Soul Treasures
Discovering the depths of our precious inner beauty through SoulCollage®
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KaleidoSoul's Members-Only Weekly Newsletter
Issue #41 January 8, 2007
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Quotation of the Week
Because I know that life is a journey, I must accept that pain and confusion are temporary. I know that if I follow my heart, it will lead me where I belong. ---Josh Groban
Inner Journeys
with Anne Marie Bennett
Integrating the Practice of SoulCollage® into Your Daily Life
Celebrating the Past
 One of my favorite New Year traditions is reading through my journals from the year before. I do this because it grounds me into my personal journey in a way that nothing else does, by allowing me a look into my past from a different vantage point (this present moment).
In several ways, 2006 was a difficult year for me so I wasn't really looking forward to reading those journals this time. But last week I intentionally created some sacred time and space to do it anyway, and what I discovered surprised me in a really big way.
Yes, I read through those difficult times- losing our beloved cat Scooter, struggling to get a new internet business off dry land and afloat, gaining weight back that I thought was lost for good, finally setting some boundaries with a difficult stepson, giving up many hours of precious solitude and work time to be with a friend who needed help dealing with a difficult illness....
And yes, I cringed and I cried as I read through my words of pain and anger and grief and confusion.
But guess what? Woven in with the woundedness (and very loud opinions from those darker inner voices) was so much beauty and golden grace that I am still walking around in somewhat of a daze!
2006 may have held much sorrow and struggle for me, but it also held joy and growth and precious blessings: a successful summer SoulCollage retreat, several days at Kripalu in October, a special new friendship, my 50th birthday celebration, our renovated living room, a deepening of another friendship, new authors discovered, an unforgettable trip to Hawaii, all 3 of Jeff's children finally on their own, and last but not least- our beautiful new granddaughter, Victoria Grace.
This awareness has given me a whole new way to look at last year, and a whole new way to look forward to this one that is ahead of me now.
Reflection activities of the week: Spend a little time this week looking back over 2006. You can do this by reading through last year's journals, slowly viewing any SoulCollage cards you made last year, looking at your art journals from last year and/or making a timeline of the important events of 2006 (both bright and dark). Take some meditation time to really focus on the Josh Groban quote above. In what ways are you following your heart? Can you see and accept that following your heart means that sometimes your life path will lead you through deep dark valleys as well as high mountains flooded with sunshine?
SoulCollage Expressions
Idea of the Week
You know the candles that come in the apothecary type jars? Well, the heavy glass lid makes an excellent brayer. It's heavy, smooth and easy to hold. I put a sheet of wax paper over it so I don't catch or tear the edges, and smooth away! The other night I used it as a weight on a smaller area. I just glued wax paper over it, smoothed it with the candle jar lid, pulled up the wax paper to wipe the excess off, then put a clean area of wax paper over the image I wanted to make sure stayed down. Then I left it on top of the image. It was like a paperweight! (from Cheryl in IL) Question of the Week
What is the best way to strike a balance on the spectrum from: denying the darker aspects of life, accepting the darker aspects of life, and becoming lost in the darker aspects of life?
What a profound question you are asking..... and I'm not really sure if I have "the" answer... I only know what MY answer is about dealing with the darker sides of my cards/life as opposed to ignoring them, and as opposed to getting stuck in them.
For me, SoulCollage has been the only way I've ever been able to express these darker parts of my personality. In fact, for a few years before I started SoulCollage, my therapist had been talking with me about it, but until I actually found images that represented these inner thoughts and feelings, I really didn't understand what she meant.
I've been creating my SoulCollage deck for almost two years now, and there are quite a few cards in there that I haven't interpreted or worked with yet. Every day I draw two cards from my deck, and I trust the random divinity in this process: that when I am ready to work with a particular aspect of myself, it will show up in one of my daily readings. This is how, for me, the balance happens. In this way I don't focus completely on the darker sides of my inner voices. And also, in this way, there is no way that I can ignore them either.
Soul Friends
The voice of a different Kindred Spirit each week!
Judy Copp
Marblehead, Massachusetts
I've been doing SoulCollage less than a year, so I'm a beginner, but I'm hooked!. I found SoulCollage by reading an article by Anne Marie and then taking a workshop with her.
I like the simplicity of SoulCollage, and creating the cards really does feed my soul. The process helps me to express the many ways spirit touches me. My cards focus on nature, meditation, and sacred beings and places. Also transformation and mysticism. I create cards that evoke a feeling of peace and open my heart.
I draw a card each week to place on my altar. Sometimes just a glance at the card brings a smile to my face and joy to my heart. I like keeping a pile of images from magazines, catalogs and calendars and then checking the pile after a while to look at what I've saved. There are usually themes to work with, and then the cards seem to create themselves, sometimes very quickly.
I'm looking forward to creating cards for the Companions Suit using some of the animal images I've saved. I also like the writing process of "I am the one who."
The images bring a creative spark to the words, and I'm gaining back my love of poetry and prose.
Here are 2 of my favorite SoulCollage® cards:
Fantasy Bath
Suit: Committee
I am the one wanting warm water to dampen the chatter in my mind; to feel as fluid as fish and to settle like a drop into the sea.
I am the one who swishes my mermaid tail to flow with fluidity through life and longings, and flies with butterfly wings to the realm of the angels and looks back at the sea
and above to heaven
and knows all is well
in the peace
of one perfect moment.
