0310

InnerJourneys

with Anne MarieBennett

Integrating the Practice of SoulCollage® into Your DailyLife

Focus

After several years of decreasing vision due to a raregenetic eye disorder, my husband Jeff was recently declared "legally blind." This diagnosis did not come as a shock; wewere prepared for it. However, actuallyhearing a doctor say this to us did a number on our emotions. So many factors come into play here... so manyfears... so many questions. And as with most fears, they (and the questions) areall focused on the future.

My husband's doctor helped to point our way out of the fear, however. At one point he told us, "I want you to focuson what you have, not what you don't have." He then proceeded to explain to Jeff that hewas still far ahead on the scale of light versus complete darkness, that therewas still a long way to go before he saw only darkness, if that ever does occur.

This helped Jeff immensely, and immediately turned his fears (and mine) intohope and a brighter outlook. And it mademe stop and think. Perhaps this wouldn'tbe a bad mantra for us every day,even when the distress of such a diagnosis has mellowed into everyday realityfor us.

Focus on what we have, not what we don't have.

When I seriously took a look at my life and made a list of what I don't have...things I thought I wanted and never got, I was amazed at how ludicrous itlooked in light of the list of what I dohave.

So I occasionally allow myself a brief "pity party" and I ameven looking for some images to express this idea of feeling sorry for myselfon a SoulCollage card for my deck. My intention is to allow myself all of myfeelings, including the one of self-pity. But I find it better for my emotional well-being to not dwell on this feeling. I am learning instead to give it space, andto watch it fade.

But most of the time, thanks to the wisdom and kindness of one particulardoctor, I am focusing on what I do have...and the bounty of this flows into the rest of my life like one generous sweetwave of joy.

ReflectionQuestions/Activities: Make your ownlists of what you Don't Have versus what you Do Have. Does either list inspire a SoulCollagecard? Can you let go of continuing tolong for any of the things on your Don't Have list and simply rest in thepresent moment of what you Do Have?

SoulFriends

The Voice of a Different Kindred Spirit EachWeek

Mili Ballard
Rock Hill, South Carolina

I found SoulCollage about three years ago on a brochure withKylea Taylor's "InnerDoor" breathwork book (I'm a breathwork practitioner) and wasimmediately drawn to getting Seena's book and learning more. After making several cards during a time of great personal and professional transition, andrealizing the depth of connection with myself that could come from the cards, Iwas "hooked" forever!

What I like best is that SoulCollage is a beautiful non-exclusive art form that facilitates self discovery and self acceptance andalmost everyone can do it, enjoy it, and feel "successful" in theprocess.

As I continue to create new cards and "speak" fromolder ones, I learn more and more about myself. I have over 400 cards now! Also,my wonderful fiancé became "hooked" on SoulCollage too afterattending several of my workshops under the guise of helping me carry things andsupport my efforts. SoulCollagehas become a deep way for Johnny and me to connect as a couple. As I learnabout me I have a visual way to share with him and he with me. It's reallywonderful and I'm very grateful.

Through my work with SoulCollage I'm finding myself able to "admit,"name, and eventually accept and honor parts of myself that I've not recognizedbefore. I really see SoulCollage as one of my primary tools to bring my ownpersonal shadow into the light for healing and acceptance and love.

I've also recently made about 5 "door" cards that have little doorsthat actually open up. Having the safetyand privacy of the doors, I've been able to reveal some very
deep psychic material and work with it. I am so awed by the healing potential of SoulCollage. Major stuff!

One suggestion I have is to figure out a way to make it"easy" to create your SoulCollage cards by making your materialsreally accessible. I use the "boxmethod." I have a flat rectangular box that easily holds my image file, gluestick, small straight edge cutter, and scissors. I live in a small space so can't keep my supplies spread out in studio fashion. With my "box method" I can easily pull the box out of a handy shelf and work on cards most anytime...and quickly pack everything away to clear my space when I'mfinished. This method allows me to make cards in my bits and pieces ofspare time without creating a big mess or upsetting the others (Johnny &pets) I live with.

Please visit me on my website SoulCollager's Respite.

Here aretwo of Mili's favorite SoulCollage cards:

Die To Being Small
Suit: Committee

I am one who is learning to look in the mirror
and see my fullness, power, and beauty
without diminishing myself.

