Soul Treasures
Discovering the depths of our precious inner beauty through SoulCollage®
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KaleidoSoul's Members-Only Weekly Newsletter
Issue #12- June 19, 2006
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Quotation of the Week
More of your brain is involved when reading than it is when you watch television... because you are supplying just about everything...You're a creator. ---Margaret Atwood
Inner Journeys
with Anne Marie Bennett
Integrating the Practice of SoulCollage® into Your Daily Life
I See You
 I have always had a love affair with books. As far back as my memory takes me, I have never been without the pleasure of a good book. Go on vacation without one? Never! Live in a world without libraries and bookstores? Impossible!
In fact, one year I actually found a job in a bookstore... my dream job, or so I thought. I only lasted nine months before I realized that I was spending more than I was earning (that 33% discount was not to be sneered at!) and chose to leave.
For me, books have always stimulated my imagination, and I cherish every moment of a good read, where I get to be the "creator" along with the author, as Margaret Atwood states above.
However, I beg to differ with her sentiment just a little bit, because I have found that television can also be a great stimulator of the imagination, especially when it comes to SoulCollage practice.
There are numerous characters on television who portray archetypes or universal themes that you might recognize in your own life. Think of Sophia on The Golden Girls, Samantha on Sex and the City, Maxine on Judging Amy... to name only a very few. Also, there are some television shows that speak directly to the imagination. Remember Joan of Arcadia, Ally McBeal, Touched by an Angel?
I never watched Judging Amy when it was on prime time, but this past
 winter while recovering from the flu, I discovered the reruns during daytime television, and was quickly hooked. I particularly was affected by recognizing Maxine as being the kind of mother I never had (and I even added an image of her onto my Good Mother SoulCollage card).
Also, there is one scene from this show that went straight from my imagination and into my heart, where it will stay always, because it illustrated for me the kind of compassion we are to have with all of our inner voices. For weeks and months, my therapist had been trying to get me to be welcoming and kind and nonjudgemental whenever a particularly dark or shadowy voice would make itself heard inside of me (which, as you know, can be often!). I found this a hard concept to grasp, until I saw this one episode, and everything shifted into focus.
In this scene, Amy is in the courtroom in her Judge's robes, listening to the case of a young teenager who is in trouble with the law for something minor. As she tries to question him, he alternates between hiding his head in his shirt to hollering expletives at her (talk about a dark and shadowy voice!). He tells her that she might as well send him away because no one ever hears him or sees him, and he knows that is what happens to "kids like me."
As she patiently listens to this boy interact with his father, it becomes apparent that the boy's mother has left them, and both of them are angry and grieving this unexpected loss. Finally, Amy sends the father out of the room for a few minutes, and faces the boy, who has hidden his head underneath his jacket. She simply sits with him and lets him be. In the face of this patient waiting, the boy tentatively stops hiding, and makes eye contact with her for the first time. "I see you...." she says, and in her voice is the kindness and compassion that my therapist was telling me about. "I see you....."
So just that one little scene from a popular tv show now resides in my soul. And whenever I'm faced with one of those more difficult inner Committee members, I remember this scene. I remember Amy's posture, the look in her eyes, and the sound of her voice. And I too am able to say, "I hear you...." to the darker parts of my soul.
Reflection activity of the week: Think of your favorite television shows. Which ones stimulate your imagination as well as entertain you? Choose a favorite character on television and conduct an imaginary conversation with them (either in your mind's eye, or in your journal). What can you learn from them? What gifts do they bring you? And lastly (but not leastly!), the next time you are confronted by one of your darker "voices," make it a point to sit still with him/her and patiently listen to their whole story. See if you can get to the inner place where you can sit with it with the intention of NOT sending it away. See if you can say, "I hear you...." with compassion and non-judgement to this often misunderstood part of your soul.
SoulCollage Expressions
Idea of the Week
Instead of using an old magazine as a base for gluing images onto cards, I use an old phone book. This works great for gluing on, then I simply flip a page for another clean surface.
--from Emily in California
We'd love to hear from you!
Question of the Week
Is it okay to add an image or two to a card after I've finished it?
It most certainly is! I have done this many times with my own cards. This comes in time as you build your deck. Someone at a recent Facilitator's Training said that it's like she has a personal relationship with each of her cards, and I find that very true for myself as well. I was present at each card's birth.... and as I grow, so does the meaning of the card. Sometimes this means that I need to add something to the card. Sometimes it means I need to make another card for the same idea or theme. Remember, it's your deck! Do whatever you need to do to make it a radiant, true reflection of your soul!
Have a question about SoulCollage®
that you'd like answered?
Send your questions to members@KaleidoSoul.com.
We'll try to use your question
(along with an answer, of course!)
in an upcoming issue of Soul Treasures.
Soul Friends
The voice of a different Kindred Spirit each week!
