Inner Surprises Blog

SoulCollage Inspiration

By Anne Marie Bennett

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Claiming Abundance- Committee

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Scclaimabundance I made this SoulCollage® card at our KaleidoSoul SoulCollage® retreat a few weekends ago.  It looks complex, but it is only two images.  Somehow, when I held the star/hand image over the background, my heart just said “Ahhhhh, that’s it!” And so I glued it on and made the card, following that affirmative impulse.  Even though I really loved the card, I didn’t know exactly what it was saying to me.  I did my own challenge from last week (write for 10 minutes non-stop starting every sentence with I AM THE ONE WHO…) with this card and here is what I discovered:

Who are you? I am the one who is reaching for the bright shining diamond.  I am the one who already has the diamond in my hand.  I am the one whose body and life are sprinkled with glittery diamond dust.  I am the one with my eyes on what I am reaching for.  I am the one who doesn’t have far to reach. I am the one who knows I will be able to grab the diamond.  I am the one who reaches into the sky and has my pick of many diamonds.  I am the one with diamond stardust in my hair.  I am the Keeper of the Diamonds and the Seeker of Brilliance, both at the same time! I am the one who reaches and attains.  Who knows that there are more diamonds where this one came from. This is not my first diamond and I know that it won’t be my last.  I am the one who is confident and aglow with the beauty and brilliance and wealth that is mine for the taking.  I am the one whose inner skies are studded with wealth and beauty- abundant wealth and beauty.

I am the one who shines in naked brilliance.  Who reaches with my whole self towards that which is singular, unique, splendid, rare, valuable, brilliant.  I am the one whose physical self is illuminated with the beauty and radiance of those diamonds, my life.  I am the one with proud and radiant strength and confidence in my own inner radiance, my own dazzling inner beauty. What do you have to give me? I give you an awareness of the dazzling abundance that surrounds you.  I give you the confidence and ability and desire to reach for this abundance, and to claim it as your own. What do you want from me? I want you to look around you and see the abundance that is yours!  And then I want you to claim it as your own.

Creator- Council Suit

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Sccreate This is one of the first cards I created.  Creativity has been a huge theme in my life since I was a little girl, so the Creator Archetype is a card I knew I needed in the Council Suit of my deck right away!

Who are you? I am the one who is eternally creating. I am the one who creates life and color and imaginary worlds and silences and life and love and art.  I am the one who creates color and stillness, just by lifting my arms.  I am the one who dances the eternal dance of creation.  I am the one who dizzies myself with the spinning, wild beauty of making everything new. What do you have to give me? I give you beauty and passion, a fulfilling excitement to create in your own life: books, stories, art, messages, meanings, websites, e-books, workshops, retreats, love letters, relationships….. your own life.  I give you the power, the passion, the instinctive nature to create.  I give you abundant ideas. What do you want from me? I want you to continue to create, to continue to follow your inner passions that lead you to make art and stories and websites….etc. How will I remember what you have said to me today? When you see rainbows anywhere.  When you see brightly colored things- fabric, clothing, paper, art.  When you feel the urge to make something new.

Permission to Draw Boundaries- Committee

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Scboundaries I drew this card in my Daily Reading yesterday, and she had volumes to say to me about my re-entry into the “real world” after the KaleidoSoul Weekend Retreat I facilitated this weekend!

Who are you? I am the one who threatens violence, who is ready to kill anything that gets in the way of my own inner healing and growth.  I am the one who puts up a boundary. I am the one who has boundaries, who knows who I need to keep away from.  I am the one who walks away (from those who will hurt me) with ease and grace and power. What do you want from me? I want you to remember that you don’t always have to lift the sword.  I want you to know that boundaries are good.  Boundaries are transformative and life-giving.  I want you to trust your inner knowing of when to create boundaries, and how. What do you have to give me? I give you boundaries, and permission to create them when necessary.  I give you the power and strength and wisdom and grace to walk away from people, places, and things that get in the way of your joy, your growth, your solitude, your transformation. Notes from Daily Readings: April, 2006- I am the one who paints your world with vivid, soul-pleasing color when you keep out that which doesn’t belong.  What I say to you today is this- look at your life…. look at how boundary-less your life was last week.  I tell you it is ok to draw your sword, to draw a line in the sand and say, “I will not cross over there” because “there” is unhealthy for me and does not serve my greater good. August, 2006- I am the one whose third eye is prominent and marked with bright color and symbol. (I hadn’t noticed this until I drew the card yesterday!!!) I am the one who gracefully walks away from everything that doesn’t serve me.  What I am saying to you today is this: Listen carefully to your intuition today and all week.  Draw your boundaries so that you give yourself time and space to assimilate last weekend’s retreat.  You alone can do this.  You alone know where the boundaries are to be drawn.

