Inner Surprises Blog

SoulCollage® Suits

By Anne Marie Bennett

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SoulCollage® Suits

Anointed and Anointing

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scunknown051502Here’s another card I made that made no clear sense to me until I journaled with it.

In this case, I found it helpful for each energy to speak to me separately, so here is what each said to me.

LEFT IMAGE:

I am the one who is being anointed. I am the one who is receiving the anointing. I am the one who is behind the net. I am the one whose eyes are closed.

RIGHT IMAGE:

I am the one who is under the orange parasol. I am the one who is intently looking at this flower in my hand. I am the one who holds the flower carefully because I know it is fragile. I am the one who is that young girl on the left, but now I am all grown up. I am the one who was anointed a long time ago. I am the one who now does the anointing with my hand.  I am the one who uses my hands carefully, tenderly, reverently. I am the one who believes in the power of hand mudras.

I give you the wisdom of the hand mudras. I give you anointing for your head, and your body, and your spirit when you are weary. I give you blessing.

I want you to remember always that YOU are anointed and blessed, in many ways. I want you to know that your hands are powerful instruments of peace and blessing. I want you to allow yourself to continually be anointed.  Be still and receive what you are continually being given.

Grieving

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scmaggie I made this card several years ago, with somewhat of an idea that it was about depression.  Soon after I made it, our dear cat Scooter died, and I went into a time of deep sadness.

In the midst of my grieving, I suddenly remembered this card that I had made.  When I pulled it out of my deck and looked at it again, I was filled with the most amazing sense of surprise and peace… because of the butterfly on that silly swing which I thought looked really cool there.

Who are you? I am the one who lies down in grief, who is tired from the sadness, who doesn’t want to ever get up again.  I am the one who looks into the future and sees nothing of interest.  I am the one whose empty arms clutch at substitutes for what I have lost.  I am the one whose grief and sadness wash over me like ocean waves.  I am the one who faces away from the sunrise, although I know it is there.  I am the one who is transformed through my grief, even though I resist it, even though I don’t want transformation, only sleep.

What do you want from me? I want you to let me have my sadness.  I want you to remember what I have lost.  I want you to not let me forget that there will always be a new sunrise, that my sorrow has a place and a meaning.

What do you have to give me? I give you permission to grieve.  I give you space and time to grieve.  I give you hope in the time of your grief.

 

P.S. Several months later, after embracing the fact that I grieve so deeply because I love so deeply, I added the image of the little boy with the heart.

Hermit

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Schermit_1 When I first made this card, I had no idea what she represented. I only knew that every placement of every item felt absolutely “right” to me.  It only became clear to me who she is after doing the interpretation that follows:

Who are you? I am the wild feathered one who dances in the forest alone.   I am the one who is at home in the woods.  The trees are my friends.  I am the one determined to remain alone in these woods, in my home in the trees.  I find light and mystery and surprise in my alone-ness.  I find my strength and passion in solitude.  Behind the doors of my soul is where all of the answers lie, and these doors are accessed through solitude only.  My freedom comes from being alone.  I am free here in the wilderness of my Self, to dance and sing and be exactly who I am, to discover who I am, to revel in the beautiful mystery of my Soul’s expression.

What do you have to give me? I give you a deep yearning for solitude.  I give you a wild imagination for soul-searching.  I give you freedom.

What do you want from me? I want you to never be ashamed of your need for solitude.  It is more than a passing need, it is an integral part of who you are.


Vulnerable Child

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Scvulnerable When I first made this card a while ago, I thought it was a Committee card, for the part of me who can be as vulnerable as a child.

Then when I drew it in a daily reading and did some journaling/dialoguing with it, I discovered that it is a Council card, more like a Spirit Guide.  From what it “said” to me, it seemed to be bigger than just one of my inner parts.

I love surprises like this!  There is so much wisdom and strength emanating from this card.

Who are you? I am the one who is soft like a baby, soft as an innocent baby rabbit, who tiptoes joyfully into your heart and gladly gives flowers and gifts to anyone who wants to receive.  I am the one who was present at the beginning of the universe.  I am the one who knows it is okay to be vulnerable, open to the vastness of feelings that the universe offers.  I am the one who knows it is completely and utterly okay to give (everything), and to love (fully) with the innocence of a child.

What do you have to give me? I give you the gift of vulnerability, for it is indeed a gift to be open and pure in your feelings.  It is a gift to open yourself and reveal your innermost soul to the universe.  I give you the pure emotions of pain and heartache and grief, for sometimes these come as a result of loving so purely and so fiercely.  But I also give you the emotions of joy and tenderness and love, and I give you safety and acceptance too.  I also give you people you can be vulnerable with.

What do you want from me? I want you to let go of the safety rail and step out into the vast openness that comes to your soul when you choose to be vulnerable.  I want you to know that the only way to true safety and freedom is to take the risk to be truly vulnerable with others.

What are you saying to me right now, today, about my life? When you love someone or something deeply, you open yourself up to be in a soft, vulnerable place.  This is a GOOD thing.  It is a beautiful thing to be able to love like that.  Don’t hold back your love from others because you fear the pain that occurs when they are gone.  Never hold back your love.  Open to it.  Give it. Always.  No matter what.

She Who Sleeps Easily

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Scsleep_2 Several years back, I found that I was having trouble sleeping.  My gynecologist said it was probably something to do with menopause. My therapist encouraged me to do visualization before bed. Everyone had a theory.

What I finally did was to make this card….

Who are you? I am the one who sleeps deeply and easily.  I am the one who sleeps like a rock.  I am the one who lets go of the day and allows sleep to claim me every night.  I am the one who willingly closes my eyes at night and gives in to the call of my inner dream world.  I am the one who rests and nourishes my body with sleep.

What do you have to give me? I give you daily rest.  I give you the ability to let go of the day’s journey.  I give you dreams and deep physical peace.

What do you want from me? I want you to stop resisting sleep.  I want you to allow yourself enough rest every night.  I want you to know you won’t miss anything as you sleep.  I want you to know you will be safe as you sleep.

This card has also suggested to me, via a Daily Reading, that I use the card and a candle in a nightly ritual, along with my journal, before getting in to the bed to go to sleep.  When I remembered and allowed myself to do this, it seemed to put closure on my day for me and allowed me to fall asleep faster, without all the usual inner “chatter.”

If you’re having trouble sleeping, try making your own “She Who Sleeps Easily” SoulCollage® card and listen to its wisdom for you.