wings4youcoaching

Interview with the Shadow

I have a little shadow that goes in and out with me, And what can be the use of him is more than I can see. - Robert Louis Stevenson

Facing your Shadows

In a recent SoulCollage® workshop, one of the participants asked whether she should make cards that expressed the aspects of herself she didn't especially like.  She was concerned that by creating a card that acknowledged the darker parts of her personality, she would in some way be giving them more power. Yet in order to grow beyond our weaknesses, we must first be able to see them clearly. By bringing our shadow parts  out into the light, they not only lose much of their power; they also offer us necessary guidance to become better individuals.

According to psychologist Carl Jung, " there can be no doubt that man is, on the whole, less good than he imagines himself or wants to be. Everyone carries a shadow, and the less it is embodied in the individual's conscious life, the blacker and denser it is." Repressing those shadow parts of ourselves causes them to emerge in others ways, but  "if [a shadow] is conscious, one always has a chance to correct it"  as it is "constantly in contact with other interests, [and] is continually subjected to modifications."  So by acknowledging our darker shadow parts, we give ourselves the opportunity to confront them and grow beyond them.

Shedding Light on your Shadows

Whether you are a SoulCollager or you are exploring yourself in other ways, you can learn from your Shadows by interviewing them using the "I-Am-the-One-Who" method (see the example that follows) to speak through your cards (or shadow presences), and asking the following questions:  

• Who are you?
• What do you have to give me?
• What do you want or need from me?
• Is there anything else you have to tell me?

As an example, I have conducted an "interview" with the above Shadowy SoulCollage® Committee card called "The Gossip." 

Meet "The Gossip"

 

Who are you?

I Am the One Who gets pulled into gossip, listening to and sharing stories about other people when deep inside I really don't want to be doing this.  I get caught up in the moment, influenced by another who wants to talk.  It's an easy trap to fall into.  I Am the One Who, while I am gossiping or listening to gossip, mentally steps back and watches myself doing something I really don't like.

What do you have to give me?

I want you to know that there is no reason to participate in gossip.  You already know that it brings no pleasure and you don't enjoy it; and gossip never makes you a stronger or better person.  You already know this, so rely on what you know is the truth.

What do you want or need from me?

I want you to visualize me whenever you're in a situation where you might be involved with gossip.  It's as simple as deciding to turn off a switch and changing the subject.  You'll be doing the right thing and you'll feel better about yourself.  I want you to remember that "The Gossip" is not who you respect or want to be.

Is there anything else you have to tell me?

It is not your job to correct other people's behavior.  Show by your example and avoid judgment.

Share

Good does not become better by being exaggerated, but worse, and a small evil becomes a big one through being disregarded and repressed. The shadow is very much a part of human nature, and it is only at night that no shadows exist. - Carl Jung

How do you learn from your Shadows?  What are your practices for reflection and growth?  Share your thoughts in whatever form you like...

• SoulCollage®
• Art
• Poetry
• Writing
• Anything that expresses who you are!  

When you're ready to share, post your static link in the comments section so we can visit your blog and see what you've created.

Above the cloud with its shadow is the star with its light. Above all things reverence thyself. - Pythagoras

Have a beautiful and creative day!

Namaste,

  

Cultivating Your Inner Landscape

Summer in New England is such a grand time a year,  a reward for making it through a long, cold and dreary winter. One of the biggest treats for me - a transplanted New Yorker (I grew up and spent most of my life in a suburb outside of Manhattan) - is to drive along the local roads and see farms being worked.  I watch from spring through the end of autumn as the farmers till, plant and cultivate their land.  Now that it's mid-July, the well tended rows of vegetables and flowers look lush and green, and the farmers bring their crops to markets that seem to overspill with the colorful bounty of their harvests.

Tending your Soul-Garden

Just as farmers cultivate their land and tend their crops, we too can cultivate our inner landscape.  With some reflection and thought, we can focus in on the things in our lives that are calling out to be nurtured and then devote our attention to them.  Perhaps there is an aspect of your self or world you wish to develop or improve.  Meditate on what conditions and practices will best  promote your personal growth and development, and then till your fields and plant your seeds. Check in frequently to see how your crops are doing, adjusting your care and attention as conditions change. Tend your soul-garden with love and care.

