Council Cards

By Anne Marie Bennett

The Fool Brings Change

Fool is an archetypal energy that brings CHANGE with it. Some of this change is minor, like when you get a haircut and it comes out all wrong; and some of this change is huge, like what the coronavirus has brought to us.

Seena Frost, the founder of SoulCollageĀ®, taught that there are two archetypes that touch ALL of our lives, no matter where we are. One is Death; the other is The Fool.

This is my second Fool card. I made this while leading a retreat where we focused on the 3 S’s of SoulCollage:
Sacredness, Surprise, and Synchronicity

It feels appropriate to share it with you now that we are still in the midst of COVID-19 and all the surprising life changes that this virus has brought to us.Ā  And I’ve learned, if I really get comfortable with and welcome The Fool’s changes into my life, I also can (most of the time) recognize the sacredness and synchronicity of these changes.

Who are you?

I am the one who is all about surprises.

I am the one who changes things around and switches things up when you least expect it.

What do you have to say to me today?

My message for you today is this: do not fear all these changes, dear one. I urge you to find a way to look forward to them… to welcome them, and delight in them if you can.Ā  My appearance in your life can bring joy and new perspectives too.Ā 

Notice that even the ugly old fire hydrant has flourishing green leaves growing on it!

 

 

All Shall Be Well

All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well. ~ Julian of Norwich

I have had this Neter in my SoulCollageĀ® deck for many, many years. I made it completely intuitively, and every time I draw it, it seems to be speaking to me of reassurance.

Who are you?

I am the one who is standing on the edge of the Universe. I am the one resting my hand on this ancient pillar of wisdom.

I am the one surrounded by symbols of Transformation and New Beginnings.

I am the one who is ready and open to explore what is next.

I am the one who knows that I am safe and protected.

I am the one who faces the mystery of the Universe, both inside and out.Ā  I am the one who trusts that the Universe is a safe and friendly place.

I am the one who sees the Unknown as a kind, exciting place, a place of mutual trust.Ā  I am the one who trusts that the next step will be safe, will not harm me in any way.Ā 

I am the one who steps forward into mystery with intention and grace, who trusts the unfolding of the journey, who isn’t afraid to venture forth into unknown territory.

What do you have to give me?

I give you fearlessness.Ā 

I give you freedom from worry and anxiety.

I give you new adventures. I give you faith and trust that all shall be well.

 

My Writing Muse

This card started out to be a card about my inner writer. I had the image on the bottom that I’d purchased from an artist on Etsy. but there were images above the green stuff over her head that I couldn’t relate to and I needed to cover them up.

So as I was playing around with laying other images on top of the card, I had a great revelation when I laid this one down!

Suddenly, the card was no longer about the part of me who writes, but the Muses who bring me the ideas!

Who are you?
We are the ones who shower you with ideas. We are where all your story ideas come from!

What do you have to give me?
We gift you with a bazillion ideas. We keep them flowing. We just keep coming up with them, seemingly out of nowhere.

What do you want from me?
We want you to let go of the thought that you have to follow through on EVERY idea that we bring you. We want you to use your IGS (inner guidance system) to discern which ones to write from and which ones to ignore.

 

Sarah Adams- A Place To Call Home

Once in a while a character on TV or in a movie, a character steps off of the screen and into my heart/imagination.

Such is the case with Sarah Adams on the Australian drama, A Place to Call Home.

The character of Sarah is a nurse returning to 1950s Australia after 20 years in Europe. A convert to Judaism, Sarah emerged from the horrors of World War II strong, principled, and defiant-a thoroughly modern woman still bearing the weight of the past.

I have seen the entire series three times now! Somewhere in the middle of being with her story over the course of a few years, I made this card for my deck as a way to keep her energy present with me as I go forward in my life.

This is one of those cards that could easily be in one of several suits.

Sometimes she reminds me of my own inner tenacity and spirituality and my ability to survive difficult challenges. At those times, she is part of my Inner Committee.

At other times her energy seems wiser, bigger and broader than me, and at these times she is part of my Council Suit.

And finally, once in a while she feels like a sister/friend, in which case she holds a place in my Community Suit.

Who are you?
I am the one who survived the Holocaust. I am the one who cares deeply for those I love. I am the one who had to make many sacrifices. I am the one who has suffered so much loss. I am the one who gave up my Catholic upbringing to embrace the Jewish faith when I married my husband. I am the one who is proud to be a Jew. I am the one who practices my spiritual rituals no matter what other people think. I am the one who is strong of heart and mind and body. I am the one who has no patience for injustice. I am the one who speaks my mind.

What do you have to give me?
I give you permission to speak up and to claim the truth, no matter what. I give you a big, steely heart that doesn’t suffer fools gladly. I give you wisdom and truth. I give you strength.

What do you want from me?
I want you to remember that you have also survived much. I want you to know that you have the same steely inner strength and that it will get you through anything.

Is there anything else you want to say to me today?
Yes. My character is fictional, but I represent many people in your life as well as your own.

 

 

 

Divine Mothers- Council Suit

Here’s a good example of how it’s possible to have more than one SoulCollageĀ® card for any given Neter (energy or being) in your life.

Divine Mother- BirthingScdivinemother_1

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

Who are you? I am the one who first gave birth.Ā  I am the one who holds all mothers in my arms and all children as well.Ā  I am the one who sees and knows and is sure of her decisions.Ā  I am the one who blesses your womb whether or not is has borne children.Ā  I am the one who shelters and protects the children, ALL children.Ā  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.Ā  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.Ā  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.Ā  It also means giving birth to that which is inside of you.Ā  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!).Ā  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.Ā  At first I was a little dubious about having TWO Divine Mother cards, but then I realized…. WHY NOT???Ā  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.Ā  I am the one who loves you unconditionally and always, no matter what.Ā  I am the one who knows you like no other ever has or ever will.Ā  I am the one who protects you with nothing but my own two hands.Ā  I am the one whose face is hidden but whose hands show all.Ā  I am the one who is your shelter, your comfort, your lean-to.Ā  I am the one who is always waiting for you to come to me.Ā  I am the one who is blessing you with my hands and my heart.Ā  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.Ā  I am the one who knows you completely.Ā  I am the one who makes self-acceptance possible.Ā  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.Ā  I give you flowers in your heart and soul.Ā  I give you protection and strength, a place to come home to.Ā  I give you nurturing and sustenance and shelter from life’s storms.Ā  I give you acceptance and love, no matter what.

What do you want from me? I want you to come to me, often.Ā  I want you to open to my love for you, to believe it, to accept it, to receive it fully.Ā  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.