Fantasy
Bath
is my most whimsical card. It brings out my love of finding some moments of peace through self care, especially warm baths. The fluidity in the card reminds me to stay in the flow, release tension in body and mind and come to stillness. The stillness is wonderfully reflected in the single drop of water.
Earth Buddha
Suit- Council
I am the one who enters the heights
and the depths
and the breadth of my being.
I seek silence
to hear my soul speak.
I witness sacredness from behind closed eyes
and the current of breath.
Mountains are inside me;
shining, strong and stable.
Trees grow in me, teaching the deep roots of truth.
The sky is my mind's eye
showing me I am little; and I am infinite.
I am the one who opens my own tiny bud of consciousness.
Alas! I am awake!
Earth Buddha is one of my most simple and favorite cards. It is only one image, the Buddha, pasted over a glorious view of high mountains. The colors blend, making Buddha seem as if he is part of the earth...another mountain. The image silences my mind and grounds me in my body. It also evokes my sense of strength, balance and the possibility of spiritual awakening.
Kindred Spirits
Member News
Making the most of your KaleidoSoul Membership
Keep track of all of your member benefits on the Kindred Spirits Home Page.
If you ever forget your Member's Password, just email annemarie@kaleidosoul.com.
Other Things You Need to Know:
Save 30% on all remaining KaleidoSoul 2007 Desk Calendars- New Year's Sale, January 1-31 only, and just for you! Instead of $8.00, they are now $5.60 each, only for members! Not only do these nifty little calendars remind you of the date, they keep your soul focused on what's important. Grab one while they last. Limited quantities available.
Upcoming Tele-Playshops
January:
Creating A "Future Me" Card
with special guest Karen Mann, SoulCollage Facilitator in Melbourne, Australia
Start your new year off right with this fun exercise that helps you to visualize your "future self". This tele-playshop will explore the power of using affirmations and visually depicting what you really want. It will include a guided visualisation where you will meet your "future self."
Date: Monday January 15, 2007
Time: 6 pm EST
February:
Extra! Extra! Write All About It
Join us as we talk about (and experience!) using creative writing as a tool to go deeper into your SoulCollage cards/deck. I'll have lots of ideas to share, and we'll actually try doing a few of them during this tele-playshop. Even if you don't consider yourself a "writer," this session will get you excited about writing with your cards for the purpose of your own self-discovery.
Date: Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Time: 7 pm EST
Save the dates now. The tele-playshops are FR*EE for all members, always! We'll send you the phone number to call in upcoming issues of Soul Treasures. And remember, don't worry if you can't attend... we'll be recording them and you can listen to them anytime in your Member's Only Audio Library.
 2007 SoulCollage Retreat-
Creating Inner Sanctuary with SoulCollage
May 4-6, 2007 in beautiful Essex, MA
Join us for three days of creativity, community, and renewal as we explore the depths of SoulCollage at this beautiful retreat center located in the lush forest of Essex County, near the ocean. There will be lots of time for card making, sharing our cards and stories, and readings with our decks.
There are only 4 spaces left out of 15. Does one of them have YOUR name on it? Give yourself a New Year's gift that you'll never forget.
Details about the Retreat, the Essex Conference Retreat Center, and registration.
Soul Nourishment
Books, movies, music, & websites to support your inner work as you dive deeper into your soul....
Books:
The War of Art, by Steven Pressfield. Ever read a book where you want to underline and highlight practically every sentence? This was one of those for me. It's really about resistance... so if you're familiar with one of those inner parts that seems to resist/block you whenever you try to do something good for yourself, you really need to read this book. I've read it once, but I'll be reading it again and again. Pressfield gave me incredible insight into this inner voice called Resistance, and I'm now looking for images to create a card to honor it. Before I read The War of Art, I had no idea how much of my life this part of me was controlling.
The Artist's Soul: Daily Nourishment to Support Creative Growth, by Linda Coons. This little book of daily readings is a must-have for anyone who seeks to create (that's US!).
Music:
Awake, by Josh Groban. This is Groban's newest and what can I say except.. I love it! His voice is as rich and expressive as Andrea Bocelli's. This is beautiful background music for driving and/or creating. My favorite song on this one is called You Are Loved (Don't Give Up). Play it when you're feeling down and I swear you'll believe that angels are surrounding you.
 Don't forget to check out CDBaby.com, a great new place to buy cd's. Their New Age section is a must for all serious SoulCollagers! Their customer service is unsurpassed and they stock cd's from over 158,000 artists. Great selections, great prices, friendly people, and a good deal on shipping. What more could you want?
Websites:
Light a Candle- A beautiful sacred ritual to do online! Try it and see... doesn't cost a thing!
Goofy Goddess- This bright and beautiful site is perfect for women everyone. It's a site in progress, so keep them bookmarked. And don't forget to sign up for the Wahoo Newsletter!
Ideal Bite, A Sassier Shade of Green- Simple, fun advice for anyone who wants to live and be eco-friendly.
Spinning the fragments of your world
into wholeness and beauty
through SoulCollage®
Published by KaleidoSoul.com
and Anne Marie Bennett.
Please do not reproduce or forward
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Inner Journeys, copyright 2006,
Anne Marie Bennett
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