Organic Gardening

Insist on yourself; never imitate.  Your own gift you can present every moment with the cumulative force of a whole life's cultivation; but of the adopted talent of another you have only an extemporaneous half possession. - Ralph Waldo Emerson

Think of yourself as an organic farmer, working with your personal nature and the elements that surround you in order to create the best and most natural outcome. Whatever it is you wish to cultivate - a talent, a relationship, a new skill, a fresh attitude - be sure to put forth the energy and  create the environment that will yield a harvest that is truly in harmony with who you are and what you believe in.

Share

What would you like to cultivate in your life?  What are you cultivating in your life?  What are your practices for reflection and growth?  Share your thoughts in whatever form you like...

• SoulCollage®
  
• Art
  
• Poetry
  
• Writing
  
• Anything that expresses who you are!  

When you're ready to share, post your static link in the comments section so we can visit your blog and see what you've created.

The privilege of a lifetime is being who you are. - Joseph Campbell

Namaste,

SCDC - June - Light & Shadow

June is the month of Solstice, marking Summer in the Northern Hemisphere and Winter in the Southern Hemisphere. To honor both the longest day and the longest night of the year, this month's SoulCollage® theme is Light & Shadow.  Let us explore these qualities in our SoulCollage® practice this month, reflecting on the many ways we experience elements of light and shadow.

Light & Shadow

Light is a powerful cultural, psychological and spiritual symbol,representing - to name just a few concepts - consciousness and insight, clarity and understanding, goodness and hope, guidance and intuition, truth and enlightenment.  Light almost always represents positive, healthy attributes and the things about ourselves and others we prefer to see.

Shadow symbolism, on the other hand, indicates the darker side of our being and our world.  Seena Frost writes in Chapter 9 of  SoulCollage: An Intuitive Collage Process for Individuals and Groups, "all Neters, including archetypes, can be good and add to our health, or they may be shadowed by some intrinsic flaw which comes to the surface and contributes to our non-health."  She refers to the ostensibly negative side of our neters as our shadow side, which in Jungian psychology, represents the aspects of ourselves with which we are uncomfortable.  According to Jung, "Everyone carries a shadow, and the less it is embodied in the individual's conscious life, the blacker and denser it is."  

Reflect

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.  Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light not our darkness that most frightens us. - Marianne Williamson

In order to let our own light shine forth, it is important to bring our shadows out from their hiding places  so we can engage them, learn from them, understand them and finally, grow stronger. 

Process

Following are just a few ideas to help you get started.  As always, this is an individual process that has no rules.  

Spend a few minutes meditating on your intention to allow your intuition to guide you.  Tell your Inner Censor to be still as you begin the important work of discovering your Light and Shadow Neters.

• To ponder: How do you interpret light and shadow?  Do these qualities express the duality of the self, the contest between good and evil or opposite elements necessary for balance? How do you welcome light, and what form does it take for you?  How does your awareness of the shadow Neters in your being allow you to grow? 

• You may want to start by looking at the cards you already have and meditate on their duality.  Perhaps you may want to create new cards that represent the individual light and shadow aspects of the original card.

• Journal your thoughts about light and shadow in your life and then search for new images that express either light or shadow. 

• Read your shadow cards for greater understanding.  Using the "I-Am-One Who" method to speak through your cards, ask the following questions:
  

Who are you?
What do you have to give me?
What do you want or need from me?
Is there anything else you have to tell me?

Share

• Are there any images or cards you would like to share?
• What did you discover in this weeks process? 

When you're ready to share, post your static link in the comments section so we can visit your blog and see what you've created.

And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear,our presence automatically liberates others. -  Marianne Williamson

Have a beautiful and creative week!

Namaste,

SCDC - Week 8 - Universal Connections

Over the past several weeks, we have been working on creating a SoulCollage® deck as a deep and beautiful form of personal exploration and soul tending. Starting with our inner Committee and then moving on to our Community and Chakra Allies, we've looked at the many beings within and without who shape and guide our lives. This week, we turn to the fourth suit in the SoulCollage® deck, the Council Suit, to discover the archetypal dimension of our selves.

