Inner Surprises Blog

SoulCollage®

By Anne Marie Bennett

Subscribe to updates

SoulCollage®

Divine Child

by

This is one of the first cards I made. This archetype is especially pertinent to me right now because I am focusing a lot of energy on helping myself remain present and more mindful, which (for me) is not exactly an easy practice.

Who are you?

I am the one who was the first child created.  I am the essence of your childlikeness.  I am made of stars and wishes and flowers and dreams.  I am the original Child of the Universe.  The universe, and your soul, are my home.  I am the one who nudges you to play, to stretch, to move, to laugh, to create, to grow, to dream, to simply be.  I am the one who allows myself to be held in the arms of The Great Mother.

What do you have to give me?

I give you a heart that is full of delight and wonder in each and every moment.  I give you the ability to forget agendas and schedules and to be in the moment, THIS moment.  I give you a sacred release from time constraints.  I give you the power and the desire to create, to dream, to play, to laugh, to give freely.  I give you the desire and the ability to let yourself be held and loved fully in the arms of the Divine Mother.

What do you want from me?

I want you to be still every day, spend time with yourself in nature every week.  I want you to relax, to let go of worries and your anxieties, and to simply enjoy what your life holds, all that it holds. I want you to stop and smell the flowers.  I want you to experience Joy in its fullest blossoming every moment, every day.

How will I remember what you have taught me?

When you see the stars at night, you will remember that you too are a child of the Universe and you will feel my presence in your heart.  When you hear a child’s laughter you will remember that laughter is my Divine Gift to you.  When you are in a hurry and you see something beautiful or delightful, you will remember that place in your heart that holds me.

A Reading to Help When Grieving

by

A friend of mine recently died, and as I found the sadness lingering, I turned to my deck and asked this question, then drew 3 cards randomly and let them answer”

What would Karen want me to know  OR what would she say to me right now in my grief?

Grandma and Grandpa Anderson
Community Suit

We are the ones whose love created your mother, Ruth.

We are the ones who are your ancestors watching over you. We are the ones who are part of your Bright Ones.

We are the ones whose love is still holding you within Indra’s Net.

What Karen wants you to know right now, today, is that she is also held within the Net

of her own ancestors’ love and care.

She wants you to know that love never ends, that love doesn’t die once our bodies die.

 

Meditator
Committee Suit

I am the one who sits still in the silence and lets my heart open wide in blossom.

I am the one who prays, who holds space for all the parts of myself. I am the one who listens within.

I am the one who practices radical acceptance of every thought and feeling that passes through me.

I am the one who remembers that all thoughts and feelings DO pass though me!

What Karen wants you to know is that you can remain peaceful and connected with yourself,

in spite of your grief and sadness.

She wants you to know that just as meditation is a practice, so is grief a practice.

 

Death Card 2- Helpless Scarecrow

This Side of Death
Council Suit

I am the one who is on THIS side of the Great White Curtain that separates the Living from the Dead.

I am the one who is immobile and dried out and stuck here in the Not Knowing.

I am the one who is afraid for the Great White Curtain to be lifted
AND I am the one who is curious about what is on the other side of it.

I am the one who knows that my time will come and all will be revealed.

What Karen wants you to know right now is that there is nothing to fear,
that there is only Love, Great Love, on the other side of the Great White Curtain.

She wants you to know that all is well.  All is well, on both sides of the Curtain that divides the living from the “dead.”

 

If you would find it helpful, you might bring to mind a loved one who has died, and ask the same question of your deck, then draw 3 cards randomly (no peeking!) and listen to what each one has to say to you. Notice how you feel before such a reading, and after.

A Favorite Card

by

scunknown201902I know, I know . . . just like a parent isn’t supposed to have a favorite child, I’m probably not supposed to have a favorite SoulCollage® card. And yet . . . I do have one and this is it!  For now, anyway. 