Lee Ann O'Neal
Gilroy, CA
As a psychotherapist and meditation teacher, I was drawn to SoulCollage for its capacity for depth work that is fun and easily accessible, which draws upon and builds on each person's strengths. I work mainly with women and children, and hope through my work, to provide a safe container for exploring the existential mysteries of being human.
What I like best about SoulCollage is that it encourages a creative approach to soul work that is positive and affirming, and draws upon our inner wisdom. This is empowerment!
SoulCollage is making a difference in my life in two ways:
On a personal level, it allows me to intuitively create an image for what is happening "below the surface," which helps me integrate the subconscious aspects of my being into consciousness.
On a professional level, it allows me the opportunity to offer women a creative way to discover their inner depths. I work to offer a safe, contained space for groups of women to share with and encourage one another, in order to appreciate who they truly are.
My advice to someone just starting to practice SoulCollage is to appreciate the process, not the product. Although beautiful cards will be created, the richness comes through the process of creating, journaling, and sharing what is discovered.
When I make my cards, I usually do not have an idea about their particular suit. Sometimes the images are obvious (such as The Great Mother, below). I simply allow the images to find me-- if I am drawn to a particular image, I will use it. I allow the card to take shape as it will. Some of my cards are finished right away, but many are unfinished after the initial card making (I feel there is something needed, but do not know what). When I find an image that seems to fit, I will add it to the card.
I find that the card making and the "I Am One Who" exercise is not a linear process, but one which invites ongoing reflection and dialogue with the images. While card making, I do not work from an analytical perspective at all, it is completely intuitive for me. Journaling about the card and what it brings up helps bridge the left & right brain process.
You can read more about my work, and see some more of my SoulCollage cards at my website (click on SoulCollage Gallery when you get there).
Here are 2 of my favorite SoulCollage® cards:
 Kwan Yin
Suit- Council
I Am One Who is graceful and filled with compassion that flows through me into life's eternal garden.
The Great Mother
Suit- Council
I Am One Who holds creation deep within me, ready to give birth to the god-in-all.
Want to share your SoulCollage story and cards with other
KaleidoSoul Kindred Spirits?
Send them to members@kaleidosoul.com.
We'd love to hear from YOU!
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're having trouble viewing the Home Page in the above link, try this Text-Only Kindred Spirits Home Page.
And remember, as a Kindred Spirit... everything in the Kindred Spirits Shop is 50% off!
If you missed the Tele-Playshop last week, don't worry, you can listen to it now! Freeing Your Imagination with SoulCollage is in your Audio Library.
The next Tele-Playshop is on July 12 at 7:30 pm (EST). We're trying out a variety of days and times to see what is best for everyone. More details in July....stay tuned!
 Soul Nourishment
Books, movies, music, & websites to support your inner work as you dive deeper into your soul....
Books:
The Queen's Cloak- A Myth for Mid-Life, by Joan Chamberlain Engelsman. Talk about using your imagination! Using the timeless form of the classic fairy tale, Engelsman creates a story about our own life's unfolding. You'll identify with this story, guaranteed.
Guided Meditations, Explorations and Healings, by Stephen Levine. Techniques for deep exploration of the mind/body connection. Topics of these guided meditations include: sacred journeys, forgiveness, choosing a teacher, the moment, taking the first step, eating, addiction, grief, healing, letting pain float, opening the heart, and many more.
Music:
Bathhouse Betty, by Bette Midler. You HAVE to listen to the song I'm Beautiful on this CD!!! I love to turn it up really loud and Dance to it every so often, just as a reminder. (The preview you can listen to on Amazon doesn't play the best part, where she sings over and over I'm beautiful, I'm beautiful, I'm beautiful, damnit!)
Wind and Mountain, by Deuter. Soft and soothing, excellent for guided imagery, massage, simple relaxation after a busy day.
Movies:
Joan of Arcadia, Season One- TV series on DVD. This is my favorite television show of all time; I actually cried a little when I heard they were taking it off the air. Follow teenager Joan as she travels through her life with God appearing to her in many different guises. Very different from touched by an angel, but eloquent and real as far as everyday spirituality is concerned.
Websites:
Stretch Your Imagination
with an
Artella E-workshop!
You'll find an awesome variety here... something for everyone, including YOU! Here are a few that I have tried and loved:
The Gratitude Garland,
Accounting Your Blessings,
Creative Manifestival,
Red Chair Recordings, and
World of Pretend. See which one is right for you, and go play!
The Art Room- this site was designed for kids, but why not let your inner child artist click into it and see what happens!
Operation Iraqi Children- Enlist your community organization, church, or school in a collection drive for badly needed school supplies for children in
Iraq
. Use this site for a list of needed items, creative ideas, and a shipping address. My husband's nephew is currently serving in the Army in
Iraq
and he frequently sends photos via email of his unit passing out toys and candy to the children in the area. Just a simple reminder that children are mere bystanders in this war.
Spinning the fragments of your world
into wholeness and beauty
through SoulCollage®
Published by KaleidoSoul.com
and Anne Marie Bennett.
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Inner Journeys, copyright 2006,
Anne Marie Bennett
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