Reading Overview

Chapter 8 of Seena Frost's book, SoulCollage: An Intuitive Collage Process for Individuals and Groups, describes the Council Suit of the SoulCollage® deck, which is comprised of the various archetypes that guide our lives.  Like the Companion Suit, the Council Suit unites our personal stories with the larger, Universal Story.  Although the SoulCollage® process is unique and individual, it becomes difficult to truly discover our own stories without stepping back to see the universal archetypal patterns and symbols whose energy influences our lives.  

The term archetype was coined by Carl Jung, who defined the concept as  "the existence of definite forms in the psyche which seem to be present always and everywhere [in] our immediate consciousness, which is of a thoroughly personal nature... as well as in a collective, universal, impersonal nature which is identical in all individuals." Archetypes are ancient metaphors; universal visual symbols and individual energetic imprints that have tremendous power in guiding our lives.  By exploring the archetypes that are present in your life, you can learn to read your personal mythology and strengthen the bond between your conscious self and your spiritual center.

Learn and Reflect

What archetypes are present in your being?  Keeping in mind that we only have  limited control over the guidance of archetypes and that they choose us, think about the recurring patterns and images in your life. According to Caroline Myss, author of Sacred Contracts: Awakening Your Divine Potential  "you have been encoded with a set of 12 primary archetypes. Four of these are universal archetypes related to survival: the Child, Victim, Prostitute, and Saboteur. We all have these because they are vital to our growth and functioning as adults. The other eight are drawn from the vast storehouse of archetypes dating back to the dawn of human history." 

You may want to learn more about archetypes before you start to look for images to create your Council Suit cards.  Chapter 8 of Seena Frost's book, SoulCollage: An Intuitive Collage Process for Individuals and Groups provides a list and descriptions of various archetypes.  The links below will also help you to learn more about the various kinds of archetypes and how to discover which play a role in your own life.

• Caroline Myss - Archetypes - a series of articles about archetypes including a detailed description of over 70 archetypes and exercises to help you discover your own. 

• Janet Boyer - Introduction to Archetypes - a good overview of archetypes and links to a wealth of related articles. 

• Listology - archetypes list 

Process

Because archetypes are both universal and personal, there are a variety of ways in which you can discover those that "belong" to you.  I've listed just a few suggestions to get you started.

• Create the space you need to allow your intuition room to expand and be free.  This could mean setting up a physical area in your home where you will create your cards as well as setting the environment that puts you in a receptive, creative place.  You will know what works best for you!

• Spend a few minutes meditating on your intention to allow your intuition to guide you.  Tell your Inner Censor to be still as you begin the important work of discovering and naming your Archetypes. Silently go through magazines and other image sources and select images that call to you. When you've finished gathering images, see if any of them represent one of your archetypes.

• You may want to use relaxation techniques to achieve a trance-like state of deep relaxation.  Once in this state, allow your imagination to travel freely, noticing how you feel about the beings, places and objects that you see. You may want to journal your experience when you "return" and use that to guide your card-making.

• Another way to discover your archetypes is through dream work.  Before going to sleep each night, ask an archetype to appear.  Be prepared to engage whatever archetype appears in some kind of communication. You may even ask it how it has shaped your life thus far and what role it might play in helping you attend to unfinished business.

• If you are having difficulty with the visualization or dream process, you might want to try simply observing what you already know about yourself. Are there particular myths or fairly tales to which you've always been drawn? Are there certain kinds of people who make you feel either weak or strong?  What words do you use to describe your identity in relation to your role in society, your relationships, your work and even yourself ?  

• FInally, look at what you already have.  Are any of your Committee, Community or Companion Neters also an archetype?  Often, the Neters in the other suits have an archetypal aspect to them.  You can certainly make a Council card to honor the archetype that comes trhough in your other cards..
  

Whichever method you choose to discover your Council, it is always helpful to journal the experiences.  The more you learn about your Council, the more meaningful the card creation process will be. 

Share

• Are there any images or cards you would like to share?
• What did you discover in this weeks process? 

When you're ready to share, post your static link below, and don't forget to leave a comment as well! 

Looking Ahead

Let us take the next few weeks to continue our SoulCollage® discovery process in whatever ways call to us.  This means engaging in the  process in any way that feels right: gathering images, creating cards for any suit, creating cards that don't seem to fit anywhere, journaling and so on. Starting June 7, I will post a monthly theme that you can use as guidance and inspiration for your SoulCollage practice. I will provide a space each week for you to share your links, thoughts and questions.

