Soul Singing with Anne Marie |
Hi!
I'm Anne Marie, the creator of KaleidoSoul.com, and a
SoulCollage® facilitator in Massachusetts. If you're
just starting to sing your song with SoulCollage®, this column is
especially for you.
Little Brown Bird Grows Up
This is the very first Animal Companions card I made back in 2005, at the workshop where I was introduced to SoulCollage®. I discovered Little Brown Bird during Seena Frost's guided meditation which was led by the workshop facilitator. I found her in my heart chakra, and this is what she was saying to me at the time:
I am just a simple ordinary bird sitting on my nest of eggs. I am the one who nurtures and gives birth. I am the one who creates new life. I am the one who sets that life free. I am the one who shelters the young, who teaches them how to fly. I am the one who flies.
What do you want from me?
What I want and need is to spend more time flying and less time here on the
nest.
Where do you want to fly?
Nowhere in particular. Just flying. Flying is the whole point.
At the time, I sensed that this was a powerful message, but only with the blessing of hindsight can I see how much. Of course, I am thinking now... of course that is exactly where my heart was back then, six years ago. I had just spent years and years helping my husband raise his children. Years and years of helping his children to “fly” and of nurturing the family of co-workers around me at the theatre where I worked. I was ready to fly, ready to try something new and different.
Because of this card and this inner work I was doing, I was able to heed the call of Little Brown Bird in my heart chakra. I was able to let her spread her wings, fly, leave the proverbial nest.
As I continued my work with the Animals, I read the book that Seena recommends, the book that helped her to shape the SoulCollage®
Companions Suit: Personal Totem Pole, by Eligio Stephen Gallegos. Some of his stories about the animal energies within the chakra energies told of how the animals were transformed as the people were transformed. For example, if a person discovered a wounded baby deer in their heart chakra, it might turn into a large male stag or an adult female after working to heal the wounded heart.
About a year ago, I noticed that Black Crow was everywhere, absolutely everywhere in my world. Our back yard, our front yard, on my walks around the neighborhood. Wherever I went, Crow was. I began to notice this with curiosity and interest. I noticed that while many people were repulsed by crows in general, I found them beautifully regal and just glorious in their black iridescent splendor. Because of this, I began to think that Crow might be one of my Companion animals.
I fought this for a while. I didn't want to let go of my Little Brown Bird. And yet, sometime last fall I made this heart chakra card for Crow. Here is what he says to me now:
I am the one who is large and beautiful, whose noise makes people sit up and take notice. I am the one who mates for life, who is loyal and deeply connected to my community. I am the one who is intelligent, who provides, who struts the earth and flies the skies and reminds you to open your heart.
If you have a Companion Animal who lives in one of your chakras, but you don't resonate with that animal as much as you used to, and you find yourself being drawn to a different animal there, simply trust that inner guidance. Trust the inner work. Allow this new animal to speak to you. Listen and learn from its wisdom. It has much to give you.
Anne Marie Bennett is a freelance writer,
self-taught artist, SoulCollage® Facilitator and Facilitator
Trainer who trained with Seena Frost. Her background is elementary
education, computer software training, writing, and mixed media
art. She lives, laughs, writes, and sings (and makes her own
SoulCollage® cards!) in Beverly, MA. More of Anne Marie's
cards/interpretations are available on her blog, Inner
Surprises.
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Our Next Tele-Class
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with Michele Lessirard,
Wisdom Teacher & SoulCollage® Facilitator in Florida
During this session, Michele will share how we can begin to work with our own animal allies and connect to our body's chakras using the power of the animals.
More information here.
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Time:
4:00 pm Eastern, 3:00 pm Central,
2:00 pm Mountain, 1:00 pm Pacific,
11 a.m. Hawaiian, midnight in London,
Monday 8:00 am. in Melbourne Australia
and Monday 10:00 am in New Zealand
Please visit this page
now for more information.
We hope you'll join us!
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Soul Symphonies with Karen |
My name is Karen Mann and I'm a SoulCollage® facilitator from
Melbourne, Australia. This column is for those of you who have
already made some cards & are ready to discover the symphony of
voices inside of you and around you.
My Air Element Chakra Companions
When I looked for the air element in the Companion Suit of my SoulCollage® Deck I found that I had 3 companions that fly: my 4th chakra (heart) has the butterfly, my 5th chakra (throat) has the flamingo and my 6th chakra (third eye) has the pelican. By looking at these flying companions I have learnt more about myself.
Heart Chakra- Butterfly
While the idea that the butterfly is a symbol of transformation is not a new idea for me, I recently read that the butterfly is the only living being capable of changing entirely its genetic structure during the process of transformation: the caterpillar's DNA is totally different from that of the butterfly. Isn't that incredible?!?! This helps to remind me that we really can change, especially if we are following our heart energy.
