| 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.
The Blessings of Winter
Having lived in New England my whole life (with the exception of those 6 years
in Virginia in my 20's), I know a little something about Winter. Not just snow...
blizzards. Not just rain... sleet. Not just a jacket... thermal gear with earmuffs
and lined gloves. Not just heavy shoes... boots. Not just nighttime... but dark at
4:30 p.m.
It's not my favorite season, but over the years I have learned to appreciate its
finer points. For me, the best part about Winter is that I get to light candles
inside! And believe me, no room goes untouched by my candles. I love soft
candlelight, and the fragrance of scented candles, and I never have the
inclination to light them in the spring or summer when the weather is kinder,
more friendly.
Winter is also a time of stillness for me, of giving myself less projects
and more quiet time, more solitude. Just as the roots of trees and
flowers underground are soaking in the stillness, gathering energy for the
coming spring, so I allow myself a time of immobility, knowing that many good
things still lie dormant beneath the surface.
So... it's dark by late afternoon? I light some candles. It's snowy and bitter
cold outside? I cozy down under a warm blanket and read that novel I haven't had
time for all year. It seems like springtime will never come? I have faith in the
cycle of the seasons, and trust that after times of darkness, light always does
follow.
Reflection Activity: This month spend some time meditating on and/or
journaling about Winter. Whether you live in a cold climate or a warm one, what
does this season mean to you? How many hard Winters have you been through,
metaphorically speaking? Can you realize in your own life the power of the fact
that Spring always, always, always follows Winter? Look for images
this month that reflect a difficult Winter you have been through, or images that
express how you feel about the Winter holidays. Make a SoulCollage® card for
your Deck about one of these ideas.
Resources that have helped me see the beauty of the seasons in my own life:
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. |
| 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.
A Gift for YOU!
As the year draws to a close and the festive season begins, for many of us this
is the time of year when gifts are given to those we hold dear. I'd like to
encourage you to take some time out for yourself and give yourself a gift. Set
aside some time to do a SoulCollage reading and reconnect with Self and Source.
One format for a reading I'd like to suggest has been inspired by a reading on
the Psychology of Vision website. While this site allows you to do a reading
using their deck of cards, I have adapted the reading layout for use with SoulCollage cards.
To begin, just think of a challenge you are currently facing or something you'd
like to improve in your life). Then draw 3 cards from your SoulCollage Deck
(draw them at random, without worrying about which suit they are), and complete
a reading using the following assignations.
Card 1- The Challenge
a) The first SoulCollage card you draw represents the challenge itself.
b) Begin by completing some general "I am the one who..." statements from this
card
c) Then finish off with some statements starting with the phrase "The challenge
I share with you..." or "The challenge is ..." or "This situation is challenging
because..."
Card 2 - The Way Through
a) The second SoulCollage card helps to clarify the healing path, the answer,
the way through.
b) Begin by completing some general "I am the one who..." statements from this
card
c) Then finish off with some statements starting with the phrase "The healing
path is ..." or "The answer I share with you is..." or "The way through is..."
Card 3 - The Gift
a) Now it is time to receive your Gift. The third SoulCollage card will help to
reveal the Gift has been hidden by the challenge. It is an opportunity, lesson
or awareness that has something to teach you and is here to help you.
b) Begin by completing some general "I am the one who..." statements from this
card
c) Then finish off with some statements starting with the phrase "The gift I
share with you is..." or "The opportunity here is..." or "The lesson you are ready
to learn is..."
You can read one of my own recent personal readings using this format on this KaleidoSoul page.
After completing this reading for myself, I was amazed by the synchronicities
and power behind the messages accessed in the reading. It really did feel like a
"gift" I was able to give myself. If you try this reading, please be sure to let
us know how it goes for you. You can share with the KaleidoSoul Yahoo Group or
email me at info@flyingcolourscreativity.com.au
Karen Mann
is an artist, art teacher, Lifestyle Coach, yoga and meditation teacher, and
SoulCollage® facilitator. Karen has been working with SoulCollage cards for more
than four years and facilitates a variety of SoulCollage Groups. Karen also runs
SoulCollage Facilitator Training weekends. Karen offers regular workshops in
Melbourne
and Geelong, Australia, and is also available to travel to other regions in Australia. For more
information, or to contact Karen, please visit her website,
Flying Colours Creativity.
December 2008 Special:
Only $31 for a Yearly
Membership!
| |
| KaleidoSoul Creations |
As promised, we are featuring SoulCollage® cards from our readers in each issue.
In keeping with this month's theme, each card below represents one SoulCollager's Winter Card.
Winter Solstice
Artist: Jessica
Location: GeorgiaIn the darkest night there dwells
the gift of growing light
and thus we learn to trust
in the Mystery.
Ice River
Artist: Laren
Location: MarylandI am the One who brings stillness
to life.
I let there be rest of breath,
capturing air bubbles beneath my surface.
The lonely stones look for this company,
when the leaf of the Beech tree
heralds the holding
of all that is in my realm.
We live embraced,
until the melting time,
then let go of ourselves.
When the seasons turn
we will greet each other again.
Untitled
Artist: Mary
Location: MassachusettsI am the One Who protects you from life's storms.
Chanukah Glow
Artist: Laura
Location: New HampshireI am the one who... ...lights up the darkness ...draws loved ones near ...gives courage
in times of confusion and fear ...awakens color and warmth when they seem to be
sleeping ...I am the one who opens you to memories and illuminates your heart with
song and laughter despite the darkness around you. I give you joy and wonder in
a season of darkness and cold. I offer hope when you feel small and
insignificant. I want you to breathe in my light and allow my glow to fill you.
I want you to trust that sometimes, hope is enough.
KaleidoSoul Notes
Noteworthy resources for anyone interested in SoulCollage
| |
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 2008,
by Anne Marie Bennett and Karen Mann.
Articles may be reprinted by permission only. | |
Soul Songs