Inner Surprises Blog

SoulCollage® Suits

By Anne Marie Bennett

Subscribe to updates

SoulCollage® Suits

Our Lady of Perpetual Disappointment

by

Scdisappointed_2
  Once I became aware of this particilar inner voice’s power over me, it took me a while to find the exact right image that captured her energy for me.  And she seemed to fit just perfectly between these blue rock formations!

Who are you? I am the one who sits between the blue rocks and feels sad because life didn’t turn out the way I wanted it to.  I am the who who is feeling sorry for myself.  I am the one who is disappointed when people don’t live up to my expectations or meet my “requirements.”  I am the one who resigns myself to my fate.  I am the one who wears the ugly brown shapeless garment of disappointment. 

I am the one whose eyes are clouded and I cannot see clearly because my disappointment dominates my vision.  I am the one who thinks my way is the only way and when people don’t do it “my way,” I lose respect for them and am disappointed in them.  I am the one who has learned to be continually disappointed in myself for not living up to my own high standards.

What do you have to give me? I give you an excuse to not make the effort to see the beauty and goodness that is all around you.  I give you a safe reason to not claim the joy that is your birthright.

What do you want from me? I want you to tell me that you love me, even though I’m not perfect.  I want you to love others the same way. I want you to hug me when my energy of disappointment arises for you, and remind me that acceptance is just one breath away (or two!).

Save

Comfortable in My Own Skin

by

Sc533768 I made this card intuitively… I’d found the woman in the chair in a magazine somewhere.  She was sitting in front of a big building with lots of graffiti on it, and I didn’t like the background, so I cut her out completely and then tried out several different backgrounds until I felt “just right” about this one.

Who are you? I am the one who sits under the ancient African tree at the sunset time of my life.  I am the one who dares to sit naked here in my pearls and sandals and doesn’t care who sees my naked body.  I am the one who is comfortable in my own skin.  I am the one who is facing away from the setting sun.  I am the one who is facing another bright Sun.  I am the one who is content with where I’ve been, and with who and where I am.

What do you have to give me? I give you grounded contentment.  I give you something to look forward to.  I give you a sense of ancient history that is behind you.  I give you knowledge that there is something beyond the setting sun, something to look forward to as you age.  I give you a sense of grace and style and a remembering of who you really are.

What do you want from me? I want you to sit down and relax and enjoy your own body, your own company, your own aging.  I want you to look forward to what is next.  I want you to relax into your own skin.  I want you to be comfortable with who you are with all of who you are- body, mind and spirit.  I want you to retain your own personal authentic sense of style.

Save

Channeling My Inner Lion- 5th Chakra

by

SclionGiven my natural attraction to cats, I wasn’t surprised when Lion showed up years ago as one of my animal totems!  He is directly related to my Fifth Chakra center, the Throat, which focuses on self-expression.

Who are you? I am the one who is King of the jungle, king of the forest, king of all that is.  I am the one who is both gentle and ferocious. 

I am the one who roars when I have need to roar and who is silent when silence is demanded. I am the one whose eyes have seen all and know all.  I am the one who is called Aslan in your favorite children’s book. I am the one of wisdom, strength, gentleness and courage.

I am the one who is the Grand Parent of the cats you so dearly love in your daily life.  I am the one who helps you rise above daily worries and fears, who carries you above the clouds and closer to the Sun

What do you have to give me? I give you strength and courage.  I give you the ability to roar, the inner peace and centeredness to be silent, and the wisdom to know when each is called for. I give you Power and Authority and Wisdom.

What do you want from me? I want you to be still for a moment and feel the power of life roaring through you.  This power, this energy, is always there, always inside of you, surrounding you.  I want you to notice it, feel it, grasp it, claim it, allow it to transform you.

My message for you today is this: Take my energy with you into all of your relationships.  What needs to be said?  Say it.  Ask yourself, and others, the questions that need to be asked.  Answer them.  Allow the answers to come forth.  I am the energy of your throat chakra.  Allow my energy to open this area of your body so that your voice can be heard, and given and received in love.

Save

Loneliness

by

Here are two great questions to ask a shadowed Neter (a part of you that is out of balance, or getting in your way somehow)

Instead of asking “Who are you?” I tried a few different questions with this card:

What are you curious about?

I am curious about what will happen if I am ever NOT lonely. I am curious about how it would feel to not be pretending all the time.  I am curious to know how to make this loneliness go away.  I am curious to find someone who will help me drop the mask.

 

What do you love about yourself?

I love being by myself.  I love having alone time.  I love not having people around me all the time.  I love that I am okay with being alone.  I love that I don’t need others all the time to make me happy!

Goddess of Never Not Broken

by
Goddess of Never Not Broken (seeing beauty in imperfection)

A while back, another SoulCollage Facilitator posted online about Akhilandeshvari, an ancient and relatively unknown Hindu goddess.   In Sanskrit, Ishvari means “female power,” or “goddess.”  And Akhilanda means essentially “never not broken.”

I was immediately struck by this and felt like this goddess has perhaps been watching over me at many critical moments in my life.  And so, of course… I felt led to make a card to honor her.

She showed up recently in a Daily Reading and here is what she said:

Who are you?

I am the one who is full of cracks.  I am the one who is not perfect. I am the one who has been broken apart and then put back together.  I am the one who has light streaming through my broken places.  I am the one who closes my eyes and knows that I am perfect exactly as I am, cracks and all. I am the one who accepts my imperfections.  I am the one who allows the light to shine out from the cracks in my body,. my my mind, my spirit.  I am the one who knows that even though I am broken, I am whole.

What is your message for me today?

My message for you today is this: sit in meditation a while today and focus on those parts of you that you are trying to force into healing, those parts of you that are imperfect that you are trying to change… and just be with them AS THEY ARE instead.