Committee Cards

By Anne Marie Bennett

Cat Whisperer’s Wisdom on Aging

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!

Radical Acceptance

Who are you?

I am the one who bows down to What Is.

I am the one who lets the flow of life surround me.

I am the one whose fingers point UP even when life brings me DOWN.

What is your message for me today?

My message for you today is this: breathe into the moment., breathe into the day.Ā  Allow whatever comes to flow around and through you. Fighting against “what is” only causes more stress and heartache.

Questions to Ponder

question markFeel free to explore one or more of these questions in your journal, or respond in the comments below.

1. What message does my Radical Acceptance card have for YOU today?

2. What does the phrase “radical acceptance” mean to you?

3. How do you point your spirit UP when life brings you DOWN?

Giving Up

scgiveup

Do you ever feel like giving up on a goal or a dream? I think it’s common ground for most of us, so when I found myself drawn to this image of these people on the ground, I resonated with this part of me who sometimes wants to give up.Ā 

It’s important to remember that this Neter is only ONE PART of me whole, kaleidoscopic self!

Who are you?

We are the ones who are tired and discouraged. We are the ones who want to give up. LIFE IS HARD, we say.Ā  Writing is hard. Sometimes being kind is hard. Stopping over-eating is hard. We just want to stop it all and give up. Please don’t make us keep going.

What is your message for me today?

Our message for you is this: we know you want to be on this journey with your new book and with your Eating Less journey, but we are tired and it is hard. Could you please give us some love and encouragement instead of being mad at us for wanting to give up?

Same Card, Different Day

Who are you?

We are the ones who want to give up. We are weary and tired from trying to make all these changes. We feel cracked and dry and parched. We are the ones who are trying to stop you from achieving your dreams.

What is your message for me today?

Our message for you is this: We NEED you to HONOR our fatigue. We need you to reassure us that we can rest first, before moving on. We just want your acknowledgment that this is hard for us. We need you to notice that all the Trying makes us want to give up sometimes. We want you to not push us away.

We don’t REALLY want you give up… we just need time to rest before going any further.

Questions to Ponder

Questions Or Decision Making ConceptFeel free to ponder these questions in your journal, or respond to one or more of them in the comments below.

1. Is there a part of you who sometimes just wants to give up? If you were to ask this part “What do you want most right now?” , what might it say to you?

2. What does this “let’s give up” part of you look like? What does he/she/they need?

3. Sometimes it is important to let go of a dream or a goal because it just isn’t realistic any more. How can you tell the difference between Giving Up and Letting Go?

 

Trusting That I Am Held

When I first started SoulCollaging in 2005, I created a card for Trust that was rather simplistic in nature. I can’t find the card right now, but it showed a little girl walking across a thin pole, balancing herself high up in the air, and two adults on the ground below, poised to catch her if she fell.Ā 

Recently, I put all of these images together onto a card and found that they were also speaking to me about Trust.

Who are you?

I am the one who walks ahead, who follows the path.

I am the one who sometimes leaps.Ā 

I am the one who rests easy… because I know that I am held.

I am the one who knows that I am safe and that is why I trust that I am held by larger Hands than my own. That is why I trust that I am guarded and guided. It doesn’t mean that nothing bad will happen to me. it just means that I am always, always held.

Why have you shown up for me today?

I am here today because you are learning much about trusting and safety and being held. I want you to slow down and activate Trust particularly when it comes to your writing. It is also my message today for you to activate Trust whenever worries and fears about Death (your own and others’) come up for you. Know that these worries and fears are normal, that everyone experiences them at one time or another, and that your breath work, mindfulness practice, and EFT Tapping are brilliant tools that can help you turn your fears to Trust.

Questions to Ponder

1. Whatever is going on in your life today, is a specific word or phrase from this Neter’s message meaningful for you?

2. Do you have a hard time trusting? If so, why do you think that might be so?

3. What are some tools in your own spiritual Tool Box that can move you toward leaning into trusting that you—yes, YOU!— are held by Hands larger than your own?

Two Cards – One Message

I drew these cards in my every-other-daily readings this year, a few months apart from each other. They had a similar message that might just resonate with you today, wherever you are on your own Life’s Journey:

scdancingongravestones

Dancing on my Grave

Who are you?
I am the one who is performing an elegant ballet on top of my grave. I am the one who isn’t buried in the ground yet. I am the one who holds flowers in my hand. I am the one who is ALIVE! I am the one who isn’t dead yet. I am the one who is dancing in the facee of the sunrise.

My message for you today is this… you are not dead yet, dear one! Keep reminding yourself that you are ALIVE!!Ā  EnJOY your life.

 

Savoring the Momentscstrawberry girl

Who are you?
I am the one who is swinging on my swing. I am the one who is happy when I am near the ocean. I am the one who loves fresh, ripe strawberries! I am the one who is content to do nothing but swing and play.

My message for you today is this… take some time today to just sit and BE with yourself. Find a way to bring play and joy to your life today, if only for ten minutes. You don’t always have to be DOING something!

 

Questions to Ponder

Feel free to play with these questions in your journal, or respond in the comments below if you feel so led.

1. Do either (or both) of these cards have a message for YOU?

2. Can you find ten minutes in your day today to stop moving, to stop DOING things, and to simply BE?

3. How does it feel to pause and to remind yourself that you are ALIVE?

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