I also read that butterflies are deaf- which helps me remember that if I want to know how best to follow my heart's calling, I should seek silence and truly listen to my heart's desires.
Throat Chakra- Flamingo
When I started to think about Flamingo, I was unsure about whether it actually did correlate to the element of air, because I wasn't sure if it flew. All the pictures I could remember seeing of a flamingo were of it standing in the water. After doing some research I learnt that flamingos do fly- mainly at night. Flamingos use a running start to take off and a running stop to land. When they fly they fly in flocks, with their long necks stretched out in front of them, and their long legs trailing behind. It must be quite an unusual sight to see a group of long pink birds, flying across the night sky.
Learning about the flamingo's unusual take off, flying and landing processes reminded me that so long as I'm heading in the right direction, it doesn't matter how I get there or how it looks to others. It's thought that the flamingo flies at night to avoid predators, and this reminds me that as I express myself (throat chakra energy) I don't need to put myself in the line of fire from those who may not agree with me. I can chose when and where to express myself
3rd Eye Chakra- Pelican
Whenever I see a flock of pelicans flying, I marvel at how such a big bird, with such a big beak, can look so graceful in movement. It reminds me that not everything has to be difficult. I did read that sometimes pelicans do experience difficulties taking off from the water, but eventually they do manage lift off. This reminds me that if I trust my intuition (3rd eye chakra energy) I too will find freedom and take flight!
I often see pelicans flying in the early evening as I drive up the freeway on my way to run a SoulCollage® group. I love seeing this Companion for my 3rd eye chakra as it reminds me to trust my intuition and encourage others to trust their own at the SoulCollage® group. It always feels like a good omen!
These are just my thoughts about what these chakra companions mean to me. I encourage you to look at your Companion Suit and see what messages your companions have to share with you. You may like to do some research (like I did) about some of their habits & behaviours. Then you should trust your intuition as you tap into the lessons your Companions have to share with you. Remember, they are
your personal Companions with personal messages to share with you.
Karen Mann is an artist, art teacher, Lifestyle Coach, FasterEFT Practitioner and SoulCollage® Facilitator and Trainer. Karen has been working with SoulCollage® since 2004. Karen offers regular workshops in Melbourne and Geelong, Australia and also runs SoulCollage® Facilitator Training weekends. Karen's passion is using SoulCollage® combined with FasterEFT to help others to gently remove unconscious blockages around food, weight and dieting. For more information, or to contact Karen, please visit her website, Flying Colours Creativity or her blog Stop Weighting, Start Living.
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Exciting News!
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All New!
Partner with Us to
Spread SoulCollage® In Our All-New
KaleidoSoul Affiliate Program
KaleidoSoul invites you to partner with us in our brand new Affiliate Program, which we have created with great love, generosity and good energy. Our KaleidoSoul mission is to share SoulCollage® with as many people as we can in the world, and we believe that this program will help us to do exactly that.
And the best part is that YOU earn money for partnering with us in this way.
It's very simple, and it's also simple to place the links and images on your site for people to find and click on. We'll show you how and guide you every step of the way. You can also place links to our SoulCollage® products in your emails and on your Facebook posts. Each time someone clicks to KaleidoSoul from your link and buys something (within three months), YOU earn money.
How much money are we talking about?
Kindred Spirit Members* earn --- 25% Non-Members earn ---------------- 10%
*Currently, this program is only open to Kindred Spirit Members. Please visit this
KaleidoSoul
page for more information.
We are very excited about partnering with you in order to pass SoulCollage® on to others, while at the same time bringing you the gift of abundance and joy.
There is more information about our Affiliate Partnership Program here.
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KaleidoSoul Creations |
As promised, we are featuring
SoulCollage® cards from our readers in each issue.
Each card below is one SoulCollager's expression of the Companions Suit: Air.
Lifted
Judy
Massachusetts
I am one who is lifted by
by my own eagerness to soar
and see from heights beyond
my reach. I am one who welcomes
the strength of love that allows
my vision to be way beyond
my hands and feet, where
then, I see space and
my utmost possibility.
Chakra Eagle Third Eye
Daryne
Maine
I Am One Who can see clearly. Looking through my eyes, your delusion fades and only highest truth remains. With great energy, I soar above chaos and confusion and see for great distances through space and time.
Feather Fantasy
Jazz
Texas
I am one who would like to mingle closely with feathered ones. Since I cannot fly with them, I sit still and fantasize they trust me enough to land in my lap for a cuddle. If one were so bold, observers might line up for their hugs and I would no longer need to fly.
Butterflies
Nancy
New Jersey
I am the one who transforms. I am the one who takes time away from the world and comes back completely new. I am the one who goes with the flow as I fly on the summer breeze. I am the one who enters my cocoon slow and humble, and comes out confident and beautiful. I am the one who remembers that life can always begin again.
