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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.
My
Third Chakra Butterfly
 I
made this card at the first KaleidoSoul retreat in 2006. When I got there, the
image of the pink figure with the butterflies in the stomach area really grabbed
me. I was a little surprised, because I really wasn't experiencing nervousness
of any kind, so I didn't think it was talking to me about "butterflies in the
stomach."
Later, when really looking at it and observing my own inner world that weekend,
it spoke to me of inner excitement, and of a deep and focused power centering in
my solar plexus region, the area of the 3rd chakra.
And guess what? At that point in my SoulCollage® journey, the third chakra is
the only chakra I hadn't discovered an animal totem for.
On Sunday during the Animal Companions session, we listened to Seena Frost's
Guided Visualization but I didn't "see" anything then (probably because I was
facilitating that session and was more focused on holding space for everyone
else!).
But during the card making time afterwards, I played around with several
different images to create this card. As soon as I had glued everything down and
trimmed the edges off, it suddenly was apparent to me that Butterfly
is my 3rd chakra totem animal! This is an excellent example of how an Animal
Companions card can indeed be made intuitively instead of intentionally.
At first I was hesitant to accept Butterfly, thinking I "should" have a more
powerful animal for this seat of power chakra. BUT... then I
thought.... what could be more powerful than the butterfly's transformation from
caterpillar into a beautiful graceful winged creature?
So if you haven't discovered your third chakra companion yet, I urge you to let
intuition be your guide!
Resources to Support Your Work with the Companions Suit:
KaleidoSoul web page on Animal Totems
All Things Wise & Wonderful - Six week e-course focusing in depth
on the Companions Suit of the SoulCollage® Deck
Seena's Guided Meditation - to find an animal guide.
Seena's CD on the Companions Suit
Magical Inner Journeys CD, Animal Guides - two guided meditations for working with and discovering your own animal companions, with Anne Marie Bennett
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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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.
Learning
About Personal Power from the Seal
Some of the areas the third chakra helps to govern are the aspects of
personal power, self-worth, and confidence. These are areas that I wish to
develop more. I want to be more confident, have more of a sense of positive
self-worth and be able to stand in my personal power with more ease.
 After
completing a guided visualisation exercise to discover my companion animal
for the third chakra, I "met" my companion who is the Seal. He is playful
and fun-loving, claps his flippers together when he gets excited, plays with
beach balls and performs tricks on command. While seals are one of my
favourite animals that I love watching when I visit the zoo, I was a little
unsure what this companion could teach me about owning and using my personal
power. How could this high-spirited, light-hearted animal teach me about the
"serious" business of being powerful, confident and believing in myself?
I needed to get out of my head and "play" with this idea a little more.
(See, the playful seal was already having an effect on me!) I decided to
dialogue with my seal and ask him directly how he could assist me. I grabbed
my journal and began conversing with my seal. This is the wisdom he had to
share with me:
Karen: How can you help me claim my personal power?
Seal: I teach you how to find fun in your powerful
place. Being powerful doesn't need to be serious.
Karen: How?
Seal: Do things that make you smile and sing! Sing
out loud- proudly. Stop worrying about what others think.
Karen: How do I begin?
Seal: "Fake it until you make it!" Put yourself out
there. Put yourself in challenging situations. You will rise to the occasion
if you give yourself permission to just do it.
Karen: When do I begin?
Seal: Right away. Present yourself as a strong,
confident, intelligent woman. Commit yourself to being the best you can be.
Commit to things you're drawn to, without fear. Trust! Start planning big-
you can make it happen for you! Let go and let god!
Dialoguing with my seal companion did help me to shift my attitude. He
reminded me that being powerful and confident wasn't always a serious
business. He made me see that by doing things I enjoy I will automatically
start having fun and naturally be more confident. He encouraged me to take
some risks, and allow myself to prove that I would be okay and survive.
I encourage you to try dialoguing with your companion animals, or any other
Neter you would like some advice from. While this exercise is similar to the
Interpreting Exercises we often complete with our cards, it is more
free-flowing (and a bit of fun). Just let your Companion answer you as if
you are having a conversation. See what wisdom your Companion has to share
with you. Don't over-think it, just ask a question and let your Companion
answer from their perspective.
P.S. A Tip for Dialoguing
If you are having trouble getting into the rhythm of this
dialogue/conversation, you may like to try answering the question with your
non-dominant hand (eg: your left hand if you usually write with your right
hand and vice versa). Using your non-dominant hand can help you bypass your
logical mind and tap into your intuition.
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.
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2010 SOUL COLORS
DESK CALENDARS:
Beautiful original collage art by Anne Marie Bennett.
Includes journaling questions and SoulCollage® prompts
on the flip side of each month.
Members: $12 each, 2/$20
Non-Members: $15 each, 2/$25
Not a Member yet?
Click here
Click on the image above to purchase now.
Click here to purchase to access your member discount on the
calendars.
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This 7-month tele-seminar
series led by SoulCollage® Facilitator Jenni Holloway provides you with a framework for personal &
universal transformation using the chakras.
Focusing on one chakra per month,
this program creates time for you to truly experience each chakra's effect in
your life so that you can create healing shifts & loving openings that support
you in more fully expanding into your most vibrant self.
 This
series includes two tele-calls per month. All calls will be recorded, so you
don't need to attend every call.
The first call each month will be a Chakra Initiation call where Jenni will
introduce you to the Chakra of the month. You will learn where each energy
center is located and how it influences your physical, mental and spiritual
being. You will be introduced to the developmental psychology of each chakra,
which provides you with insight to heal old wounds so you can step more fully
into the power of the present.
The second call each month will consist of a Community Circle which will create
time for group members to share their chakra experiences with one another &
celebrate the journey we are all taking together along the Rainbow Bridge.
Through guided visualization, Jenni will take us deeper into our personal chakra
experiences so that we can make healing shifts within our lives.
 As
you know, the chakras are a big part of the SoulCollage® Companions Suit. I am
personally recommending this series of classes with Jenni Holloway, and I have
already registered, paid, and secured my place. (Note: I don't receive anything
from this recommendation except the joy of attending and learning with one of
the best! I hope that you will consider joining this exciting and wonderful
series of classes! For more information, please visit
Jenni's website.
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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 their 3rd chakra
companions.
Bear
Rhoda
Washington
I am One Who claims your rightful space and true power.
I stand up for who you really are.
I am dangerous only when provoked.
Nola
California
Heron
I am the one who finds her power, her magic in balance, in serenity, in
fluidity.
I am the one who seeks the way to make peace.
I am the one who is unique and independent.
Easy Does It
Julia
United Kingdom
I am the One who puts one foot in front of the other and anchors each step
on my slow journey.
Lion
Linda
Maryland
I am the One who protects you and gives you strength.
I am the One who lets you dance in the fire.
I am the One who allows you to roar your truth.
I bring you courage and wisdom.
The Dog Star
Dawn
New York
I am the One Who is loyal and steadfast.
I am your best friend.
I sense honesty and danger.
I am vigilant and protective.
I will do your bidding.
Trust your gut.
Please feel free to submit one of your cards for a future
issue by sending a reply email to this newsletter.
Future themes include:
Creative Muse
Fourth Chakra Animals
Community Suit: Siblings
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KaleidoSoul Notes
Noteworthy
resources for anyone interested in SoulCollage®
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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®,
pleasevisit 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 2009,
by Anne Marie Bennett and Karen Mann.
Articles may be reprinted by permission only. | |
SoulSongs