Divine Mothers- Council Suit

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Divine Mother- BirthingScdivinemother_1

I made this first Divine Mother card a month or two into my SoulCollage® journey. 

Who are you? I am the one who first gave birth.  I am the one who holds all mothers in my arms and all children as well.  I am the one who sees and knows and is sure of her decisions.  I am the one who blesses your womb whether or not is has borne children.  I am the one who shelters and protects the children, ALL children.  I am the one who helps you to give birth to ideas, dreams, books,websites, relationships…. anything that is created from the seeds I plant within you.  I am the one who mothers your inner mother, who parents you and her with wisdom and tenderness and love.

What do you have to give me? I give you the power and will to give birth to your dreams.  I give you abundant, never-ending, unconditional love. What do you want from me? I want you to know that giving birth doesn’t always mean giving physical birth to children.  It also means giving birth to that which is inside of you.  It also means opening yourself up wide and letting your authenticity out into the world. I want you to give birth to your dreams. I will help you to do this. And I want you to mother yourself and your Inner Family/Tribe with tenderness and compassion and faith. Divine Mother- Unconditional Love About a year after making the first Divine Mother card, I was sifting through images at one of my workshops, and discovered the central image in this card here.Scmother01_1 It called my name so loud and clear, that I had to smile (and I grabbed it, of course!).  Shortly after that, I created this card, and deeply curious, did the interpretation that you see below.  As I was writing, it became clear to me that this was another Divine Mother card.  At first I was a little dubious about having TWO Divine Mother cards, but then I realized…. WHY NOT???  This is a very powerful archetype for me on many levels, so why not have two cards to express two different aspects of her? Who are you? I am the one who shields you, who protects you from danger and harm.  I am the one who loves you unconditionally and always, no matter what.  I am the one who knows you like no other ever has or ever will.  I am the one who protects you with nothing but my own two hands.  I am the one whose face is hidden but whose hands show all.  I am the one who is your shelter, your comfort, your lean-to.  I am the one who is always waiting for you to come to me.  I am the one who is blessing you with my hands and my heart.  I am the one who sees the seeds of beautiful flowers inside of you and who does everything in my power to bring them to blossom in your soul.  I am the one who knows you completely.  I am the one who makes self-acceptance possible.  Because I accept you exactly as you are, you are better able to do the same.

What do you have to give me? I give you unconditional love.  I give you flowers in your heart and soul.  I give you protection and strength, a place to come home to.  I give you nurturing and sustenance and shelter from life’s storms.  I give you acceptance and love, no matter what. What do you want from me? I want you to come to me, often.  I want you to open to my love for you, to believe it, to accept it, to receive it fully.  My love makes the biggest difference in your life, but you have to receive it, you have to come to me to get it, you have to allow it in, you have to believe that you deserve it.

Dolphin- Companion Animals Suit

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Scdolphin From a very young age I have been drawn to dolphins.  The week before my mother died a few years ago, I read Madeleine L’Engle’s A Ring of Endless Light, and was totally captured by the intuitive nature of the dolphin.  Also, there were many messages for me in that book about communicating with other beings in ways beyond words.  This is how I came to choose Dolphin for my 6th Chakra, the intuitive third eye, located at the center of the forehead.

Who are you? I am the one who is the prince (and princess!) of the seas.  I am the one who smiles, who laughs, who knows.  I am the one who rides the waves in pleasure and delight.  I am the one who loves to play, who can “talk” to humans, who knows what others are feeling just by listening to their thoughts.  I am the one who knows that communication exists on many, many levels.

What do you have to give me? I give you freedom from time constraints, freedom from past and future, freedom to remember this present moment.

What do you want from me? I want you to slow down, to take the time to play a little each day, to remember your outer “tribe” of playmates and to let go of all inner and outer judgements and to give yourself permission to play often.