I made this card to capture the key message I receivedduring a Vision Quest in theInyoMountains ofCalifornia..."Die to beingsmall". I know I often second guess myself and hold back...and part ofme is ready to move through and past those self-imposed limitations.

Making the Cosmic Connection

Suit: Committee

I am one who is reaching to connect my heart and my mind...fulfilling my destiny to make
the cosmicconnection."

I am a student ofastrology and have a huge stellium of planets in my 11th house and another in my fifth house. After making this card intuitively, I realized that the card, if superimposed over my ownnatal chart, shows me reaching from the fifth house (Leo for me - heart,creativity, place of my North Node) to join myself in the 11th house (Aquariusfor me - air sign, mental realm - place of my South Node and many otherplanets). I find the card beautiful and symbolic of my life-long quest to"join" heart and mind as displayed in my natal chart.

SoulCollageExpressions

Idea of the Week

I enjoycollecting and using "small images." I keep them in a couple of those little "Glad" food containers that are about 6" square, randomly (not organized or sorted).

In the containers they don't get lost or crumpled like they might in a drawer or file, and they're easy to go through.
--- from Emily

Kindred Spirits Member News

Making theMost of Your KaleidoSoul Membership

Keep trackof all your Member Benefits on the KindredSpirits Home Page.

If you ever forget your password, please send a

reply emailto this message.

New E-Book in the
KaleidoSoul Shop

KaleidoSoul Recommended Resources for SoulCollagers- 101 pages, almost 700 books, websites, music and movies... all hand-chosen to assist you on your personal SoulCollage journey. These have all been in the first two years' issues of Soul Treasures. And now they are categorized for your soul-searching pleasure. Now in your Kindred Spirits Shop.

Keep yours on your desktop for instant connectionto a world of fun, creativity and answers to your SoulCollagequestions. Or print it out and keep it on your desk as
"the" ultimate reference for your SoulCollage practice.

And don't forget, every single resource has been hand-chosen
to assist you on your SoulCollage journey!

Here are some of the categories covered:

Animals/Nature
Community Suit/Relationships
Companions Suit
Committee Suit/Inner Voices
Archetypes/Council Suit
Personal Growth
SoulCollage
Just for Fun
Creativity/Self-Expression
Art/Images
Spirituality
Women Only
Chakras
Stress Relief/Meditation
Body Issues
Guided Visualizations
Miscellaneous

Price for non-members: $29.00
Price for Members: $14.50

This week- Members save even more.... $12.50.
This price is valid until midnight March 16, 2008.
Purchase now in your Kindred Spirits Shop. Just scroll down to the e-books section. Or send a reply message to this email to get info on sending a check instead.

Upcoming Tele-Classes

March

Getting to Know
Your Inner Child
presented by Anne Marie Bennett,
SoulCollage Facilitator in Massachusetts

Comeexplore this powerful (and often locked away) inner voice. Your innerchild lives inside of you and holds the key to joy and a deep inner

peace, once you hear her and honor her. We'll be taking a Magical

Inner Journey (guided visualization) with our inner children, and doing

a special writing activity to help us learn more about them. Bring

your SoulCollage inner child card (if you have one).

Date: Wednesday, March 19, 2008

Time:

7:00 pm Eastern, 6:00 pm Central, 5:00 pm Mountain,

4:00 pm Pacific, 2:00 pm Hawaiian,

Tuesday midnight. in London,

Tuesday 1 a.m. in Rome, Thursday 11 a.m. in Australia

and Thursday 1 p.m. in New Zealand

Savethe

date now. All of our tele-classes are FR*EE for members, always! And

remember, don't worry if you can't attend... we'll be recordingthem and

you can listen to them anytime in your Member's Only Audio Library.

Upcoming SoulCollage Retreats/Trainings

with Anne Marie Bennett

New England SoulCollage Facilitator Training- August 8-10, 2008 in western

Massachusetts. 1 space left!

If you've been longing to take your SoulCollage practice out into

theworld professionally by becoming an "official" Facilitator, then

pleasejoin us for a beautiful summer weekend at Spirit Fire Retreat Center. There's more information on this KaleidoSoul page .

