgmental witness to your own soul’s unfolding.  We give you a deep and present sense of community.  You are a part of us and we are a part of you.  You belong here. What do you want from me? We want you to continue to be there with and for us.  We want you to continue to unfold and grow and witness your own beauty.

Self-Nourishment- Committee Suit

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Scnourish This is one of the first cards I made… and I love her!  I named her Simone, which is French for wise and thoughtful.

Who are you? I am the one who knows how to nourish myself.  I am the one who drinks deeply from the bowl of life and never worries about the bowl being empty.  I am the one who takes care of my body with good food, and cares for my mind and my spirit with rainbows, light, and gorgeous colors that ache with beauty. I am the one who easily says, “Enough.”  I am the one who is grateful for what I have, who isn’t frantic about having more.  There is no desperation in my voice- only peace, wellness, grace and content. I am the one who is comfortable with my true self, who wants to see my true self thriving and healthy and whole.  I am the one who puts good, beautiful things into my mind and body and spirit.  I am the one who delights in taking care of myself.

What do you have to give me? The gift of taking care of yourself.  I am The Slender One’s sister.  We walk hand in hand.  One does not exist without the other. What do you want from me? I want you to give your body what it truly needs, and only that.  I want you to open your body, your soul, to all means of nourishment.  To make self-nourishment a daily practice.

SoulCollage® Challenge- Community Cards

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This week your challenge is to add at least one card to the Community Suit of your SoulCollageĀ® Deck. 

A good start is to make a short list of some people or animals in your Community that you would like to have SoulCollageĀ® cards for.  Then go through magazines or your own pile of saved images while holding the names of these Community members in your heart.  See which images call to you, and rip them out!  It is best to do this with more than one person/animal in mind, and be open at the same time to other images that you might want to use for future cards for other suits.

Seena Frost says in her book, SoulCollage, that the Community Suit is often overlooked, but also one of the most powerful of the suits.  Take a look through your deck and see if its richness can be deepened by adding some cards that contain the voices of the people and animals who love and support you.

Comfort Queen- Council Suit

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Sccomfortqueen This card was inspired by Jennifer Louden, the original Comfort Queen!Ā  Reading Jennifer’s books and listening to her audio presentations has taught me a lot about the importance of creating my own comfort (in body, mind and spirit). I created this card intentionally and was originally planning for it to be part of my Committee Suit.

But after I did the following interpretation, it seemed to me to be bigger than an inner voice.Ā  I feel that this image represents a spirit guide of some sort, a strength and wisdom that I can call on when I need to comfort myself in some way.

Who are you? I am the one who is in charge of comforting you when you are feeling sad, lonely, tired, upset, hungry, angry, or otherwise discomboobliobliated.Ā  I am the one who is in charge of letting in the light.Ā  I am the one who knows what comforts you: big fat pillows, the ocean, good books, trees, light, water, cool spaces, open doors, swimming, your altar, your cats, your cards, music, your art and writing, a good night’s sleep, a nap, a walk, a good belly laugh, a hug, a sexy kiss, a cup of tea with a friend, meditation, a good movie.

What do you have to give me? I give you comfort.Ā  Self-comfort is one of the biggest gifts of a lifetime.

Do you have a shadow side? Yes.Ā  When you pay too much attention to me and become too comfortable and not willing to stretch or try new things, expand your boundaries.Ā  And when you start comforting yourself with things that aren’t good for you, like too much ice cream or chocolate.Ā  These are shadow comforts.Ā  I want you to be aware of them.

What do you want from me? I want you not to resist me when I bring you comfort.Ā  There is nothing wrong with being comforted…it makes you strong, not weak.

Daily ReadingĀ  Ā September 2006- I am the one who is all about comfort.Ā  I am the one who whispers in your ear, “Are you comfortable?Ā  Does this person/place/thing bring you true comfort?”Ā  What I’m saying to you today is this: Look at your day/days in terms of comfrot.Ā  Give yourself comforting time and spaces.Ā  Ask for comfort when you need it.Ā  And underlying all of this… Believe that you DESERVE to be comfortable, that you deserve to be comforted.Ā  Believe that you are worthy of asking for, and receiving, comfort from those who love you.

Daily ReadingĀ  Ā December 2006- I am the one who has been telling ou to light the candles and savor them.Ā  Comfort is not just about bubble baths and soft pillows.Ā  It’s also about comfort in your inner world.Ā  What comforts your soul, your mind, your heart?Ā  And another message for you today is this- eating when you are not hungry to comfort yourself is not a good thing, and not what I am about.Ā  Be aware of what you need for true comfort and remember comfort is your birthright!