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.
Family of Origin Card
I was inspired to make this card by my friend Lis who
transitioned this summer.
Several
years ago in our SoulCollage® circle, she shared that she had made
a card for each of her children, AND she had made a card that had
all of her children plus herself on it, representing her family. It
had never occurred to me to put more than one person on a Community
card, and I found that I loved this idea. So I decided to create
something similar for my family of origin (see above).
The images on the left side of the card are of my parents (in the
front), and my two big brothers (Joe and John) on either side of me
in the back. This is from about 30 years ago, so don't laugh!
The images on the right side of the card are of my 2 nieces and
nephews surrounding me. This was from about 20 years ago. Again, no
laughing!
When I first created this card, it said to me:
We are the ones who are your family. We are your family of
origin, from whom you were birthed into the world. We are the ones
who love you unconditionally. Mom and Dad, Joe and John, Mike and
Pete, Allison and Stephanie. You are one of us. We are your
original tribe. Our message for you today is this: We love you. We
support you. We carry you with us and you carry us with you,
wherever you go. We love you.
This card has shown up in my Daily Readings at various times,
usually when I am going through some kind of a struggle, and it is
a blatant yet joyful reminder to me that I am loved, that I am not
alone, that my life began in love and that this love continues. In
July of this year I drew this card in a Daily Reading right after
an invasive and painful breast biopsy. Here is what it said to me
then:
We are the ones who are your home base. We are the ones who
birthed you into the world. We are the ones who formed shelter
around you when you were young. We are the ones who are your
Family.
Our message for you today is this- we are older now, and two of
us are gone, but we are still here for you. We love you and think
you are wonderful. Please carry our love with you in your heart and
in your wounded body. All is well. You have foundation of Family
beneath you.
I strongly encourage you all to create a similar card for your own
SoulCollage® Deck. Keep in mind that if your own family of origin
was not loving or safe for you, that it doesn't have to be a card
that represents them. Think of a group of people who are caring and
supportive, who accept you exactly as you are no matter what. Make
a card for that group of people. Allow their presence and energy to
speak to you.
Also note that you can imagine this family, this group, these
people in your heart, and sit down and do the "We are the ones
who..." exercise even BEFORE you make a card for them! I think
you'll find that this is a powerful way to stay connected to your
own unique community.
Anne Marie Bennett is a writer, self-taught
artist, website goddess, cancer survivor, and SoulCollage®
Facilitator / Trainer who was mentored directly by Seena Frost. In
2005, she fell in love with SoulCollage® and was inspired to use
her professional experience along with Internet technology as a
means to serve the world by putting SoulCollage® "out there" in a
really big way with KaleidoSoul. Anne Marie lives in eastern
Massachusetts with her middle-aged husband, two elderly cats and
one youthful dog who keeps them all young. You can read more about
her on her website annemariebennett.com or on
her blogs Inner
Surprises, and Standing
Still.
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OUR NEXT TELE-CLASS
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Guest
Column: Cat Caracelo |
I am Cat Caracelo,M.A., a SoulCollage® facilitator, life coach and
transformative artist from Petaluma, California, in the San
Francisco Bay Area. 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.
The Family Dance
There is a beautiful, complex and nuanced dance that takes place
within each of our lives. It is the dance of self,
relationship, love, perception and connection. I have had many
experiences with my family dance. I find this method of seeing,
moving into conscious alignment with myself, is a rich source of
information to guide me, as I live my life out loud.
Through our histories and stories, we move and find our
way. Within our families and communities, we circle and sway.
Whether large, small, chosen, extended, found, gathered or birthed
we dance the family dance with self and with others. In
SoulCollage® the Community Suit provides a wonderful invitation to
honor and explore our own dance.
How do I dance my spiral of experience in SoulCollage®?
It took me some time to dive into my family connections through my
cards. I spent a great deal of time exploring other parts of myself
but eventually found my way to family. I began with honoring and
simply creating cards for the important people in my life. Some
relationships were more challenging than others but each card
represented an important part of my life. I chose intuitively,
initially making a card for each of my children, my ex-husband, my
brother and mother. Later, I expanded out into the spiral dance
with cards for my grandchildren, parents, friends, birth mother,
unknown ancestors, pets and important mentors.
As I began to explore the Community Suit through these cards, I
found that I was deeply delving into the complexities of
relationships, myths and stories. Card-making for this suit was
more purposeful, as I gathered myself, energetically, to create
cards for people I loved. I found myself moving into a gentle
rocking rhythm as I sifted and sorted images. Although I was
focused on a specific person, I found myself following the images
where they led me.
I am a mother, and my first cards spoke to me with the voices of my
teenagers. I found that my images held layers of life stories,
truths which I recognized as belonging to the individual. They
surprised me, too, the images that gathered themselves - often
speaking to me of how I was dancing or struggling, with myself, in
relationship to my loved one.