Dragonfly/7th Chakra
Dawn
New York
I am the one who guides your Soul over emotional waters. I give you flights of imagination. I fly to God Herself and bring back sweet whispers of inspiration to your ears. I want you to remember you are Divine.
Stern Old Bird
3rd Chakra
Dianne
Texas
I am one who is strong-willed and righteous but I still have a lot of room for spontaneity
Please feel free to submit one of your cards for a
future issue by sending a reply email to this
newsletter.
Future themes include: Goddess
Death
Community Suit: Family
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KaleidoSoul Notes
Noteworthy
resources for anyone interested in SoulCollage®
Facilitator
Trainings: Information about content and
dates/locations of upcoming trainings of SoulCollage®
Facilitators.
SoulCollage
website - Seena Frost created the process of
SoulCollage®, and this is her website.
KaleidoSoul -
Spinning the fragments of your world into wholeness and beauty
through SoulCollage®.
Kindred
Spirits Join our fast-growing worldwide
membership of people who put the "soul" in SoulCollage®!
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Australia SoulCollage® Facilitator Training |
Geelong, Victoria, Australia
Fri March 25 - Sun March 27 Led by Karen Mann & Norma Budinski
Join a growing community of Australian SoulCollage® Facilitators and learn to help others to connect with their creativity, intuition and inner wisdom.
Topics include:
* How to facilitate SoulCollage® card-making
to encourage self-discovery, without doing therapy
* Ways to adapt the process to work with different issues and populations
* Demonstration of ceremonial work with SoulCollage® cards
* Creating a plan for facilitating SoulCollage® that fits your own passions, intentions, and competencies
*How to use the internet to support and build your business
We will make cards, share cards, and use our own processes as teaching examples.
Visit this page for more info now.
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Discounted
6 week e-course |
Wise and Wonderful:
A Guided Exploration of the SoulCollage® Companions Suit
Work at your own pace!
Get in touch with your animal guides. You'll receive an in-depth email lesson once a week for 6 weeks. Includes important content, abundant resources, card making ideas, SoulCollage® activities, plus access to 2 Guided Meditations written specifically by Anne Marie to help you connect with your animal guides.
Price: $35.00
Now: $30.00 (use coupon code BLACKCROW)
Visit this page for more information now.
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Upcoming SoulCollage® Retreats
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CALIFORNIA
Soul Quest: An Adventure Into Awareness Through Silence
A 5 Day SoulCollage® and Meditation Retreat
Pine Manor Retreat Center, Lake Elsinore, CA
March 30 – April 3, 2011
Facilitators: Gail Warner, MA, MFT
This 5-day retreat will include the use of SoulCollage®, journaling, inquiry, and meditation. You can ask for support from one or more sacred listeners. This time of inquiry, discovery, and connection will be housed in silence at Pine Manor in Southern California. This small retreat house is the perfect place for nurturing presence, delicious food, and time to be in nature. This retreat is limited to 10 participants. Gail Warner, MA,MFT, facilitator and therapist, has designed and held retreats for 35 years. Feel free to call Gail at 949-552-1633 or email her at catchgw@ca.rr.com for more information.
MASSACHUSETTS
A 3 Night Retreat for Women - 6 spaces left!
Rolling Ridge Retreat Center, Andover MA
June 15 - 18, 2011
Facilitators: Anne Marie Bennett, Anne Boedecker
There will be LOTS of time for card making, sharing our SoulCollage® cards and card making ideas, as well as doing readings with our Decks. The card making tables will be set up round the clock all three days, so you can make SoulCollage® cards while breakout sessions are going on, in the middle of the night, and in your jammies by the light of the moon if you want! The focus of our breakout sessions during this retreat will be using our cards to deepen our soul work. We'll be building relationships with our cards as we work with them in various ways: writing, movement, and readings.
Visit this KaleidoSoul page now.
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Soul Songs
Back Issues - Read back issues of Soul Songs on
this
KaleidoSoul page.
Just look for whatever SoulCollage® topic you are interested
in,
and read to your heart's content!
SoulCollage® is a trademarked process created by
Seena B. Frost.
For more information about Seena and the origins of SoulCollage®,
please visit her
website.
SoulCollage® cards are made either from one's own art or
from images found in materials which have been bought by or given
to the SoulCollage® card maker. These collaged cards are used only
for the cardmaker's own inner exploration. SoulCollage® cards are
not sold, traded, bartered, or copied (except as a back-up for the
cardmakers own use) as is stated in the "Principles
of SoulCollage®." Where SoulCollage® cards are available to
be seen by others, it is for the purposes either of demonstrating
the SoulCollage® process or of sharing the cardmakers' inner
process in the context of community. SoulCollage® is grateful to
the artists and photographers who make this deep awakening process
possible and in all ways SoulCollage® seeks to be respectful of
their rights.
All articles in SOUL SONGS are copyrighted
2011,
by Anne Marie Bennett and Karen
Mann.
Articles may be reprinted by permission
only.
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