Seriously, I love all of my Neters because they are important parts of me and my life’s journey. But do I love them equally? Hmmm…. Let me know in the comments below if you have some favorite Neters or if you love them all equally.

I am the one who has just heard the funniest thing, and I am the one who is laughing with delight!

I am the one whose hands are pressed together.

I am the one who is sitting in a chair against a backdrop of stars and sunset.

I am the one who is no longer young but who is just glad to be present where I am.

I am the one who loves my life, no matter what I look like or how old I get!

My message for you today is this . . . laugh, dear girl, laugh! Your life is a good one and the more grateful you are, the better you will feel. What makes you laugh? You are too serious, dear one! Laugh and smile more . . . the world will look different to you then.

Angry Annie

by

Sometimes I visualize all of my “inner voices” as residing in a big castle. Each one has its own room and sometimes I visualize (in meditation or in writing) myself there, exploring the rooms and the part of me that inhabits each one. 

I am the one who is so angry I am destructive. I am the one who can’t control my anger. I am the one who hurts others with my anger.

One day several years ago, while exploring my inner castle, I found myself in the “dungeon,” so to speak, and guess what?  There are some parts of me that I’ve locked up down there because other parts have been stronger, or because I just haven’t known how to interact with them.

Angry Annie is one of those parts.

On that day several years ago, I imagined myself taking her hand in the dungeon and inviting her to go with me “upstairs” into my world and into my life.  “Just for the day,” I promised her.  I can’t even begin to tell you what a difference it made!

And it just so happened that that very same day, my husband did something that REALLY pissed me off on a very deep level (not just surface stuff being activated, but many years of stepfamily issues rising to the surface).  As I was feeling my blood boil, I remembered Angry Annie and that she was with/beside me for the day.

It was as if I’d really been set free.  I was able to speak my anger to my husband without being consumed by it, and believe me…. this was a brand new experience for me!

I didn’t do any journaling with her right away. At that time, it was enough that I had invited her out of the dungeon and into my everyday world. It was enough that I was becoming aware of the times when anger rise, and offering compassion and curiosity to this part of me instead of shutting her away in the dungeon of my inner castle.

I believe a lot of it has to do with social conditioning around the subject of anger. It’s not nice to be angry is a message that seems to be prevalent.  Growing up, I saw my mother lash out with her anger…. and I saw my father repress his completely.  I chose his way because her way was hurtful.  But I have learned that there is a different way. 

At first I was actually afraid of Angry Annie, but now I see that she isn’t here to hurt me or anyone else in my life. She is here to shine light on injustice and to help me forge the way to my own best self.

Have you made a card for the part of you who feels the emotion of anger now and then? My card, above, shows Angry Annie out of balance. I still need to make a card for her when she is IN balance. There is something powerful about anger in balance as a way to fairness and justice and a righting of wrongs.

Share with me below! I’d love to hear your thoughts on this subject and how you go about keeping your inner Angry One in balance.

Cat Whisperer’s Wisdom on Aging

by

After watching my mother-in-law’s slow decline and eventual death last year, I turned to my deck for help/guidance with my own aging process. This card in particular spoke wisdom and clarity.

Who Are You?

I am the one who loves cats and holds them close to my heart.

I am the one who understands cats.

am the one who has been blessed over the years with the safe-keeping of five cats (and one dog).

I am the one who receives comfort and peace from the felines who have joined me on my journey.

What Do You Have to Say to Me Today?

What I say to you about your aging is this…. you have watched four of those cats (and one dog) as they aged, and you have guided them through their own aging process. The cat currently in your safe-keeping is showing preliminary signs of aging now.

You have learning that there is no stopping the aging, no matter what you do.

I urge you to care for your own body and spirit as carefully and wisely and lovingly as you cared for Sasha, Scooter, Minnie, Suzy, Seymour, and as you are now caring for Louis.

Does any of this resonate with you? Do you have a card in your own deck that whispers wisdom to you about your own aging? Please share below!

Stay updated