Committee Cards

By Anne Marie Bennett

Many Hats

scmanyhatsThis is a card that I made intuitively, being first drawn to the woman with all the hats on her head. Soon after, I found the image behind her, of the stack of colorful hats, so I knew they belonged together. I went in search of some background images to place behind the woman and the hats, and voila! This came together so easily, and she spoke to me quickly and easily also.

Who are you?

I am the one who is striding forward easily and effortlessly even though I am wearing many hats.

I am the one who has several hats balanced on my head.

I am the one who is smiling as I move forward.

I am the one who likes all of the hats that I wear.

What do you have to give me?

I give you the knowing that it is perfectly all right to wear so many hats.

I give you the gift of balance as you walk through your life.

 

What is your message for me today?

My message for you today is this: name and wear your many Hats with pride and delight. Each Hat has been given to you for a reason, never forget this!

Fearless

Fearless (Committee Suit): You need more confidence. You need less worry and fear.

I am the one who runs quickly forward without any fear.

I am the one who is strong and might and resilient.

I am the one who faces life in a forward motion courageously because I know that I am strong and resilient. I also know that I am safe and protected.

I am the one who takes big steps when I need to take big steps.

My message for you today is this- you have been fearless in so many things on your journey- facing difficult stepchildren, keeping your marriage going, your parents’ deaths, cancer, the deaths of your beloved felines, writing and publishing fiction, starting a business . . .

Now it is time to be fearless in claiming time for yourself for rest and renewal and softening and self-connection. This is a different kind of fearlessness, a different kind of courage, but still. . . It is time to active my energy more and more.

Angry Annie

Sometimes I visualize all of my “inner voices” as residing in a big castle. Each one has its own room and sometimes I visualize (in meditation or in writing) myself there, exploring the rooms and the part of me that inhabits each one.Ā 

I am the one who is so angry I am destructive. I am the one who can’t control my anger. I am the one who hurts others with my anger.

One day several years ago, while exploring my inner castle, I found myself in the “dungeon,” so to speak, and guess what?Ā  There are some parts of me that I’ve locked up down there because other parts have been stronger, or because I just haven’t known how to interact with them.

Angry Annie is one of those parts.

On that day several years ago, I imagined myself taking her hand in the dungeon and inviting her to go with me “upstairs” into my world and into my life.Ā  “Just for the day,” I promised her.Ā  I can’t even begin to tell you what a difference it made!

And it just so happened that that very same day, my husband did something that REALLY pissed me off on a very deep level (not just surface stuff being activated, but many years of stepfamily issues rising to the surface).Ā  As I was feeling my blood boil, I remembered Angry Annie and that she was with/beside me for the day.

It was as if I’d really been set free.Ā  I was able to speak my anger to my husband without being consumed by it, and believe me…. this was a brand new experience for me!

I didn’t do any journaling with her right away. At that time, it was enough that I had invited her out of the dungeon and into my everyday world. It was enough that I was becoming aware of the times when anger rise, and offering compassion and curiosity to this part of me instead of shutting her away in the dungeon of my inner castle.

I believe a lot of it has to do with social conditioning around the subject of anger. It’s not nice to be angry is a message that seems to be prevalent.Ā  Growing up, I saw my mother lash out with her anger…. and I saw my father repress his completely.Ā  I chose his way because her way was hurtful.Ā  But I have learned that there is a different way.Ā 

At first I was actually afraid of Angry Annie, but now I see that she isn’t here to hurt me or anyone else in my life. She is here to shine light on injustice and to help me forge the way to my own best self.

Have you made a card for the part of you who feels the emotion of anger now and then? My card, above, shows Angry Annie out of balance. I still need to make a card for her when she is IN balance. There is something powerful about anger in balance as a way to fairness and justice and a righting of wrongs.

Share with me below! I’d love to hear your thoughts on this subject and how you go about keeping your inner Angry One in balance.

Cat Whisperer’s Wisdom on Aging

After watching my mother-in-law’s slow decline and eventual death last year, I turned to my deck for help/guidance with my own aging process. This card in particular spoke wisdom and clarity.

Who Are You?

I am the one who loves cats and holds them close to my heart.

I am the one who understands cats.

am the one who has been blessed over the years with the safe-keeping of five cats (and one dog).

I am the one who receives comfort and peace from the felines who have joined me on my journey.

What Do You Have to Say to Me Today?

What I say to you about your aging is this…. you have watched four of those cats (and one dog) as they aged, and you have guided them through their own aging process. The cat currently in your safe-keeping is showing preliminary signs of aging now.

You have learning that there is no stopping the aging, no matter what you do.

I urge you to care for your own body and spirit as carefully and wisely and lovingly as you cared for Sasha, Scooter, Minnie, Suzy, Seymour, and as you are now caring for Louis.

Does any of this resonate with you? Do you have a card in your own deck that whispers wisdom to you about your own aging? Please share below!

Radical Acceptance

Who are you?

I am the one who bows down to What Is.

I am the one who lets the flow of life surround me.

I am the one whose fingers point UP even when life brings me DOWN.

What is your message for me today?

My message for you today is this: breathe into the moment., breathe into the day.Ā  Allow whatever comes to flow around and through you. Fighting against “what is” only causes more stress and heartache.

Questions to Ponder

question markFeel free to explore one or more of these questions in your journal, or respond in the comments below.

1. What message does my Radical Acceptance card have for YOU today?

2. What does the phrase “radical acceptance” mean to you?

3. How do you point your spirit UP when life brings you DOWN?