Have a beautiful and creative week!

Namaste,

SCDC - Week 7 - Checking In

Although I was not able to write a new post last week, I do hope that you have continued to explore your SoulCollage® journey by gathering images and making cards. Once again, I do want to emphasize that this process is completely individual, so please move at your own pace in harmony with your individual needs.  

Remember:

The prompts posted each week are simply for learning and support as you read Seena Frost's book, SoulCollage: An Intuitive Collage Process for Individuals and Groups.

The group is for sharing this experience with others who are on their own unique journeys.

You may tailor the process to your own particular path.  Approach your discovery in whatever ways feel right to you. 

I do, however, ask you to please learn more about SoulCollage® by visiting Seena Frost's site and reading about the Principles of SoulCollage® as well as the Guidelines for Bloggers, Web Page Developers, Writers and Others if your will be posting SoulCollage® work on your blog.

Share

• Are there any images or cards you would like to share?
• What did you discover in this weeks process? 

When you're ready to share, post your static link below, and don't forget to leave a comment as well! Next week we will take a look at the Council Suit.  Until then, enjoy the blessings each day brings and have a beautiful and creative week! 

Namaste,

SCDC - Week 6 - Chakra Allies

Nature's Energy

Here in New England, the earth is bursting into flower, the woods are full of newly-awakened creatures and the air is saturated with bird-calls.  The presence of vegetable and animal life is so rich and full of positive energy, which makes this an especially good time to take a look at the Companion Suit of the SoulCollage® deck.  This suit, also called the Chakra Allies,  takes the personal story that we tell through our Committee and Community cards and weaves it into a larger, universal story.  

Reading Overview

Described in Chapter 7 of Seena Frost's book, SoulCollage: An Intuitive Collage Process for Individuals and Groups, the Companion Suit combines both the concept of chakras - the seven energy centers of the body - with the concept of power animals.  The Eastern yogic philosophy of chakras works with energy that moves up and down the spinal column, concentrating in at least seven vortices (chakras) along the way. Each of these seven chakras is connected  in its own way to our being on physical, emotional, mental and spiritual levels. The concept of a power animal is universal and appears in various forms throughout many cultures.  Animals, like all living things, carry wisdom, virtue and power; and we as humans have our specific power animals that represent our qualities and strengths and provide guidance and protection. 

 

Your Companion Suit will be made up of seven cards, each of which will represent the specific animal associated with one of your seven chakras (unless you are using a different model that works better for you).

Reflect

Who are your Chakra Allies or power animals, and how do you find them?  This discovery process will be a little different than what you have been using for you Committee and Community suits, as you will need to make a connection to both your chakras and your animals.  It is usually best to find one animal at a time, rather than trying to discover all seven in one session. Remember as always to have fun and trust the process; the only "right" way to do SoulCollage® is the way that works best for you.

Process

Create the space you need to allow your intuition room to expand and be free.  This could mean setting up a physical area in your home where you will create your cards as well as setting the environment that puts you in a receptive, creative place. For this particular suit, it will be especially important to set aside both the time and space for uninterrupted quiet.  Below, are a few different approaches you can use to discover your special power animals.  Please feel free to use whatever method works best for you!  

• In Chapter 7 of SoulCollage: An Intuitive Collage Process for Individuals and Groups, Seen Frost suggests working either individually or in a group to achieve a trance-like state of deep relaxation.  Once in this state, allow your imagination to visit each of the energy centers in your body.  Pause at whichever chakra seems to be attracting your attention and open your imagination to the animal that wants to appear at that point.  At the end of Chapter 7, Seena Frost includes the text of a wonderful guided visualization you can use to bring you towards you Companions.

• Alternately, you can bring yourself into a state of relaxation and imagine yourself surrounded by all kinds of animals.  As you look at the animals, invite one to come forward and touch you on a part of your body.  In this visualization, the animal will choose both you and its energy center.

• Another way to discover your animals is through dream work.  Before going to sleep each night, ask your animals to appear.  Be prepared to engage whatever animals appear in some kind of communication.

