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Inner Surprises Blog

SoulCollage®

By Anne Marie Bennett

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SoulCollage®

Savoring Alaska

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My husband and I had the pleasure of cruising from Seattle to Alaska in July of 2014. It turned out to be an amazing adventure!Ā  I wasn’t thinking of it as an actual adventure until about halfway through when our ship turned slowly into a magnificent fjord known as Tracey Arm (near Juneau). Ā Only a mile wide and 28 miles long, this fjord had been carved by a glacier centuries ago.

Standing outside on the deck of our cabin at 5 a.m., I was overcome by the wide silence that engulfed me.Ā  The ship glided along so very slowly at 9 mph, and all around me was nothing but raw untouched mountains, waterfalls, cliffs, and wilderness. Ā For four hours we glided up this fjord and back.Ā  The deeper we went into it, the quieter it got. Ā It wasn’t just the slowing down of the ship’s engines. Ā A deeper stillness pervaded. Ā Even though I could see many others standing out on their own little balconies, all of us were silent.

At one point I sat down in the deck chair to rest, but it was all too raw, too precious, too majestic, and I had to stand up again. Ā What I was feeling reminded me of being in church when everyone is expected to stand up for the Important Parts. Ā I remained standing for the whole four hours.

I made this card when I returned, to try to capture the feeling that I had that day.

I am the one who went on an amazing journey to Alaska. I am the one who was happily surprised by the magnificence of my insights during this journey. I am the one who felt so very close to Spirit as we slowly made our way through the Tracey Arm fjord. I am the one who stands in wonder and awe at the power of Nature.

My message for you right now is this: appreciate Mother Earth. Honor Her. Remember your time in Alaska. Honor yourself for all of your inner Knowing. Stay close to Spirit, wherever you are!

 

Surprise!

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scsurprise

I made this SoulCollage card intuitively. I had been collecting the images for quite a while and they seemed to belong together… they fit together so well when I was arranging them on the mat board!Ā 

I love the feeling I get whenever I draw this card in a reading.Ā  It’s a Committee suit card that represents one of my inner parts or inner voices. Here is what this Neter said to me when I asked “Who are you?” and “What message do you have for me today?”

I am the one who loves a good, happy SURPRISE!

I am the one who loves creating surprises for others. I am the one who is all about giving and receiving.

My message for you today is all about JOY. Stay tuned to all the joyful moments that pop up and surprise you. Some are little, some are big. Allow your DELIGHT in these surprises to lift your spirit and lighten your heart (and mind!). Give thanks for these little and big moments. They are what makes your life enJOYable!

The Perfectionist

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Inner Perfectionist

Here she is… my annoying Inner Perfectionist. I call her Perfectionista!

She came up during one of my every-other-daily readings in the fall of 2021 as I was getting ready to dive into 5th draft revisions for my latest novel, Feathers in the Sand. Here is what she said when I asked “Who are you?” and “What message do you have for me today?”

I am the one who wants the gold stars of approval and who stays awake at night when I don’t get them. I am the one who wants everyone to love me and my work. I am the one who makes myself crazy when I don’t get accolades for my work. I am the one who seeks approval and who feels dizzy when I don’t get it.

My message for you today is this- Yes, I want people to like me, but mostly I want YOU to like me! I strive to be perfect and there is nothing wrong with that, but when that is my only goal, it becomes a problem.

So, as you sit down to work on/play with the 5th draft of your new novel, remember that you’re not striving for PERFECTION, just for IMPROVEMENT. I work best that way. That’s my original intention: improvement, not perfection.

This was SO helpful for me during my revision process! Take a moment to check in with your own Inner Family. Is there a Perfectionist who sometimes gets out of control? Trying bringing this part of you back into balance by reminding her that you’d like to strive for improvement rather than perfection.

 

Time in a Bottle

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Time in a Bottle

I made this card over a decade ago because I was captured by the images of those two bottles filled with clocks. They reminded me of that old Jim Croce song, Time in a Bottle. Remember that one? That song always made me sad, which is probably why I found some melancholy images to go with the bottles.

This Neter recently showed up in one of my every-other-daily readings recently and it had an important reminder for me:

I am the one who wants to keep time standing still so that nothing ever changes. I am the one who knows that I can’t do this but it doesn’t stop me from wanting it.

I am the one who is distressed and sad that time keeps marching on, meaning that all things must change, must die.

I am the one who tries so hard to keep time in a bottle, even knowing that it is futile

My message for you today is this- It is my energy that fuels your anxiety. You cannot keep Time in a bottle. Time is fluid, and so is life. Death is a fact of life- yours and everyone else’s. Begin to let go of your grasping, your holding on. Let it all go. Look ahead, look beyond. There is more to this Life you are living than the measuring of Time.

 

Heart Chakra- Breath, Clear Lungs

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I created this card intentionally a few years ago when COVID-19 started raising fears around the world. I wanted a card in my deck that reminded me of the power of conscious breathing to keep me grounded in the present, and also a reminder to affirm to my body how clear and healthy my lungs are. This is what this Neter says to me today:

I am the one who closescbreaths my eyes and focuses on my breathing. I am the one who is conscious of each inhale and exhale.

I am the one with clean, strong, healthy lungs.

I am the one who knows the power of slowing down and breathing intentionally.

My message for you today is this- SLOW DOWN! Breathe. Feel the presence of Spirit and all your beloveds with you.Ā  Each conscious moment of breathing in will remind you that you are loved, that you are not alone. It’s a mystery but it is a fact.