All Things Bright & Beautiful- April 10-13, 2008 in

Essex,

MA. A

very special weekend retreat focusing on the SoulCollage

AnimalCompanions Suit. Facilitated by Anne Marie Bennett and Anne

Boedecker. If you're longing to bring the wisdom of the Animalsand the

Chakras into your life in a creative way within the personalsafety of

SoulCollage.... please join us! All

teaching sessions are optional, and you can use the time tocreate cards

for all suits of your deck, not just the Companions Suit.

There are only 2 spaces left..

If you've

been thinking about experiencing the joy of SoulCollage for afull

weekend, why not just go ahead and give yourself this very specialgift

now.

Your Companion Animals are waiting for you. Will you join them?

Soul Nourishment

Resources to support your inner work
as you dive deeper
into your beautiful soul

Books:

I Promise Myself, by Patricia Lynn Reilly. This wonderful, wonderful book offers you

step-by-step support to make a vow of faithfulness and love to yourself and

your dreams. Reilly draws upon the 8

parts of a traditional wedding ceremony to help you create your own vows to

yourself, culminating in a sacred ritual that you can perform with yourself or

with a circle of friends.

One Door Away From Heaven, by Dean Koontz. I cannot believe that I've waited 51 years to

read this magnificent author! And I

cannot believe that any other of his books will be as fine and soul-warming as

this one. Yes, Koontz is a suspense

novelist, and this is as suspenseful as they come. But at the heart it is the

story of a wounded child (Leilani) and her indomitable spirit. From now on, I will recommend this book at

all of my SoulCollage workshops that focus on the Community Suit because there

is a war between good and evil going on in this book and the "good" is

represented by a group of mismatched people with only one thing on their minds:

love of Leilani. And if that's not

enough to make you want to dive right in, Koontz refers to God as the "Playful

Presence," and there is one character, a dog, who experiences that Playful

Presence in her dreams... and you will too, when you read this tender, tough,

brilliant novel. I finished it last week

but it lives on in my heart.

The Intention

Experiment, by Lynne McTaggart. Subtitle: Using Your Thoughts to Change Your Life and the World. This is an easy-to-read, comprehensive

overview of the best research on how our intentions can affect our lives and

the world around us.

Art Escapes,

by Dory Kanter. Daily exercises and

inspirations for discovering greater creativity and artistic confidence. This beautiful large-sized book is spiral

bound so it's easy and practical to use. Divided into topics: Assemble Your Supplies for Creativity, Have Fun and

Keep It Simple, Opportunities for Everyday Creative Moments, Putting It All

Into Perspective, Art Assemblage, Collage and Other Inspiring Ideas, Let's Go

Outside and Paint.

Websites:

Self Esteem Quotations on You Tube- Take a few minutes to catch your breath with this one...it will remind you of who you really are.

Wisdom Flash: The Journey- Enjoy a little spiritual break sometime during your busy day.

Animal Photo Archive- Need some images for your Companions suit of your deck? Look no further.

Claudia Olivos- inspiring art by Latin American artist Claudia Olivos.

Spiritual

Cinema Circle- Movies

that will warm your heart, expand your mind, and stir your soul.

More Resources

Ongoing resources that our Kindred Spirit Members

find helpful

Inner

Surprises Blog: Anne Marie's blog full of an

intimate glimpse into her SoulCollage Deck. There also are bimonthly SoulCollage

Challenges posted here. You can read past Challenges by

clicking on "SoulCollage Challenges" in the right

column.

Soul Songs, Your Fr*ee Monthly SoulCollage

Newsletter: The March issue is all about your Inner Child.

You can also read all back issues at the link above. The topics are listed with

each issue, so this is an excellent resource for you as

well.

KaleidoSoul

Community Yahoo Group: This is a safe place

where you can post your cards (if you want), ask your questions, and virtually

"meet" other Kindred Spirits

Final Treasures

Soul Treasures is

brought to you by KaleidoSoul,

Spinning the fragments of your world

into

wholeness and beauty

through SoulCollage.

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 cardmaker's 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.

Published by KaleidoSoul.com

and

Anne Marie Bennett.

Please do not reproduce or forward this newsletter in any

way.

Bennett.

All

rights reserved.

give us feedback,

invite you to send a reply email to this message.