The Many Faces of Fear 

Several years ago on the Fourth of July, I experienced the many faces of fear in a visceral, unpleasant way. My husband and his family, plus eight of our grandchildren (ages 3-13 at the time) were all together at our annual celebration. The day was full of laughter, pool splashing, games in the back yard, and lots of good food. 

As family tradition dictated, when it began to get dark, we would indulge in a little bit of low-key fireworks. There's nothing like some safe, friendly sparkle in the sky to celebrate our nation's birthday! My husband Jeff and his brother Keith were always in charge of this ten-minute event, and they kept buckets of water and a few hoses nearby just in case. 

But that year didn’t go as smoothly as usual. 

My other brother-in-law, Donald, stepped into the safety zone and set off two larger-than-life fireworks that he had brought with him (without consulting us). The first one went off without a hitch. However, it was a little too big, low, and loud for my comfort, so I went back inside the house. 

His second firework, however, went off sideways instead of straight up, and started a fire in the bushes off to the side of the driveway. Before I knew it, those eight grandkids—who all day had been laughing and playing—were rushing inside, crying and screaming. 

I will never forget that scene as long as I live. Our beloved grandchildren were terrified. It hurt my heart to see eight-year-old Lissy's beautiful blue eyes filled with tears, her voice trembling. Camden, also eight, was holding onto the edge of the sofa, shouting at the top of his lungs, "We're all going to die!" Three-year-old Elle who usually embodies Wild Child energy, was slowly pacing the floor and quietly chanting "Fire? Fire?" in bewilderment. Five-year-old Jackson was crying for his daddy. 

My husband's niece had followed the children in and she calmly explained the situation, so I felt reassured that everything would be okay. I hugged each of the kids as close as I could, and I reminded them that Uncle Keith and Papa were out there and that they knew exactly what to do to make the fire stop. 

Later, pondering their faces of fear as I drifted off to sleep, I was reminded of a couple of times in my own life when fear moved into my body and mind, and completely took over. The SoulCollage® card (above) is called "Stark Raving Fear." I made it after my second cancer diagnosis in 2011 and—although my circumstances and theirs were very different—it is that same fear that I recognized in those children on the Fourth of July. 

PUTTING IT INTO PRACTICE

Call to mind a time when the powerful force of fear took over your own body and mind. What were the circumstances? What did the faces of fear inside of you look like? 

Perhaps your inner five-year-old was crying for Mommy or Daddy. Maybe your inner eight-year-old was afraid of dying. Was your inner three-year-old bewildered and unsure of what was happening? Maybe your own beautiful eyes were filled with tears of helplessness along with the fear. 

What were these faces of fear saying to you? Remember back to that time and listen carefully. Allow those voices of fear some space and time to be heard. Listen, really listen to them. 

Spend some time this week journaling with each of these different parts of yourself. Call upon your own loving inner grandmother/grandfather and offer the frightened ones inside of you comfort and solace. 

Notice what happens inside your body and inside your mind, as you extend comfort to your own faces/voices of fear. 

Anne Marie Bennett is a SoulCollage® Facilitator / Trainer, published author, website goddess, and two-time cancer survivor who was mentored directly by Seena Frost. Anne Marie is a recent transplant to southern coastal Maine where she lives, laughs, and creates with her silver-haired husband and one adolescent feline. She loves exploring all the wildlands including forest and ocean near her new home. Her books about SoulCollage® are available here.

Celebrating Halloween: SoulCollage® Style

90- minute SoulCollage® Zoom Workshop

with SoulCollage® Facilitator 

Shannon Fitzgerald from North Carolina

Thursday, October 10, 2024

Time: 11am Eastern

FR*EE for our

KaleidoSoul Kindred Spirit members.

Only $10 for non-members.

Easily Accessible from Anywhere in the World! 

Recording available if you can’t attend "live."

Visit this page for more info now.

Fear Not: Emotions as Allies

Emotions make life interesting, sometimes delighting us and other times leading us to difficult places. With core human emotions as lovable characters, Pixar’s films Inside Out and Inside Out 2 provide insightful perspectives on the complex relationships between our emotional parts. 

In the first film we enter the mind of young Riley to meet Joy, Sadness, Anger, Fear, and Disgust as she navigates some childhood challenges. In the second film, Riley reaches puberty and experiences a larger, “touchier” emotional cast with the arrival of Anxiety, Shame, Envy, and Ennui. The films’ storylines remind us that each emotion has a crucial purpose, and that suppressing any emotion is unwise. It’s all about balance - finding the useful timing and proportion of each individual emotion and encouraging a cooperative team spirit among all of them. Much like the balance we seek within and among our SoulCollage® Neters, it’s an ongoing quest for well-being and happiness.

