Soul Songs: Your SoulCollage NewsletterSoul Songs
Your SoulCollage® Newsletter

Enabling us to sing the songs
we were born to sing
through the practice
of SoulCollage®
Issue #140  February 2017 Theme:  Committee Suit
Welcome!

Greetings, and welcome to Soul Songs, the official KaleidoSoul Newsletter, and the only monthly newsletter that focuses exclusively on SoulCollage® ideas, resources and artists.
 

Our intention is to fill each issue (and your life) with inspiration, soul-solace and delight. Whether you are new to SoulCollage®, or already immersed in the creation of your deck, Soul Songs is for you.

Please feel free to forward this newsletter to any friends, colleagues, or family members who will enjoy it.

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Read back issues of Soul Songs on this KaleidoSoul page.


Soul Singing with Anne Marie
Anne Marie, the creator of KaleidoSoul.com
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.


Don't Mess with Me

A few years ago I read an interview with Glenn Close and was astonished to discover that she still has the infamous carving knife from the film Fatal Attraction. Not only does she have it, but it is hanging on the wall in her kitchen! She told the journalist that it was her way of reminding herself not to let anyone mess with her.

The knife from the film Fatal Attraction. This invokes a strong image in my mind. Can you picture it in your imagination? Heavy silver metal. Dark wooden handle. Forever stained with blood.

What if we each had something like that hanging in our own kitchens? A visceral, shocking symbol that would remind us that we do indeed have a Committee part inside of us who says, “Don't mess with me.”

It doesn't have to be as gruesome as a bloody knife. Maybe you could use a picture of a mother bear protecting her cubs, or a shield with a warrior painted on it. Perhaps your personal “Fatal Attraction Knife” could be a small bow and arrow set, a toy ax, or a picture of a mother with her arms tightly around her child.

Whatever it is, remember its message is protection, not destruction. Find a way to honor that fierce warrior who lives inside of you and whose only task is to say, “Don't mess with me” to anyone who tries to hurt you in any way.

My own Inner Protector SoulCollage® card is above. What does yours look like?

PS For more information about the Committee Suit of the SoulCollage® deck, please visit this page.

Time for Reflection

How does your Inner Warrior protect you? Do you have a SoulCollage® card for this powerful part of you? Make a commitment to look for images that represent him or her.

Create a new card to honor this “Don’t Mess with Me” voice. Then let it speak to you.

Revel in its presence. Allow it to protect your inner world.

Editor’s Note: This essay was taken from Anne Marie’s book, Into the Heart of SoulCollage®, available now on Amazon.


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, an elderly dog and two adolescent felines who keep them all young. You can read more about how SoulCollage® assisted her on her cancer journey on her website SOS Cancer Journeys. Anne Marie's newest book, Through the Eyes of SoulCollage® is now available.

 
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As you begin 2017, it may feel like everything is in flux in your life and in the world around you. Perhaps those dreams and goals from January 1 already feel far away. Or you may have some big financial dreams and goals for 2017 that are propelling you forward.

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Guest Columnist: Linda Woolfson


I'm Linda Woolfson, MA, PhD, a SoulCollage® Facilitator & Trainer, writer, translator and creativity catalyst with a particular passion for bringing words and images together to fire our imagination and enhance our lives. This column explores how you can use SoulCollage® to deepen your experience of the summertime.


Your Favorite Words

Homing in on some of your favorite words and then looking through your Committee cards can help you to discover some new and quite subtle nuances in your own personality.

As a writer I love noticing how particular words rise and fall in popularity. Twenty years ago, for example, the word “creativity” was unusual enough to stand out when you read it. Now it’s become a “must use” buzz-word, rolled out in everything from a plethora of self-help books to a flood of high budget corporate advertising.

Perhaps in response to the common perception that we’re entering some challenging times, I’ve noticed that another of my favorites, “levity,” is suddenly popping up everywhere. A lovely, multi-faceted word with an intriguing range of meanings, it can give expression to a whole range of different forms of energy. Levity can evoke an impish capacity to bring relief by lightening a heavy atmosphere with clever humor. It can also conjure up an irreverent teetering on the brink of frank disrespect for the established order of things. Or it can involve outright lewdness.

As such, levity has an important relationship with the archetype of the Fool.

“Levity” is a core quality of the Fool. Although the Fool may at times have a somber or even cruel edge, this archetype is never a heavy presence and always has a humorous tinge. Similarly, the defining quality of the Committee cards in my deck which share the quality of levity is that all of them contain a humorous element. One of the pleasures I sometimes give myself with my Committee suit is to take a favorite word (for example, levity), look through my deck to discover where in the suit I can spot an aspect of that word, and then savor its many hues and variations. You can’t physically say the word without smiling - the three vowel sounds in “Le- vi- ty” (e+ i+i) put your mouth into a smile!