• If you are having difficulty with the visualization process, you might want to try simply observing what you already know about yourself.  Are there certain animals to which you've always been attracted?  Do you collect any kinds of animal figures?  Do you regularly dream about any particular animals? What animal is most like you? If you were an animal, what would you be?  

• FInally, look for signs.  If you are going through books or magazines that have animal images, observe which animals stir strong feelings in you.  Be open as well to the significance of actual animals that appear to you in the course of a day.  Does a crow fly across your path as you're walking?  Are you surrounded by squirrels in the park?  Does a deer dart across the road? Note how you feel when these creatures appear.

• If you do not find an animal or animals right away, don't be discouraged!  These Companions are not always easy to find.  If an animal emerges during the visualization process that surprises you, try not to be critical if it doesn't meet your expectations.  Be prepared to accept the animal who wants to be there with you, as it has meaning, power and secret wisdom to offer you.

• Whichever method you choose to discover your Companions, it is always helpful to journal the experiences.  The more you learn about your Chakra Allies, the more meaningful the card creation process will be.

Share

• Are there any images or cards you would like to share?
• What did you discover in this weeks process? 

When you're ready to share, post your static link below, and don't forget to leave a comment as well! Have a beautiful and creative week!

Namaste,

SCDC - Week 5 - Allowing Intuition

How About a Breather?  

Now that we have started making cards and delving into the SoulCollage® process, let's pause for a moment and take a look at where we are and where we're going.

I know some of you are feeling the burden of having to work quickly through each chapter and post finished cards by the end of the week, so I want to remind you that the SoulCollage® Discovery Circle is not a weekly challenge! 

Although I am posting a prompt each week that corresponds to certain chapters in  Seena Frost's book, SoulCollage: An Intuitive Collage Process for Individuals and Groups, please do not think of it as an assignment with a deadline.  The prompts are meant as a clarification of the chapters and to help you learn more about the four suits and the process. I want you to feel free to participate as much or as little as you want, create cards of any kind in any suit (even unknown cards!) as you are moved to make them and just go at your own pace.

It is my ultimate intention, when we have finished going through the book and learning about the process,  to simply host the SoulCollage® Discovery Circle as a virtual meeting place for those who want to share their ongoing journey with a group.   

Guiding Principles for Your SoulCollage® Experience 

• Have fun!
• Trust the process.
• Everyone is an artist (including you).
• Each part - within you as well as this group - has something of value to share.
• There is no "right" way to do SoulCollage.
• It is always your choice to go as deep as you want with the process.

(from SoulCollage Facilitator and Facilitator Trainer Anne Marie Bennett)

Making Space for Intuition

This benefit of seeing... can come only if you pause a while, extricate yourself from the maddening mob of quick impressions ceaselessly battering our lives, and look thoughtfully at a quiet image... the viewer must be willing to pause, to look again, to meditate. - Dorothea Lange

This week, let us focus on simply making space for intuition to guide us as as we choose images and/or make cards.  Approach your process without an agenda or an outcome in mind, and allow yourself the magical experience of working through your right brain, intuitively and creatively.  It isn't important to select images or create cards for a particular suit.  Whatever you discover will be what you need to find, and your images will tell you who they are.

Share

• Are there any images or cards you would like to share?
  
• What did you discover in this weeks process? 

When you're ready to share, post your static link below, and don't forget to leave a comment as well! Have a beautiful and creative week!

Namaste,

SCDC - Week 4 - Growing Through Connection

 Joni Mitchell ~ Community 

I am one who creates beauty for the eyes, the ears, the heart and the soul with my paints, my music and my words

Honoring Community 

 

As humans, we share an important connection to one another and to other living beings.  Through these connections we derive love, wisdom and comfort along with demands and challenges.  Connecting with one's self by exploring and honoring our Committee Neters allows us to learn and grow from within; to find confidence and reassurance.  Connecting with others elevates our awareness of the larger world, allows us to give and receive love and provides us the immense opportunity to learn and grow from without.  Connection with self and with one's Community feeds the creativity we all need to authentically express who we are in the Universe.