The characters of Fear—who is present in Riley’s childhood—and his comrade, Anxiety, who arrives at puberty, offer us much to consider. While Fear insists that his intention is merely to protect and encourage good decisions, he can be quite dramatic and may confuse real dangers (earthquakes) with somewhat silly things (being called on in class). His unbounded terror can easily disrupt the other emotions.

Anxiety claims she protects Riley from scary stuff she can’t see, while Fear deals with what she can see. The character of Anxiety carries lots of baggage (literally, many suitcases) and an overwhelming capacity to create debilitating havoc. Even Joy can’t stop Anxiety from taking control. Yet, we observe that a healthy dose of Anxiety provides anticipation and excitement that inspires Riley to do her best.

Have you explored Fear or Anxiety in your SoulCollage® deck? Here are some ideas for perusing your Committee cards to welcome these emotions.

1. Do you recall when you first met Fear? Is there a childhood memory of being afraid of real and vividly imagined things? Do you have a card for your fearful or frightened self as a child or adult? Any indirect expressions, such as your fear of doing something (like public speaking)? If not, could either be a useful Neter? My Frightened Child card, shown at the beginning of this column, is sufficient for me as a fearful self Neter. My adult fear looks and feels much like this early representation.

2. If Anxiety is something you recognize, do you have a card that directly or indirectly reflects it? The timing and impact of Anxiety’s debut varies: puberty, midlife, menopause, or the elder years. It may arrive with long Covid. Is it useful to imagine and meet this part of you? It was quite a healing and relief when I created My Anxiety/Panic card, shown here. Simply looking at this card can lower my anxiety level and provide perspective to panic. 

3. Ask the cards that represent forms of Fear or Anxiety within you: 

How and when do you get in my way? * How and when do you help me? * Are there times that I unwisely ignore you? * What do you need to stay in balance?

4. Browse your Committee cards to find helper Neters that can temper or serve as antidotes to fears and anxieties. Joy? Discernment? Bravery? The next time Fear or Anxiety tries to take control, surround that Neter with these tempering helpers – creating a card constellation of balance.

Remember, it’s not about “conquering” fear or any other emotion, but rather befriending them into a healthy balance. Note that both films are available for streaming; I encourage you to enjoy them with an open heart and your SoulCollage® practice in mind.

Editor’s Note: I hope you’ll find time and space in your life to join Michele on October 19 for a virtual workshop We’re Inside Out, Too! A SoulCollage® Playdate with Our Emotions. Learn more on this page.

Dr. Michele Manos lives in Marin County, California and is the developer of SoulCollage® Card Games and Playing with a Full Deck Retreats. She trained as a Facilitator in 2008 with Seena Frost and has enthusiastically shared the magic of SoulCollage® ever since. Learn about her upcoming virtual gatherings and courses on her web page.

Infusing Grace Into Your Grief Journey

with SoulCollage® Facilitator Patti Lockenbach from Florida

October 26, 2024

In this interactive 90-minute Zoom workshop, you will explore the power of using your intuition along with the guidance of your SoulCollage® Neters to craft your own personal "Statement of Grace."

We will explore the five common areas where you may unintentionally forget to offer Grace (kindness or forgiveness) to yourself when in Grief and explore the benefits of changing these patterns. You will be guided to craft your own personal "Statement of Grace" which can serve as a beacon of light to guide you along the path of healing as you navigate the complexities of grief. Kindred Spirits members, be sure to use your coupon code to save $5.00. There’s lots more information here.

QuestPath 2024-2025 Begins October 23. 2024 with Facilitator Cat Caracelo

Art is a soul language. SoulCollage®, Mixed Media, and JourneyCircles™ are the favorite creative ways to participate, and you can expand your journeying with Word Art, Poetry, Paint, Assemblage, Altered Books, and Art Journaling. Connect with amazing women creatives and SoulCollagers as you travel your path. Dip in or dive deep with the seasonal energies, lore, sacred symbols, and mythic themes offered around the eight seasons on the sacred wheel of the year.

Honor your own pace and creative ways, work with sacred stories, mythic memory, phases of life, personal rhythms, and archetypal energies as you connect with an amazing tribe of Quest sisters, traveling together all year. 

Our Kindred Spirits members are saving an additional $75 with their special coupon code!

More information here.