My Committee card “Celebrating My Friendships” even has the sounds of “levity” built into the facial expressions of the two women:

I am one who is borne up on the light, white wings of the flow of my friendships. My friends and I partake in an unstoppable give and take of support, delight, wisdom and zaniness. I am profoundly grateful for my friends’ presence in my life.

I draw this card surprisingly often in readings and it always shifts my energy to a lighter level.


Embedded into levity is an element of imagination: you can only embody this lightness of being by entering the imaginative sphere. My “Peter Pan” card was made purely intuitively, without any conscious awareness of this lifelong favorite book. Yet when I’d created the card and started to journal with it, there in my mind was Peter Pan’s answer to Wendy asking him where he lives: “Second star to the right and then straight on ‘til morning.”

I am one who loves the world of the imagination. The enticing ripple of book pages wafts me effortlessly into fable. I am one who is restored by story.

The levity of this particular Committee card is infused with another favorite word of mine: “whimsy!”

Levity can also include a strong element of irony. In my own Committee “Stuck in The Middle with You” mixes grimness and hilarity:

I am one who is stuck in my ways. I insist on believing that my own glum perspective is the only one. I stubbornly refuse to see that if I just leaned over to stroke Steadfast’s head, I’d glimpse a different reality right behind me.

Although the man’s expression is grim, I cannot look at this card without laughing.

Frivolous though this approach may seem, that’s all to the good. Adopting a playful lightness can reveal some unexpected resonances even in the most seemingly familiar members of your Committee. Personally I find that this word-choosing method of exploring my Committee can open up some new and surprising perspectives in an enjoyable, non-confrontational way.

In the challenging times we’re living in, let’s all cultivate an element of levity! SoulCollage® gives us a magical tool for tuning in to the many ways we can build our strength, resilience and resourcefulness. Try this activity with some of your own favorite words. I hope you also discover that this is a fun and actually quite profound way to further explore your Committee Neters.


Linda Woolfson, MA, PhD is a SoulCollage® Facilitator and Trainer, writer, translator and creativity catalyst. Of South African origin, she now enjoys living a dual-based life between the United Kingdom and Portugal, running SoulCollage® and creativity workshops, retreats & Facilitator Trainings in both countries. Linda has been exploring the creative process for many years and working with SoulCollage® since 2009. You can find out more about her activities on her SoulCollage® website and on her Facebook page.
 

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KaleidoSoul Creations
As promised, we are featuring SoulCollage® cards from our readers in each issue.

Each card below is a card from one SoulCollager's Deck that represents Committee Suit in their lives.

 


The Critic
Committee Suit
Diane
Washington

Never satisfied
Always something wrong
I am angry you would even ask.

I am afraid to try in case I am wrong
I don't want to like it in case it is taken away
Preemptive strike

I don't even know what I want.




SoulCollage® Facilitator Committee Suit
Denise
California

I am the one who is a SoulCollage® Facilitator. I look at magazines in a totally different way. I am here to tell you that your creative spirit is needed now. The money is good but it is not the most important thing in this tool of self- exploration. Share your skills with the world around you and help others to find all the parts themselves that they are ignoring.




Silencer
Committee Suit
Laurie
California

Ssshhh. You have nothing to say here. You don't know what you're talking about. You'll sound silly. I keep you safe by keeping quiet. If you share your thoughts out loud it could stir up conflict. Better to keep the peace. Be like a bunny and don't make a sound.




Soaring Health
Committee Suit
Laurie
California

I am one who reaches for the sky with my feet firmly planted on the earth. I refresh your mindset – a good stretch is like a walk on the beach. Open the chest, spread your wings. Breathe. Feel the peace of blue wash away your stress.





Triumphant Listmaker Committee Suit
Kat
Arizona

I Am One Who loves to write lists and then check off items as they are accomplished. I have goals and dreams and I know that writing them down is one of the keys to achieving them. I am a Triumphant Listmaker!




Caretaker
Committee Suit
Anne
Maryland

I am the one who is committed to doing my duty. I am the one who always wants to put the needs of others before my own. I am the one who loves to be helpful. I am the one who sometimes feels overwhelmed by the need to look out for other people. I am the one who takes pride in my selflessness,





Artist Hand
Committee Suit
Anne
Maryland

I am the one who abandons myself to creativity. I am the one who happily takes time to enjoy my art. I am the one who honors my artistic gifts. I am the one who nurtures the artistic gifts of others. I am the one who loves to share my art. I am the one who is committed to learning and practicing my art.




Anger
Committee Suit
Rene
Minnesota

I am one who protects myself with anger. I crouch in fear behind an angry face. I am one who will attack when threatened. Call me when you feel primal fear and I will bring a loud voice to speak your truth. Hide in the forest while I do my work. A tree was felled to make this protective totem, and the living trees will surround you while I fight your battle. Realize, though, that I may bring anger from your childhood to this present difficulty, and you may need to apologize when I'm through.