Reading Overview

This week, as we continue to gather images and make cards as they call to us, let us start to explore our communal dimension.  If you are just joining the group, you may want to look back at the previous weeks' posts and take some time to read Seena Frost's book, SoulCollage: An Intuitive Collage Process for Individuals and Groups.  So far, we have covered the following chapters:

• Introduction

• Chapter 1 - Images and Our Imagination

• Chapter 2 - The "Neter" Presence in a SoulCollage

• Chapter 3 - A Quick Ovewrview opf the SoulCollage Deck

• Chapter 4 - The Source Card

• Chapter 5 - The Committee Suit

• Chapter 10 - Creating Your Cards

• Chapter 11 - Tapping Into Inner Wisdom

This week we will take a look at:

• Chapter 6 - The Community Suit

Reflect

Who are the beings that make up your community?  Think of real people and pets that you have known - both directly and indirectly - whose energy has influenced you in some way.  You may choose from among family members, ancestors, teachers, public figures, pets, friends, even groups - any beings alive or dead whose perspective has had meaning for you. Chapter 6 has many samples of cards that show a variety of Community Neters that can help you start thinking of your own Community.  

Process

• Create the space you need to allow your intuition room to expand and be free.  This could mean setting up a physical area in your home where you will create your cards as well as setting the environment that puts you in a receptive, creative place.  You will know what works best for you!

• Spend a few minutes meditating on your intention to allow your intuition to guide you.  Tell your Inner Censor to be still as you begin the important work of discovering and naming your Community Neters.  Answer the following questions, found on page 28 of Seena Frost's book SoulCollage: An Intuitive Collage Process for Individuals and Groups  to begin naming your Community Neters.  Answer quickly, without censoring, and enjoy seeing what you discover!

List fifteen people, alive or dead, who are very important in your life.

Name three ancestors whose energy or personality you share, or ones who you would want to call to assist you in life's struggle.

Name three teachers who imprinted your life in a valuable way.

Which great human beings in history would you like to consult about your life?

Who would you call if you wanted to talk in the middle of the night?

Who would you want around you if you were ill or sad?

Who would you want around when you want to play and celebrate?

Name five people you would want with you if you were marooned on an island for a year.

Who inspires or encourages your deepest hopes and dreams?

Whose challenges push you to your edge and therefore help you grow?

Are there animal beings whose energy is precious to you?

• Once you've created this list, you can start gathering images to create cards that honor your Community Neters

• When you've created cards for your Community Suit, Seena Frost suggests drawing one each day and naming that person the "Neter for the Day."  That way you can be inspired by that person's energy throughout the day.

Share

• Are there any images or cards you would like to share?
• Who are your Community Neters and what do they say?
• What did you discover in this weeks process ?

When you're ready to share, post your static link below, and don't forget to leave a comment as well! Have a beautiful and creative week!

Namaste,

SCDC - Week 3 - Letting Go

Feeling Stuck?

You've done your tearing and cutting, and now you have a huge pile of images that you've gathered for your SoulCollage cards.  Perhaps you've done some journaling and in the process, discovered many of the Neters that make up your Committee.  Yet when you sit down to make your cards ... you're stuck. 

What's holding you back?

...fear? ...the need to make a "pretty" collage? ...insecurity about being judged? ...confusion about what the images mean?

Let Go

There could be many reasons why you might be stalled, so this week is all about letting go and going for it.  Remember that we are a non-competitive, supportive group. You need not have any special skill or experience to make SoulCollage cards;  all you need is to be open to the imagination, intuition and creativity we all have within us. 

 

Process

• Create the space you need to allow your intuition room to expand and be free.  This could mean setting up a physical area in your home where you will create your cards as well as setting the environment that puts you in a receptive, creative place.  You will know what works best for you! 

• Spend a few minutes meditating on your intention to allow your intuition to guide you.  Tell your Inner Censor to be still as you begin the important work of discovering and naming your Committee members.   

• As you begin to feel more relaxed about the process, allow yourself to embrace this opportunity to learn about and express yourself.  Let go of aesthetics and forget about making comparisons between what you create and what someone else creates.  Your cards are beautiful in way that is beyond aesthetics, because they reflect real pieces of your being.

• If you feel confused about what a card is or what it means, let it sit.  Its meaning will come to you when you're ready to see it. 

• For those of you who have already begun to make cards, take this week to continue your exploration.