A card I created about my son (Jake) resonated with this sense of
deep layering. At the time, he was navigating the middle teen years
and struggling to find himself. Not academically oriented, Jake
retained the sweetness of a strong-willed toddler who had loved me
beyond measure. Yet I felt emerging the flaming heart of a budding
warrior, an attribute that matched the energy of my brother. The
crooked path marked my son's patterns and that image was present in
his SoulCollage® card, as were images of the deep cavern, a lit
headlamp navigating the darkness, a toy knight and a chubby
toddler. Flying birds from my brother's card found their way onto
my son's card. This card told me of my son's life path, and my own.
It showed me how to be in relationship with him as he was
navigating new pathways and it informed me of my fears and
assumptions. I was grateful for this insight and have danced with
the card for many years.
I have found that the cards I create for some of my family members
and circles, particularly the important women in my life, have
often held so much content that I have created several cards for
one person. I find that a card will tell me, "This is not all that
needs to be shown," and this sense will alert me to a new card
waiting to be made. The cards, placed side by side, each exemplify
the different ages, life experience and voices that are important for me to recognize and hear. This practice, of working
with multiple aspects of my community, has gifted me with
recognizing and honoring the impact of time passing as well as the
richness of working with layers of stories, perspective,
relationships and voices that are unique at specific ages.
The influence of my relationships and our family myths color my
cards and my life. These are the stories that are created through
the lens of my experience and perception. Invite yourself to play
and explore the community suit - experience family in new ways and
may the richness of your spiral dance meet you well!
Cat Caracelo, M.A. is a Life Coach, SoulCollage® Facilitator
and Artist leading individuals and groups in transformative
process. Cat has been working with SoulCollage® since 2007,
offering regular workshops in her Gypsyheart Studio and global
Mythos workshops using SoulCollage® and transformative art to
explore personal myth, life-stories and life-stage
transitions.
For more information about Cat or to request your free Exploring
Mythos e-Book, please visit her website, www.catcaracelo.com or her blog
Finding Gypsy.
You can also find out more about Cat's latest online tele-series,
Stringing
Stories on this page. .
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Upcoming SoulCollage® Retreats
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NEW MEXICO
SoulCollage® at Ghost Ranch
Ghost Ranch, Abiquiu, New
Mexico
October 2-8, 2011
Facilitator: Kat Kirby
Immerse yourself in the soul-satisfying process of SoulCollage® for
a wonderful week in the beautiful landscape of northern New Mexico.
This is Georgia O'Keeffe country, where she lived and painted.
Discover your soul's true voice as you enter the beautiful world of
imagery and intuition. You will learn how you can consult your
cards for self-exploration and understanding. The SoulCollage®
process recognizes the One-ness of our existence as well as the
Many parts of ourselves. This workshop is perfect for beginners and
for those who have already started their SoulCollage® journey. Kat
Kirby, Registered Art Therapist, SoulCollage® Facilitator and
Trainer, and workshop leader from San Diego, will be your
guide.
Registration Info Here
MASSACHUSETTS
SoulCollage® - Doorway to Your Inner Wisdom
Rowe, MA
October 21-23, 2011
Facilitator: Maggie
Cahoon
Fall foliage, SoulCollage® card making and readings, ritual and
ceremony, fun and laughter. Please join us for a SoulCollage®
retreat at Rowe Conference Center in the beautiful Berkshire
mountains of western MA. We will dive deep into delicious
card-making and we'll learn how to access information hidden within
the cards. Through this process of soul tending, you are invited to
give visual expression to the unique parts of your life and
discover and nourish the seeds of your destiny. No previous
artistic experience is necessary to create magnificent cards. For
beginners as well as experienced SoulCollagers. Come fall in love
with your cards and yourself!
Registration Info Here
HAWAII
Women's SoulCollage® Retreat
Kihei, Hawaii
November 2-7, 2011
Facilitator: Rona Smith and Suzy Allegra
Explore inner life in Paradise! If you want to re-energize your
creative soul, discover your deepest being, and have a fun,
meaningful vacation, this is for you!
At our retreat, you will:
- Gain clarity, understanding, and acceptance
- Find direction and inner strengths
- Discover the myths of Hawaii to broaden your scope of helpful
neters
- Learn rituals created exclusively for our retreat
Spend five days exploring your inner world, while you discover
magical Maui. Smell the fragrant air, stroll the beautiful beaches,
dip in the warm Pacific and walk an evocative labyrinth. This will
be a retreat you will never forget!
Registration Info
Here
GUATEMALA
SoulCollage® and Yoga Retreat
Lake Atitlan, Guatemala
February 4-11, 2012
Facilitator: Laura Hansen
On this retreat, daily gentle yoga and expressive movement will
open our bodies and support our creative unfolding. Meditation
practices will open our hearts. And the SoulCollage® process will
deepen our connection with our innate wisdom. To soak in the riches
of the beautiful and gentle Guatemalan culture, there will be
outings and excursions to visit nearby traditional Mayan villages,
artisan markets, a women's weaving collective, and market towns.
There will be abundant free time for card making, swimming or
kayaking in the lake, lying in a hammock amidst the lush gardens,
receiving a massage, journaling, or reading a book.
Registration
Info Here
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CONTACT US:
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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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