Abandoned Child
Committee Suit
Rene
Minnesota

I am one who is alone among the stars. I disappear down a dark tunnel guarded by a demon. When faced with loss, I go to my tunnel to hide where no one can find me. I give you a safe place to hide when you feel alone, but I also give you a warning. If you hide in here for too long, the people who still love you will stop looking. Pop in here now and then and admit your fear, but get back out there soon and you'll find more support than you can see right now.



Please feel free to submit one of your cards for a future issue by sending a reply email to this newsletter.

Future themes include:

March: The Moon
April: Aging
 
 
KaleidoSoul Notes
KaleidoSoul Notes

Noteworthy resources for anyone interested in SoulCollage®

 
Facilitator TrainingsFacilitator Trainings: Information about content and dates/locations of upcoming trainings of SoulCollage® Facilitators.

SoulCollage websiteSoulCollage website - Seena Frost created the process of SoulCollage®, and this is her website.


KaleidoSoul - Spinning the fragments of your world into wholeness and beauty through SoulCollage®.


Kindred Spirits Join our fast-growing worldwide membership of people who put the "soul" in SoulCollage®!
Upcoming SoulCollage® Retreats

MASSACHUSETTS

Facilitator Training
Westfield, MA
April 5-9, 2017
Facilitator: Mariabruna Sirabella

NOTE: Current Facilitators receive a discount to take this Training as a refresher course..

Visit this page for more info.

 

ILLINOIS

Playing with a Full Deck:
Emotional Connectedness Inside and Out

Chicago, Illinois

April 28-30, 2017
Facilitator: Michele Manos

Michele's "Card Games" offer innovative ways to explore your SoulCollage® deck as a whole - integrating your ever-evolving aspects. Spend a weekend at beloved Cenacle Retreat Center using your deck as a powerful tool for well-being and success. Inspired by the film "Inside Out," explore emotional wholeness, resilience, and connections. Discover how your core emotions (Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear, and Disgust) are expressed. Create inner alliances for emotional balance and authenticity. Discern and refine how you build boundaries and bridges to yourself and others. Receive individual and group instruction, with ample time to explore your deck, journal and make cards!

Visit this page for more info.

 

MICHIGAN

Sacredness, Surprise, and Synchronicity:
Exploring the Treasures of SoulCollage®

Laingsburg, Michigan

July 28-30, 2017
Facilitator: Anne Marie Bennett

Seena Frost, birth mother to SoulCollage®, often talked about the Three S’s of this beautiful process. During this nurturing, soul-full retreat, we will focus our card making and journaling on these Three S’s: Sacredness, Synchronicity, and Surprise. Give yourself the restful space and time of three wonder-full days with other kindred, creative spirits who love SoulCollage® like you do! We’ll explore the sacredness of SoulCollage® by surrounding ourselves with the Transpersonal energy of Source, SoulEssence and Witness. We’ll also explore and share the meaning and power of synchronicity (which Carl Jung called “meaningful coincidences”) during our card making and card readings, and delight in the Fool archetypal energy who weaves joyful surprises throughout the SoulCollage® process.

Visit this page for more info.



ARIZONA

Spiritual Art From the Heart:
Unlock Your Creativity in Sedona!

Sedona, Arizona

September 9-16, 2017
Facilitator: Kat Kirby

If you’d love 6 days of creative time in the studio, join Kat in the magical landscape of the high desert in Sedona, Arizona. Creative expression is “Art from the Heart”, and requires no prior artistic training. We’ll be creating a hand-made journal on the first day, where you can record what the rest of the week brings your way. Then, using local materials found on walks, along with studio materials that are provided, you’ll make a spirit wand, a SoulCollage® card, a mandala, dream catcher and a personal shrine. Come nourish your creative soul in Sedona! Leave your daily routine behind, while connecting with your inner self and other SoulCollagers.

Visit this page for more information.

 

MASSACHUSETTS

Facilitator Training
Westfield, MA

September 13-17, 2017
Trainer: Anne Marie Bennett

Visit this page for more info.


ITALY


La Dolce Vita- Goddess Retreat

Tuscany, Italy

September 24 - October 3, 2017
Facilitator: Cat Caracelo


Journey with a small circle of visionary, artistic and whole-hearted women, for 11 days in our own private villa near Florence! Enter into the mythic and living landscape of Italy, make art with SoulCollage® and mixed media as you explore La Dolce Vita. We will seek the wisdom of the Goddesses and explore mythic landscapes, sacred gardens, the dreamscapes of the Renaissance that influenced Il Sacro Bosco, and Niki St Phalle's magnificent Tarot Garden, as we make art and explore energies that will inspire the sweet life.

Visit this page for more information now.

 

CONTACT US
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 2017,
by Anne Marie Bennett and
Catherine Anderson, Cat Caracelo, or Linda Woolfson.
Articles may be reprinted by permission only.