• As always - if you are called to create a card or cards that do not coincide with this week's prompt, please go forward!  If you create a card that's mysterious, just go with the process and allow it to reveal itself to you when the time is right.  Each week's prompts are only meant as guides; not limits!  

Share

• Are there any images or cards you would like to share?
• Who are your Committee Members and what do they say?
• What did you discover in this weeks process ?

When you're ready to share, post your static link below, and don't forget to leave a comment as well! Have a beautiful and creative week! 

Namaste,

 

SCDC - Week 2 - The Who of You

Ever-Hopeful ~ Committee Card

Last week, we spent time gathering images and thinking about the process of creating SoulCollage cards.  This week, we will learn about that the kinds of cards that comprise a SoulCollage deck, explore the many facets and voices of our selves and then create some cards of own own! 

Reading Overview

These are the chapters we will be working with this week:

• Chapter 3 - A Quick Ovewrview opf the SoulCollage Deck
• Chapter 4 - The Source Card
• Chapter 5 - The Committee Suit
• Chapter 11 - Tapping Into Inner Wisdom

Although this week we will be concentrating on our Committee Neters and the Committee Suit explained in Chapter 5 of SoulCollage: An Intuitive Collage Process for Individuals and Groups, it is important to read through Chapters 3, 4 and 11 as well.  These chapters provide you with an overview the deck and the process of reading from your cards.

• Chapter 3 describes the four suits of the SoulCollage deck: the Committee Suit, the Community Suit, the Companion Suit and the Council Suit, each suit representing a different dimension of our unique psyche and soul.     

• Chapter 4 explains the Source card - the "one card in the SoulCollage deck [that] symbolizes the Oneness of All Things, the Neter beyond Neters" (Frost).  

• Chapter 11 shows us how to tap into our inner wisdom read from our cards using the I-Am-One-Who process.
  

Reflect

Who are the many personalities that reside within you?  If you stop and think for a moment, you can probably easily name the most familiar voices that speak to you and guide you throughout your day.  These voices - some positive, some negative, others neutral - belong to your Committee Members, who represent the various aspects of the whole self.  The value of identifying your Committee, creating cards and naming each one is significant; this process allows you to gain a deeper understanding of your self, and it provides an opportunity to recognize the worth of each aspect of who you are, even those aspects that seem negative. Chapter 5 contains several lists of different kinds of Committee Members that you may or may or not recognize as your own.  You might find it useful to look at them as a way to get started.

  

Process

• Create the space you need to allow your intuition room to expand and be free.  This could mean setting up a physical area in your home where you will create your cards as well as setting the environment that puts you in a receptive, creative place.  You will know what works best for you!

• Spend a few minutes meditating on your intention to allow your intuition to guide you.  Tell your Inner Censor to be still as you begin the important work of discovering and naming your Committee members. 

• And now... reflect, discover and identify your Committee!  You may want to start by using your journal to intuitively list the different personalities that call to you from within, or you might want to go through your collected images and allow Committee members to discover you.   

• You can also learn more about your Committee by doing the exercise described on page 16.  Make a diagram of various sizes, gathered around a table.  Imagine that the Committee members from your list are sitting around discussing how to manage your life.  The most prominent members would go in the larger circles whereas the smaller, quieter members would go in the smaller circles.

• Now it's time to create some Committee cards. Allow your images to call to you and collage them intuitively.  You may find that you want to gather more images; that's perfectly fine!  Collecting images is an ongoing practice. 

• Be sure to create separate cards for each voice, honoring each member and its particular energy individually.  When you create a card, try to name it as you listen to what it wants to tell you.   

• Use the I-Am-One-Who process (on page 75) to read and speak from your card.  If you wish to share your cards with the group, you can also use this process to explain your card to the group.

• As always - if you are called to create a card or cards that do not coincide with this week's prompt, please go forward!  If you create a card that's mysterious, just go with the process and allow it to reveal itself to you when the time is right.  Each week's prompts are only meant as guides; not limits!  

Share

• Are there any images or cards you would like to share?
• Who are your Committee Members and what do they say?
• What did you discover in this weeks process ?

When you're ready to share, post your static link below, and don't forget to leave a comment as well! Have a beautiful and creative week! 

Namaste,